Here are 5 African wonder women
As we celebrate World Womens' Day today, March 8th, we have decided to make a list of 5 extraordinary African women who have carved a niche for themselves in their various industries and are still making waves till date. These women fully epitomise the real characteristics of an African woman -beauty, hardwork , commitment and success.
Indeed, Africa is blessed with a lot of such women!
Here are 5 African wonder women
1. Mosunmola 'Mo' Abudu
Abudu attended Hammersmith County Secondary School before moving to the Ridgeway School in Kent where she lived with her guardian in Tunbridge Wells. From there, she went to West Kent College and MidKent College. She also attended the University of Westminster, London, where she bagged a master's degree in HR Management.
In 1987, Abudu started off her career as a recruitment consultant in the UK. Mo went on to work a series of HR related jobs up until the year 2000 when she established her own HR outfit.
Mo went into television production, launching her very own television talk show, Moments with Mo and by 2009, the show had recorded and aired over 200 episodes.
On July 1st, 2013, Abudu lauched her own TV station, Ebonylife TV which has been described as "Africa's first Global Black Multi-Broadcast Entertainment Network" .
She is a fulfilled mum of two children and has a host of awards and accolades under her belt.
2. Onyeka Onwenu
Onyeka Onwenu was born on May 17th, 1952 in Obosi, Onitsha, Anambra state, to Nigerian politician and educationist, D K Onwenu.
Onwenu has a BA in International Relations and Communication from the Wellesley College, Boston Massachusetts, USA, and a master's degree in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research in New York.
She worked for the United Nations in New York for many years before returning to Nigeria in 1980, and completed the mandatory one-year National Service, at the NTA, where she eventually became board member.
In 1984, she wrote and presented the internationally acclaimed BBC/NTA documentary called Nigeria, A Squandering of Riches. she also presented another famous documentary on Niger Delta agitation for resource control and campaign against environmental degradation.
Onwenu began her music career in 1981 while still working with the NTA. She went ahead to release the album "For the Love of You".
In 2013, she was named as one of the three judges on the Nigerian version of The X Factor.
Onyeka who is also a poliician was appointed Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture by former governor Ikedi Ohakim, after she had contested for Local Council Chairman of her native Ideato North Local Government Area.
On 16 September 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed her the Executive Director/chief executive officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
A woman of many talents, Onwenu has featured in numerous Nollywood movies and in 2006, she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2014, she starred in the movie for Chimamanda's Half of a Yellow Sun alongside Hollywood actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton.
3. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
Born 13th June 1954 in Ogwashi Ukwu, Delta state, Iweala is an accomplished female politician who has served in numerous capacities.
She attended International School Ibadan and Harvard University, where she graduated magna cum laude in 1976. She also bagged a PhD in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1981.
Okonjo served as minister of finance from 2003-2006, and then from 2011-2015 under the administrations of presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan respectively, as well as minister for foreign affairs. She was also the managing director of World bank from 2007-2011.
Iweala is renowned as the first female and black candidate to contest for the presidency of the World Bank Group in 2012.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is the founder of Nigeria’s first indigenous opinion-research organization, NOI-Polls. She also founded the Center for the Study of Economies of Africa (C-SEA), a development research think tank based in Abuja, Nigeria. and is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Brookings Institution; premier Washington DC think tanks.
She is married to Dr. Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon and they are blessed with four children.
4. Tara Fela Durutoye
Tara was born in Lagos, Nigeria on March 6, 1977. Her parents separated when she was only 8 months old, hence she was raised by a stepmother.
She attended Command Children School, Victoria Island, Lagos and Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo. She then proceeded to the Lagos State University, where she earned a degree in Law.
Tara decided to follow her dream by starting her makeup company, House of Tara International. She went further to establish the first makeup school in Nigeria in 2004. She was also the first makeup artist in Nigeria to establish a bridal directory.
Today, her brand of make up franchise spreads across Nigeria and Africa.
In 2013, Forbes listed her as one of 20 young power women in Africa.
Tara is married to Fela Durutoye and they have three boys.
5.Oluchi Onweagba Orlandi
Oluchi was born on August 1st, 1980 in Lagos, Nigeria. At seventeen, she entered for the MNET face of Africa model competition which she won. As part of her prizes she was signed to Elite model management but joined DNA model mamanegent at the expiration of her contract with Elite.
She has graced the catwalk for top international designers like Gucci, Missoni, Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Kenzo, Giorgio Armani, Diane Von Furstenberg and many more.
She has also appeared in advertising campaigns for Gianfranco Ferré, Lancôme, Clinique, Macy's, Banana Republic, Gap, L'Oreal, Coca Cola, etc, as well as working for Victoria's Secret for seven consecutive years in the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
In 2008, she launched her modeling agency in South Africa, OModel Africa. Oluchi created her own top model franchise, Africa's next top model in 2013 which saw Ugandan model Aamito Lagum as its first winner.
