Meet Nigeria's Women Of Vision

Cuppy Otedola

In November 1998, Folake Coker launched Tiffany Amber Nigeria Limited, the first ready-to-wear label in Nigeria, revolutionising Nigerian fashion and paving the way for the industry we know and love today. Fifteen years after, what we have is a luxurious lifestyle brand that transcends the whole of Africa with outstanding global recognition.

To celebrate this monumental occasion, The 15th anniversary celebrations kicks off in October with the unveiling of the Tiffany Amber, “Meet Nigeria’s Women of Vision” campaign, in perfect partnership with Diamond Woman – an initiative by Diamond Bank, designed specifically for women, by women, providing women with financial, business and lifestyle advice, helping them to achieve their aspirations.

Adenike Ogunlesi
Adenike Ogunlesi

ADENIKE OGUNLESI
Adenike Ogunlesi is best known as the founder and Chief Responsibility Officer of Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, the foremost indigenous lifestyle brand operating to international standards in the design, production, and retail of children’s fashion for boys and girls from new born to sixteen years old.

She opened her flagship store in Ikeja GRA, Lagos in 2000. She now has 12 retail outlets in major cities across the country. Her exceptional entrepreneurial and management skills have been recognised via a board appointment at the Pan African University’s Lagos Business School. She is also a founding member and the first president of the Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) at the Nigeria Employer’s Consultative Association (NECA).

She is also a mentor at the Mara foundation and most recently a finalist at the CNBC AABLA(All Africa Business Leaders Awards) in the category of the Business Woman of the year 2014. She is also an avid motivational speaker talking to women’s groups and young people whenever called upon. She is happily married and blessed with three children.

Adesuwa Onyenokwe
Adesuwa Onyenokwe

ADESUWA ONYENOKWE

Adesuwa Onyenokwe has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dramatics arts from the University of Ife, and a Masters in language arts from the University of Ibadan and has practiced journalism in the broadcast segment for over twenty-five years and four years in the print media, in Nigeria.

After fifteen years as a social services reporter with the National Television network news service, she retired to private practice as an independent content provider for Television, through her production company Universal Communications. For ten years, she produced and presented a half-hour show featuring women and issues that concern them, through the programme “Today’s Woman with Adesuwa”.

Added to her portfolio is the recent foray into publishing, with a lifestyle magazine, TW, as publisher and editor-in-chief.

Adesuwa Onyenokwe is a motivational speaker with a passion for women, youth and development issues who has won several professional awards. She is married with children.

Cuppy Otedola
Cuppy Otedola

CUPPY OTEDOLA

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Cuppy has become a female forefront for African DJ’s. Cuppy began by playing the piano, after which she ventured into beat making and thereafter Disc Jockeying. At 17, she had already become a household name playing at some of London’s top nightclubs and events including various Fashion Week fixtures. She’s also played at well-­‐known events in Paris, New York, and Dubai.

In July 2014, Cuppy released her major project for the year, titled ‘House Of Cuppy’. House of Cuppy is a remix compilation of Cuppy’s 5 favorite Nigerian songs for the year, all tracks produced by her. This rule-­‐breaking project was tremendously successful and was launched in London, Lagos and New York.

Eku Edewor
Eku Edewor

EKU EDEWOR

Eku Edewor is an actress, television personality and host of the award-winning entertainment show, 53 Extra – which showcases the latest in music, film, fashion and red carpet events across the African continent. Whether gracing the covers of magazines, interviewing stars or performing on screen, Eku has established herself firmly in the African entertainment industry as a talent on the rise.

Born in London, England to Nigerian and British parents, Eku was raised between London and Nigeria – an experience that granted her the privilege of being exposed to two vastly different environments. From a very young age, Eku fostered an appreciation for the arts and landed her first part in a school play when she was only seven years old.

Eku is a graduate of English and Theatre from the University of Warwick and trained as an actress at the New York Film Academy

Funke Opeke
Funke Opeke

FUNKE OPEKE

Ms. Funke Opeke, is founder and CEO of Main One. Main One is a telecommunications solutions provider that built West Africa’s first privately owned, submarine cable system interconnecting Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; and Seixal, Portugal.

Ms. Opeke returned to Nigeria in 2005 as the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria after a twenty-year career in the United States. Prior to her return, she was the Executive Director of Verizon Communications Wholesale Division. Following her stint in MTN, Ms. Opeke advised Transcorp on the acquisition of NITEL, where she briefly served as the interim Chief Operating Officer, NITEL.

She obtained a first degree in Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, New York.

