₦airaland Forum

Yoruba

[size=18pt]The Designer with Midas touch
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Born in Bromsgrove (British Midlands), he graduated from Manchester University College after which he began working at the fashion houses of Victor Edelstein and Christian Stambolian, purveyors of style to the English establishment in the 80s and 90s and thereby gained his initial tailoring experience. Ade Bakare is one of the leading fashion designers and entrepreneurs in Nigeria who have made landmark achievements in the creative world. A man of many paths, Ade Bakare equally explored other parts of the fashion business when he created the perfume, Breeze, in 1998 which was inspired by his childhood days spent along the breezy West African coastal city of Lagos in Nigeria.

We started in 1991 in London with a ready to wear line which sold to shops in the UK. Then we later started the couture line starting with bridal dresses. Now, we have the day and evening wear lines plus a new line of Ankara dresses we launched at a recent show at the Wheatbaker Hotel in Ikoyi-Lagos. It has been well received and lots of clients and friends have started ordering it for Christmas. They love our use of silk organza and lace with the Ankara, giving it our own signature look.

With 25 years of experience in the world of fashion, do you feel intimidated considering the new trends of designers now?

Competition is great for progress, it’s also why we started the young designers’ competition, YDCC. There are rooms for several designers to progress and stand firm on.

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Femi Otedola - Yoruba


ZENON OIL/ATLAS SHIPPING AGENCY/SWIFT INSURANCE/FO PROPERTIES LIMITED/FO TRANSPORT/SEAFORCE SHIPPING COMPANY

Femi Otedola of Nigeria is the controlling shareholder of publicly traded Forte Oil, Africa's largest oil marketing company measured by retail network. Originally a Nigerian subsidiary of British Petroleum (BP), Forte Oil has more than 500 gas stations across the country. The company also owns oil storage depots and manufactures its own line of engine oils. Forte oil is making a play in power generation. In 2013, Otedola led the company to purchase a government-owned stake in a 414-megawatt gas-fired power plant in Kogi state in central Nigeria. The stock price has rallied more than 45% since last year particularly on the back of a September 2015 deal in which Swiss commodities giant Mercuria said it would acquire 17% stake in Forte Oil for $200 million; the transaction is not yet complete. Otedola's daughter, Ifeoluwa, is a fast rising disc jockey who goes by the moniker 'DJ Cuppy'. She was the official disc jockey during the May 2015 inauguration of Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari. Otedola is a fitness buff; he spends at least an hour in the gym every day.

Yoruba

[size=18pt]10th wealthiest woman in Africa[/size]


According to Forbes, she is the 10th wealthiest woman in Africa. The socialite may not have been born into a wealthy home like most people are, so it is enough to say that her success story would not have been possible if she hasn’t struggled.

Hajia Bola Shagaya would be 55 years old on the 10th of October. She was born in the year 1959. She attended Queens School in Ilorin, Kwara state from where she hails.

The Socialite did her tertiary education at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and in a reputable University in California, where she studied economics and accountancy. Bola also attended Harvard Business School and a number of local and international seminars, including workshops.

Her career kicked off when she began working with the audit department of the Central Bank of Nigeria. After that, she ventured into some commercial activities in 1983.

Shagaya business experience became better when she started importing and distribution of photographic materials. Through one of her companies known as Bolmus International Limited, she became one of the first to import the Konica brand of photographic materials into Nigeria and West African markets.

She is married to Alhaji Ganiyu Shagaya, a Kwara State-based transporter; their union is blessed with four children. Her son Sheriff Shagaya, who got married in 2013 in an out of this world, expensive wedding ceremony is presently eyeing a political appointment come 2015.

She is currently one of the board members of Unity Bank, Nigeria Plc. Unity Bank was formerly known as Intercity Bank. Bola Shagaya has served in different capacity at that bank.

She is also a member of NEPAD Business Group, Nigeria. One major strategy that has worked for the famous Hajia all these years is the fact that she knows how to make good friends; this is evident in the friends she has kept and still keeping.

