Ibukunoluwa Abiodun Awosika (born Bilkisu Abiodun Motunrayo Omobolanle Adekola on December 24, 1962) is a

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

n business woman, motivational speaker, and an author. She is the first female Chairperson of

First Bank of Nigeria First Bank of Nigeria Limited is a Nigerian multinational bank and financial services company in Lagos, Nigeria. It is the premier bank in West Africa. The First Bank of Nigeria Limited operates as a parent company, with the subsidiaries 'FBN B ...

. She was appointed a member of

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Global Advisory Board in September 2022.

Early life and education

Born as the third child of seven children in

Ibadan Ibadan (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Oyo State, in Nigeria. It is the third-largest city by population in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano, with a total population of 3,649,000 as of 2021, and over 6 million people within its me ...

, the capital of

Oyo State Oyo State is an inland States of Nigeria, state in southwestern Nigeria. Its capital is Ibadan, the List of Nigerian cities by population, third most populous city in the country and formerly the second most populous city in Africa. Oyo State is b ...

, Ibukun completed her primary and secondary school education at St. Paul's African Church Primary School, Lagos and Methodist Girls' High School, Yaba respectively before she proceeded to the University of Ife (now

Obafemi Awolowo University Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) is a federal government-owned university that is located in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1961 and classes commenced in October 1962 as the University of Ife ...

) where she graduated with a BSc in Chemistry although she had initially wanted to study Architecture and also ended up taking elective courses in Accounting. She holds post graduate and MBA certificates upon the completion of several business programmes at the Lagos Business School and

IESE Business School IESE Business School is the graduate business school of the University of Navarra. Founded in 1958 in Barcelona where its main campus is located,López, T. & Pampliega, J“La fundación del IESE (1956–1958)” Universidad de Navarra, Bibliotec ...

–

University of Navarra , image = UNAV.svg , latin_name = Universitas Studiorum Navarrensis , established = 17 October 1952 , type = Private, Roman Catholic , chancellor = Fernando Ocáriz Braña , president = María Iraburu Eliz ...

Career

While on her compulsory one-year

National Youth Service Corps The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a program set up by the Nigerian government during the military regime to involve Nigerian graduates in nation-building and the development of the country. There is no military conscription in Nigeria, ...

service (NYSC) in

Kano State Kano State (Hausa: ''Jihar Kano''جىِهَر كَنوُ) (Fula: Leydi Kano 𞤤𞤫𞤴𞤣𞤭 𞤳𞤢𞤲𞤮𞥅 ) is one of the 36 states of Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajee ...

, Ibukun Awosika worked as an audit trainee at Akintola Williams & Co. which later became

Deloitte Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (), commonly referred to as Deloitte, is an international professional services network headquartered in London, England. Deloitte is the largest professional services network by revenue and number of professio ...

, but returned home after the service and joined Alibert Nigeria Ltd., a furniture company, as showroom manager. In her quest to be independent, she established a furniture manufacturing company called Quebees Limited in 1989 before it evolved into The Chair Centre Limited and later SOKOA Chair Centre Limited following a venture merge with SOKOA S.A and

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in 2004. A fellow of the African Leadership Initiative and Aspen Global Leadership Network, Ibukun Awosika is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, member of the board of Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund and former Chairperson, Board of Trustees of

Women in Management, Business and Public Service Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) is a Nigerian non-profit organization that seeks to empower women. History The establishment of WIMBIZ was conceptualized by Chichi Okonjo, the only man among the founding members of the ...

. In 2011, she co-founded the Afterschool Graduate Development Centre, a career centre established to checkmate the high rate of unemployment in

. On September 7, 2015, Ibukun became the first woman to be appointed Chairman of

following the resignation of Prince Ajibola Afonja. Ibukun Awosika is member of IESE's International Advisory Board (IAB). She also sits on the board of Digital Jewel Limited and Cadbury Nig Plc.

Media personality

Television

In 2008, Ibukun Awosika was among five Nigerian entrepreneurs who appeared in the first African version of the ''

Dragon's Den ''Dragons' Den'' is a reality television program format in which entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of venture capitalists in the hope of securing investment finance from them. The program originated in 2001 in Japan, where it is k ...

''. She also hosts a T.V programme called ''Business His Way''. She also starred in the 2020 Citation alongside Temi Otedola produced by

Kunle Afolayan Kunle Afolayan (born 30 September 1975) is a Nigerian actor, producer and director. He is widely credited for elevating the quality of Nollywood movies though larger budgets, shooting on 35mm, releasing in cinemas, and improving cliché Nollyw ...

Books

*''The "Girl" Entrepreneurs'' *''Business His Way'' *The 'Girl' Entrepreneurs: Our Stories So Far Kindle Edition

Awards and recognition

Personal life

Ibukun Awosika is married to Abiodun Awosika with whom she has three children.

References

External links

* *https://twitter.com/IbukunAwosika?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor {{DEFAULTSORT:Awosika, Ibukun 1962 births Living people Nigerian bankers Businesspeople from Ibadan Nigerian women writers Obafemi Awolowo University alumni Nigerian television personalities Nigerian motivational speakers 20th-century Nigerian businesswomen 20th-century Nigerian businesspeople Lagos Business School alumni 21st-century Nigerian businesswomen 21st-century Nigerian businesspeople Methodist Girls' High School alumni Nigerian self-help writers Nigerian manufacturing businesspeople Nigerian business writers Women business writers Nigerian chairpersons of corporations Women corporate directors University of Navarra alumni Nigerian chief executives