Folorunsho Alakija is a businesswoman.
Folorunsho Alakija returned abroad for her secretarial studies at Pitman’s Central College, London. Alakija also studied fashion design at the American College, London and the Central School of Fashion. In November 1976, Alakija married a lawyer, Modupe Alakija. They reside in Lagos, Nigeria with their four sons.
Folorunsho Alakija started her career in 1974 as an executive secretary at Sijuade Enterprises, Lagos, Nigeria. Alakija moved on to the former First National Bank of Chicago, now FinBank, where she worked for some years before establishing a tailoring company called Supreme Stitches. It rose to prominence and fame within a few years, and as Rose of Sharon House of Fashion, became a household name. As national president and lifelong trustee of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN), Alakija left an indelible mark, promoting Nigerian culture through fashion and style.
Alakija has a foundation called the Rose of Sharon Foundation that helps widows and orphans by empowering them through scholarships and business grants. On July 1, 2013 the federal government of Nigeria inaugurated the National Heritage Council and Endowment for the Arts and appointed Alakija as vice-chairman of the body.
How Folorunsho Alakija Made Her Money – Business
Estimated Net Worth: $3 billion
Birthday: July 15, 1951