She was a friend to late Stella Obasanjo. Today, she is a very good friend to the incumbent President’s wife, Dame Patience Jonathan. It is no wonder that she is seen always in the corridors of power.

Investments

Bola Shagaya is indeed a wealthy woman as she is the owner of Fotofair Nigeria limited. She also opened a photo laboratory unit in Victoria Island which is no doubt one of the largest photo laboratories in Nigeria. The photo laboratory has a net base of over thirty branches located in different parts of the country and over 300 workers employed.

She is the managing director of Practoil Limited, one of the largest importers and distributors of base oil in Nigeria. Through her base oil importation, she is meeting the need of the local lubricant blending plants.

At the moment, Practoil is building its own plant at Kirikiri, Lagos state. When completed, it is expected to produce multi-grade oils and lubricants. Bola’s business empire includes huge investments in real estate cutting across major cities with over 300 employees. She also has investments in the oil and gas sector.

Award/Fashion

In recognition of the socialite’s achievements and outstanding virtues and service to the country, she was on July 22, 2010, awarded the prestigious national honour of Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, by the President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan. As for fashion and the finer things of life, Hajia loves trendy wears as she loves to look good.

It is no wonder, therefore, that she is the patron of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria, FADAN, as well as an art enthusiast. Hajia Bola is known for her very expensive clothings.

Properties/Cars

Bola has invested so much in real estate. So it is no news that she lives in state-of-the-art mansions in Lagos as well as in Abuja and even in her home town. Her state-of-the-art business property at Kirikiri is indeed a piece. Her cars are not left out as only the best can be driven by the famous Hajia Bola.


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Yoruba


[size=18pt]Biggest seller of Toyota vehicles in West Africa[/size]
Source: Car distribution

Chief Micheal Ade-Ojo, a westerner from Ondo state southwestern, Nigeria was born on June 14, 1938 at Ilara-mokin, a town in Ondo state into the family of the late chief Solomon Ojo and Mrs. Beatrice Ademolawe Ojo. He attended St. Michael’s Anglican School, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria. He later attended Imade College, Owo, Nigeria (1954-1958), where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate. He proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in 1961, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Business Administration in 1965.

Michael Ade-Ojo is the biggest seller of Toyota vehicles in West Africa. His Elizade Group accounts for over 10% of all Toyota sales in Nigeria. He is also chairman of Toyota Nigeria and is a key shareholder of RT Briscoe PLC, an NSE-listed distributor of Toyota cars in Nigeria.



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Yoruba


[size=18pt]Chairman and founder of Energy Resources Group[/size]
Source: Steel, Oil, Dredging

Jide Omokore is the chairman and founder of Energy Resources Group, one of Nigeria’s largest privately-held conglomerates. ERG has interests in oil trading and exploration, haulage services, steel, dredging engineering and property development. The group’s annual revenue exceeds $400 million.

Yoruba


Dele Fajemirokun

Source: Diversified

His father, Henry Fajemirokun, was a renowned shipping magnate and one of Africa’s most successful businessmen after Nigeria’s independence. Nigerian Maritime Services Limited, the shipping company he founded in 1962, is still one of the largest shipping companies in Nigeria today. Dele Fajemirokun, his 62 year-old son is now in charge. A prominent boardroom guru, Fajemirokun also owns key stakes and sits on the board of several Nigerian blue-chips including American International Insurance company and oil explorer First Hydrocarbon Nigeria Limited.

Yoruba

[size=18pt]Founder of RISE NETWORKS
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A Social entrepreneur, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji is the Founder of RISE NETWORKS, a Nigeria-based private and public sector funded Youth Interest social enterprise with a primary focus on wholesome youth and education development. The organization focuses on creating intellectual development and capacity building programs for young Nigerians between 16 and 30 and receives generous support from several state governments and blue-chip companies. She is also an alumnus of the United States Government’s International Visitor Leadership Program.


