In recent times, women have expanded the realms of business in which they thrive. The number of industries they aren’t active in is shrinking; more of them are also taking leading roles in the corporate world.
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As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we pay tribute to admirable women; women who are high fliers in the world of business. This article shines the spotlight on them—especially those who have managed to build a robust life on the home front too. Here’s our look at seven such individuals.
Abimbola Balogun
Abimbola Consults
Abimbola Balogun is co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at SoFresh, a healthy food chain which serves fresh and nutritious meals. She and her husband Olagoke Balogun set up the company in 2010. It has since grown to become the leader in its niche, with almost a dozen outlets across Lagos and Abuja. Abimbola, who is also a lawyer and HR practitioner, oversees the day-to-day operations of SoFresh. But she also boasts a decently formed household; as a mother of 3 children, she has maintained a quiet but sometimes vibrant private life.
Honey Ogundeyi
The Guardian NG
Honey Ogundeyi is the CEO of Edukoya, an EdTech startup and online learning platform. Edukoya grabbed headlines late in 2021 when it raised $3.5 million in a pre-seed funding round. Honey has prior entrepreneurial experience as the founder of Fashpa, an online global marketplace for African fashion. She’s married to Babs Ogundeyi, who is co-founder and CEO of Kuda, a leading digital bank. She has hinted that their children are getting interested in tech, and may be taking after their parents in this regard.
Mary Njoku
Peoples Gazette
Mary Njoku is an entrepreneur, producer, and content creator. She’s the founder and CEO of ROK Studios, a leading film production company based in Lagos. Under her charge, the company has put out hundreds of films, and more than two dozen original TV series. Mary is married to famed startup founder and investor Jason Njoku. They have three children. Both have often referred to their family in glowing terms and have spoken about the importance of having a stable private life.
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Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes
Punch Newspapers
Adesuwa Okunbo Rhodes is the founder and Managing Partner at Aruwa Capital, one of only a few African funds that operate with an equity and gender lens. She has previously worked with TLG Capital, JP Morgan, Lehman Brothers, and Syntaxis Capital. Adesuwa is the first female solo GP to raise more than $10 million in Nigeria. She describes herself as a “child of God, wife, and mother” and a “faith-driven investor”. She’s married with a son. Outside of work, she enjoys travelling, cooking, and tennis.
Affiong Williams
The Guardian NG
Affiong Williams is the founder and CEO of ReelFruit, one of the more recognizable local dried fruit snack brands in Nigeria. Since setting up the company in 2012, she’s led it on a remarkable journey of expansion. It now supplies over 400 outlets, including supermarkets, hotels, schools, and airlines. In 2021, it raised $3 million to strengthen its production capacity. Affiong is married to Tayo Oviosu, founder and CEO of Paga. Although she appears to enjoy building a successful business, she has said that she would prefer her children to not become entrepreneurs like her or Tayo, because of the demanding nature of that path.
Chioma Ifeanyi-Eze
Naira Diary
Chioma Ifeanyi-Eze launched Accounting Hub in 2016. The firm offers accounting and bookkeeping services to SMEs across Nigeria. Before setting it up, Chioma worked in finance for a decade, with companies like PwC, Jumia, and Keystone Bank. More recently, she’s established the Chioma Business School, through which she provides business courses on demand. Chioma is known for her conservative views on social issues. She is married and has 3 children.
Ife Durosinmi-Etti
The Guardian NG
Ifedayo Durosinmi-Etti is an author, entrepreneur, and global youth leader. She’s the founder and CEO of Herconomy, a female-focused FinTech startup that empowers women with the tools they need to properly manage their finances. The startup says that it currently serves more than 60,000 women across Nigeria. Ifedayo is married with two children. She describes her parenting style as “authoritative”, but also says that she tries to be flexible and understanding when engaging her children. She admits that her work takes up a lot of her time, and says that she’s grateful for the support she gets from her family.
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Final Words
The growing number of women who are leaders and trailblazers in their spheres of business gives the wider public much to cheer about. The mothers among them are especially impressive. They are juggling multiple responsibilities, all of them important in their own way. And they are scoring brilliant wins all around while at it.
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Ikenna Nwachukwu holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He loves to look at the world through multiple lenses- economic, political, religious and philosophical- and to write about what he observes in a witty, yet reflective style.
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