In a previous article, we compiled a list of
male motivational speakers you should be following. This time around, we will be taking look at their female counterparts.
These women have used their voices as wives, mothers, and business owners to inspire and elevate others. Find them in this list below:
Tara Fela-Durotoye
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Tara Fela-Durotoye is a lawyer and a pioneer in the bridal makeup profession in Nigeria. Her make-up journey is both legendary and inspiring. At a time when being an
entrepreneur was not the norm, Tara started her makeup business with just ₦15000. She began pursuing this passion while studying Law in the Lagos State University. From catering to a few random weddings, her brand expanded to become a pioneering movement for all other makeup brands in Nigeria. She has achieved major feats in Nigeria; establishing the first bridal directory and first make-up school in Nigeria under the brand name
House of Tara; launching
Be Inspired, Nigeria’s first home-grown fragrance, and
Orekelewa, a make-up line. Tara has spoken through various platforms on relationship, career, and finance.
Interestingly, Tara is the wife of the current
presidential aspirant under the political party Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Fela Durotoye, who is also an author, a business consultant, and world-renowned speaker.
Omilola Oshikoya
Omilola Oshikoya is a wealth coach with over 12 years of experience in finance/investment banking. She is the founder of
Omilola Oshikoya International, a life, and financial coaching company. Omilola’s experience with financial challenges as a child made her resolve not to experience these same issues as an adult. As a result, she studied Accounting and Finance with the intent to become a banker. After experiencing an epiphany, she resigned from her lucrative job to start her own business. Today, she is “Africa’s Premier Wealth Coach” who coaches people through articles, seminars, and interviews on how to make wealth. Every year, Omilola organizes a conference called the “Do it Afraid” conference where business-minded individuals are inspired to fulfill their dreams irrespective of the challenges that may arise. She is also the author of
The Richer Woman, a book about her personal experiences as a young woman in the pursuit of wealth.
Arese Ugwu
After splitting from her spouse and experiencing financial challenges,
Arese Ugwu decided to take charge of her financial situation and change for the better. Today, Arese Ugwu is the Author of the best selling
The Smart Money Woman, a book that addresses various aspects of financial literacy and has gained international recognition for its potency in helping young Africans make smarter money decisions. Arese attended the University College London (UCL) and Aston Business School, Birmingham, where she obtained an MSc in Economic Development and a BSc in Business and Management, respectively. She acquired her financial knowledge from working in the financial sector and with the things she learned there, she resolved to expound financial teachings by breaking them into layman understanding. In a bid to take her message further, she wrote
The Smart Money Woman. She also runs a finance blog called
Smart Money Africa. On the blog, she articulates practical advice in the form of articles and interview.
Nimi Akinkugbe
Nimi Akinkugbe is revered for bringing the popular Monopoly board game to Nigeria.
Nimi is a zealous crusader of financial prudence and has used an unconventional tool – the game of Monopoly – to imbibe saving habits in children. She also engages her adult audience through her articles, seminars and public speaking events about personal finance. Nimi’s was born in Port Harcourt and lived in Lagos until she was 7 years Old. She spent the rest of her childhood in Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, and later attended school in Kenya and United Kingdom where she obtained a B.Sc in Economics from the London School of Economics. She went on to obtain an MBA from the Lagos Business School. Her inspiration to disseminate financial advice came while she was in the banking industry when she found out that many people were extravagant when it came to the spending money. Because she was at a vantage point where she could understand what influenced these people’s financial decisions, she could tell they had no clue as to how to handle their personal finances. As a result, she began penning down articles in financial management and having them published in newspapers and magazines. She has these articles curated under the brand name
Money Matters With Nimi. To further her agenda, she introduced the game of Monopoly as a mean to educate young people on the values of saving money. Today, her company
Bestman Games distributes customized editions of Monopoly in about 48 African countries.
Olajumoke Adenowo
Olajumoke Olufunmilola Adenowo is an architect, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is also an author, public speaker, radio host and the founder of
AD Consultin, an architectural and interior design firm located in Lagos. She has been dubbed “Africa’s Starchitect” by
CNN and as “the face of Architecture in Nigeria” by
The Guardian. Olajumoke was born in Ibadan, Oyo State. At the ge of 14, she had already gained admission into Obafemi Awolowo University and at 19 she graduated with a B.Sc with honours in Architecture. She later obtained a Master’s of Science in Architecture and got a distinction in the courses she offered. She went on to gain business knowledge from the Yale School of Management, Lagos Business School Chief Executive Programme, and the IESE Business School at the University of Navarra, Barcelonia, Spain. Olajumoke has authored some inspirational books such as
Lifespring: The Mother’s Prayer Manual, The Mysterious Seed: Powerful Secrets of Financial Increase and
Designed For Marriage. She is also a host on the radio show
Voice of Change. She earned features in “Who will be who in the 21st century” (Young Achievers Section) by the
International Biographical Centre Cambridge, England, and “Those who inspire Nigeria” in 1991.
