Ibukun Awosika Becomes The First Female Chairman Of First Bank Of Nigeria
Ibukun was born in Ibadan in 1962 to a Nigerian father, Mr. Abdulmashood Adekola and Cameroonian mother Hannah Aduke Adekola nee Ashu. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife). Ibukun is an alumna of the Chief Executive Programme of Lagos Business School and the Global Executive MBA Programme of the prestigious IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.
Ibukun started her career as an Audit Trainee during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at Akintola William & Co (now Deloitte). After her NYSC she moved to Alibert Nigeria Ltd a furniture company where she worked as a show room Manager for three months. She resigned from Alibert Nigeria Ltd at the age of 25 to begin her entrepreneurship journey. She started her own furniture manufacturing company; Quebees Ltd that later evolved to The Chair Centre Ltd.
The Chair Centre Ltd is now a market leader in office furniture and banking security systems industries with a modern factory and office facility in Lekki, Lagos state. She is also the MD/CEO of a joint-venture company, Sokoa Chair Centre Ltd, created as a result of the ban on importation of furniture by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2004. Sokia Chair Centre is a joint venture between The Chair Centre Ltd, Sokoa S.A of France and Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. She has also opened branches of The Chair Centre Ltd in Accra Ghana and Tinapa in Calabar Nigeria.
Ibukun Awosika sits at the board of several companies among which are Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Digital Jewels Ltd and Convention on Business Integrity. She is also the Chairman of Intermac, the organisers of SmartCard Conference in Nigeria.
She is a TV personality and host of a popular television programme, Business His Way, where she shares ethical business values and principles with business communities across Africa. She has written two books with the titles “The Girl Entrepreneur: Our stories so far” and “Business His way.”
She is not only an entrepreneur but also a patriotic Nigerian, which made her serve in various capacities such as member of the National Job Creation Committee (NCJC), member of the Corporate Governance Committee for the NNPC, board member of the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund and member of the National Economic Summit Group (NESG).
According to an official report, she is currently setting up SCC ALGON providing metal-based component for the furniture manufacturing and related industries. She is also setting up The Furniture Village Cluster, a joint venture with the Ogun State Government to provide infrastructure, skills and support to a cluster of SME firms with similar raw material requirements.
Ibukun is a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative and Aspen Global Leadership Network, Ibukun is a member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, member of the board of Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund and Chairman, Board of Trustees of Women in Management, Business and Public Service. In 2011, she co-founded the Afterschool Graduate Development Centre, a career centre established in order to checkmate the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria. She the First Nigerian recipient to be nominated for the prestigious International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) Award of the US Department of State in 2008. Also in Ibukun was among five Nigerian entrepreneurs who appeared in the first African version of the Dragon's Den.
Mrs Awosika has helped several entrepreneurs to stand on their feet one of which is Tara Durotoye, founder, House of Tara. She helped Tara to secure a loan of N500,000
when she was facing some difficulties with funding her start up.
She has both been nominated for and won several awards: Entrepreneur Of The Year (2005-nominated); Female Entrepreneur Of The Year (2005-nominated); Best Female Entrepreneur Of The Year (2006-nominated); FATE Model Entrepreneur Of The Year (2006-won); Golden Heart Award (2007-won); International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge Award (2008-won) and YNaija Person of The Year (2015-nominated).
Apart from her business, Ibukun is an established author. Her published books include:
- The "Girl" Entrepreneurs.
- Business His Way.
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