“It is wonderful to have an initiative that promotes women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship which is very welcome in our society, which is particularly challenged with unemployment, showing women coming along that they can also make it happen”.

Ifeyinwa Ighodalo
Ifeyinwa Ighodalo

IFEYINWA IGHODALO 

With experience in the furniture industry dating as far as 1981, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo has worked in and run various furniture manufacturing and interior design companies, including Coonita, Casafina Furniture Company and Design Options, which she co-founded in 1987 and helped establish as the preferred choice and one-stop shop for furniture and interior design solutions in Nigeria.

Ifeyinwa has scooped loads of awards including the 2012 Best Residential Designer Award and St. Moritz Style Woman of the Year Award 2004 and the proud recipient from Nigeria of the prestigious International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) Award in 2010.

She is a graduate of Accounting from the University of Nigeria Nsukka. She is happily married and blessed with an amazing daughter and over 20 godchildren.

Maryam Augie
Maryam Augie

MARYAM AUGIE

She is currently the Executive Director Ayahay Foundation, her advocacy in the areas of education and girl child empowerment in Nigeria has received critical acclaim, the league of Association bestowed on her an award for manpower development in 2013.

She holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Ehsal University, Brussels. “I think it is a brilliant initiative and it is very inspirational. All women chosen come from different backgrounds and through this process we have been able to learn something from one another, which makes it very inspiring. I am very inspired by all the women of vision; there is a lot to learn from them as businesswomen, as mothers, as entrepreneurs and as Nigerian women most especially”.

Ola Orekunrin
Ola Orekunrin

OLA OREKUNRIN

Dr. Ola Orekunrin is a medical doctor, a trainee helicopter pilot and an entrepreneur who founded West Africa’s first indigenous air ambulance service, the Flying Doctors Nigeria, which saves hundreds of lives across the region yearly especially in the oil and gas industry, rendering medical evacuation services, remote site clinic management, First Aid Training and other medical solutions to make work safer in the industry.

Born and bred in the UK, she studied Medicine and Surgery at the University of York after which she worked in Acute Medicine across the UK. She was then awarded the Japanese MEXT scholarship which allowed her to further her studies in Tokyo, Japan.

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She has published two medical textbooks ‘EMQ’s in Paediatrics’ and ‘Pre-Hospital Care for Africa’ as well as articles in the British Medical Journal, New York Times and the Huffington Post. She is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Jumoke Oduwole
Jumoke Oduwole

OLAJUMOKE ODUWOLE

Dr Jumoke Oduwole is a lecturer at the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, her Alma Mata. She is an elected member of the University’s Senate.
Professor Oduwole is holder of the Prince Claus Chair in Development and Equity 2013-2015 at Institute of Social Studies, the Hague part of Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

She was appointed on the nomination of the Curatorium led by Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, and is the fourth African and second youngest academic to hold the appointment in honour of HRH the late Prince Claus of The Netherlands, and reserved for leading scholars in the field.

She is co-founder of “No Limits,” a platform for inspiring and instilling leadership values in Nigerian youth, and she was the only female judge for the premier season of “The Next Titan,” a nation-wide reality television show geared at encouraging entrepreneurship among Nigerian youth as an answer to chronic youth unemployment.

Jumoke is an avid photographer, and is happily married with two beautiful children. She is passionate about development issues in Africa.

Oluchi Orlandi
Oluchi Orlandi

OLUCHI ORLANDI

“With over a decade of experience in the fashion industry; spanning a career from winning Mnet’s Face of Africa in 1998 at the young age of 17, gracing the covers of top Fashion Magazine’s such as Italian Vogue; serving as the face of campaigns like Victoria’s Secret, and being shot by the world’s most renowned photographers including Steven Meisel, there’s no denying of Oluchi Orlandi (nee Onweagba) as an African Fashion Icon.

Since her reign, and not being the one to forget her past, in 2007 she launched a modeling agency in South Africa, called O Model Africa, with the Shine group; an agency dedicated to exposing, developing and delivering select portfolios of African Models to South Africa & International Clients for Catwalk shows.

In 2013, still true to her passion for discovering, this New York University BA holder, wife and Mother of two has taken on an exciting project, working on ‘Africa’s Next Top Model’ bring the prestigious modeling competition TV show and Tyra Banks Franchise to Africa.

Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde
Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde

OMOTOLA JALADE EKEINDE
Omotola popularly referred Omosexy is a multiple award winning Nigerian actress, Director, Singer, UNWFP ambassador and Amnesty international activist. Cited by CNN as an example of the 5th sexiest accent in the world, the Screen Nation Best actress and Beffta Film Icon is one of the most Intriguing women to ever grace the African screen.

