Nigeria’s richest woman has opened up on her life and her rise to the mega bucks
Billionaire, Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija is one of the
richest women in Africa, and like peers Bill Gates of Microsoft and Mark
Zuckerberg of
She said:
"I come from Ikorodu, Lagos state. I am married to a dashing young lawyer of 70 years of age and we have four grown up gentlemen and grandchildren. It has not been a rag to riches fairytale.
It has not been an overnight phenomenon like some cases which you find here and there all over the world. For as long as I can remember, I had always wanted my own business.
Hard work...I am trying to tell you how I got to where I am if you want those billions. Hard work, diligence, persistence...days where you nearly give up but I chose not to give up."
It would have been easy to compromise but I chose not to and I stayed focus. I could have stayed a secretary as my father desired according to his plan for me but I had bigger aspirations.
I dreamt big. God strengthened me and gave me wisdom. I had a passion and burning desire to succeed. Being a secretary, a banker, a fashion icon, a cooperate promoter and printer, a real estate owner, an oil magnate, that I can assure you was no easy feat.
Firm belief that what is worth doing is what doing well or not doing at all. I took charge of my life with the tools I have shared with you. I chose to become born again at the age of 40. I chose to make a covenant with God that if he would bless me I would work for him all the days of my life. I chose to hold on to the cross and look up to him every step of the way. Today additional accomplishment includes a wife of almost 40 years, a mother, grandmother, ministry, counseling, outreach, NGO Rose of Sharon Foundation for widows and Author, writer, author of several
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, she didn’t go to a university.Alakija made the revelation while addressing students of the University of Lagos during the 2014 UN International Youths Day.She said:
"I come from Ikorodu, Lagos state. I am married to a dashing young lawyer of 70 years of age and we have four grown up gentlemen and grandchildren. It has not been a rag to riches fairytale.
It has not been an overnight phenomenon like some cases which you find here and there all over the world. For as long as I can remember, I had always wanted my own business.
Hard work...I am trying to tell you how I got to where I am if you want those billions. Hard work, diligence, persistence...days where you nearly give up but I chose not to give up."
It would have been easy to compromise but I chose not to and I stayed focus. I could have stayed a secretary as my father desired according to his plan for me but I had bigger aspirations.
I dreamt big. God strengthened me and gave me wisdom. I had a passion and burning desire to succeed. Being a secretary, a banker, a fashion icon, a cooperate promoter and printer, a real estate owner, an oil magnate, that I can assure you was no easy feat.
Firm belief that what is worth doing is what doing well or not doing at all. I took charge of my life with the tools I have shared with you. I chose to become born again at the age of 40. I chose to make a covenant with God that if he would bless me I would work for him all the days of my life. I chose to hold on to the cross and look up to him every step of the way. Today additional accomplishment includes a wife of almost 40 years, a mother, grandmother, ministry, counseling, outreach, NGO Rose of Sharon Foundation for widows and Author, writer, author of several
inspirational
books. All I say to the glory of God. So I am 63 and I am not yet done. So
what is your excuse? I never went to a University and I am proud to say
so because I don't think I have done too badly. You do not have to have
a University education to be able to make it so count yourselves
privileged to have that education as part of the feather in your cap" 
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