Nigeria’s richest woman, Folorunso Alakija, shares 31-year-old picture

Folorunso Alakija

Billionaire businesswoman and one of the richest women in Africa, Folorunso Alakija, has shared a picture of herself taken in 1989 on social media.

The 31-year-old picture, according to her, was taken while she was creating new designs for her fashion brand, Supreme Stitches.

In her post, the 68-year-old said she believed everyone is a leader.

“I have come across people who say ‘I’m not a leader by nature, I just get on with the job’. I personally find this unsatisfactory, as I believe God has put the skill of leadership in everyone! We are all leaders, and it’s by accepting responsibility that our leadership ability is honed and brought to the limelight.

“This picture was taken in 1989, I was creating new designs for Supreme Stitches,” Mrs Alakija wrote.

Alakija’s path to becoming Nigeria’s richest woman began in London, where she pursued secretarial studies and fashion design as a young woman.

After returning to Nigeria to work as an executive secretary, she founded her own tailoring company, Supreme Stitches, which got boosted by clients such as former first lady Maryam Babandiga.

She later went into oil and gas and established Famfa Oil.