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Yoruba

[size=18pt]Founder and CEO of House of Tara International, and creator of the Tara Orekelewa Beauty range, Inspired Perfume and the H.I.P Beauty range [/size]

She is a Nigerian makeup artist and lawyer. A pioneer in the bridal makeup profession in Nigeria, she launched the first bridal directory in 1999, set up international standard makeup studios and established the first makeup school in Nigeria. She is the founder and CEO of House of Tara International, and creator of the Tara Orekelewa Beauty range, Inspired Perfume and the H.I.P Beauty range.

In 2007, She was awarded the Africa SMME Award and the Entrepreneur award in South Africa[3] and in 2013, Forbes listed her as one 20 Young Power Women In Africa. She is a graduate of the prestigious Stanford SEED Transformation Program and this has aided her work as a mentor for thousands of young women across Africa and a standout entrepreneur.


Nigerian builds own beauty empire

The Tara beauty range was born out of her frustration at the lack of suitable cosmetics available in Nigeria -- "Importers didn't know exactly what was right for Nigerian women," she says -- and sense that her products could fill the gap while encouraging pride in home-grown glamor.
"A lot of the Tara products are named after either beauty icons or beauty philosophies in Africa," says Fela-Durotoye. "For us it's about sharing the world and sharing our culture to the world."
The past few years have seen the company expand into catwalk and film makeup design as Lagos fashion and cinema scenes have flourished. When French pharmaceutical giants L'Oreal came to Nigeria looking for a partner to help introduce their Maybelline range to the West African country, they signed up with Tara, earning Fela-Durotoye a spot on Forbes' list of "20 Young Power Women In Africa" in the process.


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Yoruba


[size=18pt]Founder of e-commerce platform, Fashpa.[/size]


Driven by the desire to impact lives, she is the founder of e-commerce platform, Fashpa. She’s all about building a sustainable online retail businesses and is also convinced women are essential to the “Africa Rising” narrative.

Oyindamola Honey Ogundeyi is the queen of Fashpa and the face of the ever rising African fashion industry.
Young, pretty and elegant, Oyindamola is one of the visionary Africans who have gallantly secured a brilliant position for African women to be seen, heard and celebrated in business, especially in the fashion industry.

With her “student’s mite” Oyindamola founded fashpa, a retail ecommerce startup whose main focus is to provide on trend clothing at affordable prices, with the use technology. Its key focus areas include: sourcing, logistics, customer service and user experience.

“Ten years ago, I came back to Nigeria after university to complete my NYSC before starting out at Mckinsey & Co. I wanted to purchase a pair of shoes and the options were basically super expensive at a brick and mortar store or cheap knockoff version at an open air market and I ended up ordering a pair abroad. I remember thinking there must a viable option in Nigeria if you don’t want to sacrifice on price or brand and still want a cool pair of work shoes at good price. Since that time, I gained a lot of experience in technology, retail and business and moved back to Nigeria. The problem of accessing trendy clothing at great prices still existed .However this time the Internet provided a unique opportunity to solve it at scale and build a fashion brand that would serve a fashion conscious customer. As they say, planning met opportunity – it was the perfect time to start Fashpa.com.” She tells Leading Lady Africa in an interview.

Since its inception in 2013, fashpa has established a position as Nigeria’s leading online fashion retail store.

The company name, fashpa was coined from the phrase “Fashion Parade”. An expression which was used during Oyindamola’s days in high school to describe Fashion Pageants or competitions or as an expression when someone was looking particularly dressed up.
Having traversed different areas of business and the corporate world, from Banking and Brand Management to Internet and Telecoms, the power woman remains a force to be reckoned with in Africa and beyond. In 2014, she was selected as one of the ambassadors for the Junior Achievement of Nigeria (I am JAN) campaign.

The journey, according to Oyindamola has been enormously challenging, but totally worth it.

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