Folorunso Alakija Launches Global Platform for Women Empowerment

By Ferdinand Ekechukwu

The Vice Chairman of Famfa Oil Ltd., Mrs. Folorunso Alakija has launched ‘Flourish Africa’, a non-profit organisation aimed at creating a global community that encourages and helps women to thrive in all aspects of their lives. 

 The online-based platform which was launched yesterday, is the first phase of a series of initiatives under the Flourish Africa umbrella, designed for women by women to empower both the young and the old to prosper in all aspects of their lives. 

The Flourish Africa project is a worldwide network rooted in the local realm. The organisation wants to begin by empowering women in Nigeria through several initiatives that would run throughout the year to enrich the lives of women both locally and internationally. 

In a statement made available to the press, “Flourish Africa was conceived to create a community of like-minded women, who share their individual experiences and encourage each other to be who God has created them to be.” 

Mrs. Alakija who is currently ranked amongst Forbes’ most influential women in the world, with a net worth of $1.7 billion, is well known for gender advocacy and women empowerment projects, one of which is her flagship, the Rose of Sharon Foundation (NGO), for widows and orphans. 

 

Her latest initiative is designed to create a forum for both female millennials, and adults alike, to have access to information that will help them grow in the areas of career, living, love and relationships as well as draw inspirational messages from leading change makers.

 

For Alakija, there was need for more spaces in the online community where women can engage in intellectual discourse and uplift, empower, and inspire each other no matter what age. Her many years of philanthropic work has improved the lives of thousands of women and orphans in Nigeria.

 

While Flourish Africa is aimed primarily at women, Mrs. Alakija pointed out that its message could relate to both genders. “I believe both men and women can benefit from the ethos of the Flourish Africa platform”, she noted.  

 

She however stated that “I know that given the opportunity, women have the power to change the course of any nation and together, we can break down the stereotypes that hold us all back, making our communities much stronger and greater,” adding that, “Together we can create a world where every woman understands their true value and have the tools at their disposal to follow their dreams.”