Omotola started her career as a model and in 1995 made her screen debut in a movie at the tender age of 17 with a lead role in “Venom of Justice”. Her performance that same year, as the lead character in the monstrously popular “Mortal Inheritance” got her the awards for the Best actress in an English speaking role and Best Actress Overall at the prestigious THEMA Awards 1996/97. Omotola was the youngest actress to have won such awards at the age of 18.

She has equally won over forty (40) local and international awards. Omotola was in February 2013 honoured by TIME magazine as one of 100 most influential people in the world alongside Michelle Obama, Kate Middleton, JayZ and Beyonce.

Omotola in 2012 launched her own Reality show, Omotola: The Real Me. It broke Records at it’s first showing as the Most Viewed programme Ever on Africa Magic. Omotola studied Estate Management at Yabatech, Lagos. She is married with four kids.

Omoyemi Akerele
Omoyemi Akerele

OMOYEMI AKERELE

Omoyemi Akerele is widely regarded as a driving force behind the burgeoning Nigerian fashion industry. She is the founder and artistic director of Style House Files, a creative development agency for Nigerian and African designers.

Prior to Style House Files, Akerele worked as senior style editor at popular fashion magazine True Love, and set up an image consulting agency with a local Nigerian celebrity stylist, Bola Balogun. Trained as a lawyer from the University of Lagos, Akerele has also completed a Masters in International Economic Law from the University of Warwick, and worked at prestigious Nigerian law firm Olaniwun Ajayi & Co from 2000 to 2003.

“It is an amazing initiative. It gives women an opportunity to tell their stories. There are so many people doing extraordinary things in different spheres. It is exciting to be art of a project that is encouraging women to talk about what they do as part of a process in celebrating women,” she said of Nigeria’s Women of Vision.

Peju Alatise
Peju Alatise

PEJU ALATISE

Perhaps no contemporary African artist has, within the first decade of active practice, found a clearer voice than Alatise’s. Clearly none has seamlessly synchronized painting, sculpture, installation art, and architecture as she does in her present body of works that reifies her commanding presence in the constantly expanding, incrementally confounding Africana arts cape within which the work of El Anatsui resides.

Peju Alatise is also an architect and an accomplished writer having published 2 fictional novels; of which her first novel was first runner up for Female Writer 2006, Flora Nwakpa Prize by Association of Nigerian Authors.

She has won several awards for her art and writing, including a letter of commendation by the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria for a job well done in Obudu Cattle Ranch commissions in 2007. She is best recognized for her famous art installation at the New Radisson Blu hotel and GTBank Head office both in Victoria Island Lagos. Peju Alatise is passionate about creating a positive change in her home country Nigeria.

“Nigeria is a third world country, where being a woman is the most difficult thing you can be. Existing as female is difficult. To find an initiative that actually encourages a woman as a forbearer of something productive is actually commendable,” she said.

Uche Majekodunmi
Uche Majekodunmi

UCHE MAJEKODUNMI

Ogbuefi Wereuche Okaru Majekodunmi is the Executive Director and prime mover of the idea resulting in what has become Newton and David. She founded the company in the year 1991, by turning her passion and hobby into business. Uche Majekodunmi as she is often called acquired her formal qualifications in Theater and Dramatic Arts and a Masters Degree in Public Administrations.

Mrs. Majekodunmi is an outgoing and friendly extrovert who likes people and is passionate about anything associated with improving and beautifying the environment; be it at work, at home or for a very special occasion. She is married with children and lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

“I think it will inspire the large female population; it is a wonderful and original initiative.”

Uche Pedro
Uche Pedro

UCHE PEDRO

Uche Pedro has most recently been named as one of the ’30 Most Promising Young Entrepreneurs In Africa in 2014′ by Forbes. She is the Managing Director of BellaNaija and Creative Director of BellaNaija.com, an online company that develops and manages exciting online media content aimed at Pan-African and Nigerian audiences.

Under Uche’s outstanding leadership BellaNaija.com, the premier lifestyle, entertainment and fashion website in Afirca, has established a loyal following, with over 1 million unique visitors and 9 million page views each month.

In 2011, she was selected as a Nigeria Leadership Initiative – NLI Associate, a prestigious distinction for young outstanding Nigerians. In January 2011, Uche was honoured as a “Young Person of the Year” finalist at the Future Awards – the most esteemed youth awards organization in Nigeria.

Uche holds a Bachelors degree- Honours Business Administration (HBA) from the Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario in Canada. She has previously held positions in multinationals including the Cadbury Middle East & Africa Unit, based in the UK, and Cadbury Nigeria.

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