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People who take their faith seriously will let it inspire them. This is true for faith-based Nigerian businesswomen and leaders, many of whom say that their relationship with God has propelled their exploits.

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In a world that often treats the sacred as profane, devout women who thrive in business are a testament to the power of faith to inform value creation and contributions to the common good. In this article, we celebrate some of Nigeria’s most vocal advocates for the role that faith can play in the lives of leaders.

Jumoke Adenowo

Olajumoke Adenowo is a chartered architect and Founder of AD Consulting, an architectural design firm. She is a self-described polymath and has a strong prodigious background that proves this. Her successes have earned her global acclaim. She’s been recognized by Forbes, CNN, and the Royal Institute of British Architects, among others. Jumoke is outspoken about her faith and regularly encourages women to live out their full potential to the glory of God.

Juliet Ehimuan

Juliet Ehimuan is best known for her previous role as CEO of Google West Africa. These days, she runs Beyond Limits Global, a business servicing firm for the tech ecosystem. Juliet is passionate about enabling young people achieve more. She says that she believes “in the power of faith and that God has imbued us with the drive, vision, and ability to the successful”, and that “our task is to make decisions that allow us to take advantage of the opportunities that come to us.”

Sola David-Borha

Sola David-Borha is chairman of the board of Stanbic IBTC Holdings. She had previously been CEO of Stanbic IBTC Bank. In addition to this, she’s a board member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and Coca-Cola HBC. Outside of her professional engagements, Sola serves as a pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), City of David, in Lagos.

Tara Fela-Durotoye

Tara Fela-Durotoye is the founder and CEO of House of Tara, one of Nigeria’s largest beauty products brands. She’s been around the industry long enough to be the single most recognizable figure in it. Tara speaks boldly about her Christian beliefs and admonishes people to find their worth in God. Addressing women, she says, “You do not need a man to validate your queenship. You are a queen unleashed because God’s word says so.”

Bolanle Austen-Peters

Faith-Based Nigerian Businesswomen — Google Arts & Culture

Bolanle Austen-Peters is a creative and cultural entrepreneur. She’s the founder and artistic director of BAP Productions and also established Terra Kulture, an arts and culture centre in Lagos. Some of the notable films she’s produced or directed include 93 Days, Man of God, and Funmilayo Rasome-Kuti. Bolanle describes herself as a woman of faith; her movie Man of God is a critique of religious expectations loosely based on the Biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son.

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Stella Okoli

Stella Okoli is the founder of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, one of Nigeria’s largest indigenous pharmaceutical products manufacturers. Recalling the giant company’s beginnings as a small chemist shop, Stella ascribes its impressive growth over the years to God’s grace and the dedication of her team.

Ibukun Awosika

Ibukun Awosika rose to prominence as the first female chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria. She founded the Chair Center Group in 1989, and has remained its CEO till date. For more than two decades, Ibukun has spoken publicly about personal development and business management. In that time, she’s become well known in professional circles, and is regarded as a role model by many women. She emphasizes the importance of faith in fueling the individual’s personal and business pursuits.

Kofo Akinkugbe

Kofo Akinkugbe is the founder and CEO of SecureID, one of Africa’s top manufacturers of smart cards and identity documents. Her company group owns Nigeria’s first commercial producer of SIM cards, which it exports to 21 other African countries. As far as she’s concerned, her triumphs have been the result of “the audacity to dream, the ability and tenacity to execute, and the humility to put it all at God’s feet.”

Udo Okonjo

Udo Okonjo is the founder and CEO of Fine and Country West Africa, a luxury real estate marketing and sales consultancy firm. She is one of a handful of women who have made a significant impact in the Nigerian real estate industry. Udo’s profession of faith is unmistakable. It fills her socials, and radiates through much of her communication. Her stance is summarized by her own proclamation: “without faith, no growth will happen”.

Arunma Oteh

Arunma Oteh is an economist who has had a stellar career in Nigerian and global institutions. She was Vice President of the World Bank, Director of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission, and Chair of the Royal African Society. Arunma is currently a Member of the Global Leadership Council at the Said Business School, University of Oxford. Her public expression of faith balances recognition of Divine guidance and human responsibility. Referring to Nigeria, she says, “Nigeria is the greatest nation on earth because God has blessed this country. God has blessed us, but the greatest blessing is its people.”

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Final Words

Our list isn’t a comprehensive coverage of faith-based Nigerian businesswomen and leaders. But it does spotlight some of the better known figures in this group. If you are a faith-driven woman who wants to excel in her chosen field, you can be inspired by the characters we have discussed in this article to reach for the highest heights.

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This article was first published on 18th March 2025
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ikenna-nwachukwu

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.