Nigeria’s Powerful Women Honour Folorunsho Alakija

HighLife

There are levels to this thing known as impact. It is becoming more and more apparent that some people are just so interested in the welfare and satisfaction of other people that they will do almost anything. Folorunsho Alakija’s celebration of the fifth year since the establishment of her women empowerment movement, Flourish Africa, is one such thing. Even though the event was supposed to be a celebration of her initiative’s anniversary, it was really a gifting ceremony.

Alakija has always shown herself to be as humble as she is visionary. Since setting up Flourish Africa to help empower African women and develop a framework for them to contribute to the continent’s economic growth, she has been mulling over what to do to tip the scale in the favor of these women. After all, it is one thing to have a working framework, but another to inspire women to use that framework.

During Flourish Africa’s fifth anniversary ceremony, Alakija devised a means to speed up the movement’s march towards continental impact. This involved her giving a seed grant of N1 billion to 100 women who own and are serious about their micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs). Thus, apart from the empowering information that Alakija’s initiative constantly provides to the women, the grant is guaranteed to invigorate their dreams and help them reach further than they ever imagined.

With such a heart for other people, it is not surprising that many of Alakija’s peers turned up at the event to honour her. Among these are Chief Onikepo Nike Akande, the first female Minister of Industry in Nigeria; Dr. Stella Okoli, the current CEO of Emzor Pharmaceuticals; Princess Sarah Sosan, the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State; Sisi Abah Folawiyo, super fashion designer; Olusola Momoh, the Vice-Chairperson of Channels Media Group; Lady Kehinde Kamson, the CEO of Sweet Sensation and Aisha Babangida.

Thus, for Alakija, her being one of the top wealthiest women in Africa is not worth much compared to positively impacting lives. And her guests of equally successful women completely agree with her.