She is married to Italian fashion designer, Luca Orlandi.
By
Chinelo Okafor
Indeed, Africa is blessed with a lot of such women!
Here are 5 African wonder women
1. Mosunmola 'Mo' Abudu
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| pic courtesy of BM/PRO |
Media mogul Mo Abudu was born in London, United Kingdom on 11 September 1964. Her family however relocated to Lagos Nigeria, when she was 7 years old and young Mo was sent to Ondo state to live with her grandparents. She later returned to London after the death of her dad, she was just 12 years old.
In 1987, Abudu started off her career as a recruitment consultant in the UK. Mo went on to work a series of HR related jobs up until the year 2000 when she established her own HR outfit.
Mo went into television production, launching her very own television talk show, Moments with Mo and by 2009, the show had recorded and aired over 200 episodes.
On July 1st, 2013, Abudu lauched her own TV station, Ebonylife TV which has been described as "Africa's first Global Black Multi-Broadcast Entertainment Network" .
She is a fulfilled mum of two children and has a host of awards and accolades under her belt.
2. Onyeka Onwenu
Onwenu has a BA in International Relations and Communication from the Wellesley College, Boston Massachusetts, USA, and a master's degree in Media Studies from The New School for Social Research in New York.
She worked for the United Nations in New York for many years before returning to Nigeria in 1980, and completed the mandatory one-year National Service, at the NTA, where she eventually became board member.
In 1984, she wrote and presented the internationally acclaimed BBC/NTA documentary called Nigeria, A Squandering of Riches. she also presented another famous documentary on Niger Delta agitation for resource control and campaign against environmental degradation.
Onwenu began her music career in 1981 while still working with the NTA. She went ahead to release the album "For the Love of You".
In 2013, she was named as one of the three judges on the Nigerian version of The X Factor.
Onyeka who is also a poliician was appointed Chairperson of Imo State Council for Arts and Culture by former governor Ikedi Ohakim, after she had contested for Local Council Chairman of her native Ideato North Local Government Area.
On 16 September 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan appointed her the Executive Director/chief executive officer of the National Centre for Women Development.
A woman of many talents, Onwenu has featured in numerous Nollywood movies and in 2006, she won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In 2014, she starred in the movie for Chimamanda's Half of a Yellow Sun alongside Hollywood actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton.
3. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala
Born 13th June 1954 in Ogwashi Ukwu, Delta state, Iweala is an accomplished female politician who has served in numerous capacities.
She attended International School Ibadan and Harvard University, where she graduated magna cum laude in 1976. She also bagged a PhD in regional economics and development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1981.
Okonjo served as minister of finance from 2003-2006, and then from 2011-2015 under the administrations of presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan respectively, as well as minister for foreign affairs. She was also the managing director of World bank from 2007-2011.
Iweala is renowned as the first female and black candidate to contest for the presidency of the World Bank Group in 2012.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is the founder of Nigeria’s first indigenous opinion-research organization, NOI-Polls. She also founded the Center for the Study of Economies of Africa (C-SEA), a development research think tank based in Abuja, Nigeria. and is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development and the Brookings Institution; premier Washington DC think tanks.
She is married to Dr. Ikemba Iweala, a neurosurgeon and they are blessed with four children.
4. Tara Fela Durutoye
Tara was born in Lagos, Nigeria on March 6, 1977. Her parents separated when she was only 8 months old, hence she was raised by a stepmother.
She attended Command Children School, Victoria Island, Lagos and Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Ojo. She then proceeded to the Lagos State University, where she earned a degree in Law.
Tara decided to follow her dream by starting her makeup company, House of Tara International. She went further to establish the first makeup school in Nigeria in 2004. She was also the first makeup artist in Nigeria to establish a bridal directory.
Today, her brand of make up franchise spreads across Nigeria and Africa.
In 2013, Forbes listed her as one of 20 young power women in Africa.
Tara is married to Fela Durutoye and they have three boys.
5.Oluchi Onweagba Orlandi
Oluchi was born on August 1st, 1980 in Lagos, Nigeria. At seventeen, she entered for the MNET face of Africa model competition which she won. As part of her prizes she was signed to Elite model management but joined DNA model mamanegent at the expiration of her contract with Elite.
She has graced the catwalk for top international designers like Gucci, Missoni, Tommy Hilfiger, Chanel, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Kenzo, Giorgio Armani, Diane Von Furstenberg and many more.
She has also appeared in advertising campaigns for Gianfranco Ferré, Lancôme, Clinique, Macy's, Banana Republic, Gap, L'Oreal, Coca Cola, etc, as well as working for Victoria's Secret for seven consecutive years in the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
In 2008, she launched her modeling agency in South Africa, OModel Africa. Oluchi created her own top model franchise, Africa's next top model in 2013 which saw Ugandan model Aamito Lagum as its first winner.
She is married to Italian fashion designer, Luca Orlandi.
By
Chinelo Okafor
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