Folorunsho Alakija
Folorunsho Alakija (born on 15th of July, 1951) is a Nigerian billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist. She is involved in the fashion, oil, real estate and printing industries. Folorunsho Alakija is ranked by Forbes as the richest woman in Nigeria with an estimated net worth of $1 billion as of 2020.
Quotes
[edit]- Persevere – Never give up! Today’s world enjoys electricity because of those who did not give up!
- We have grown past the stage of fairy-tale. As women, we have one common front and that is to succeed. We have to take the bull by the horn and make the change happen by ourselves.
- It’s essential to draw up a “things to do” list on a daily basis and set priorities in executing them, making sure that any unfinished task gets posted to the next day’s list.
- Unemployment should not be handled with kids’ gloves, but curtailed through the creation of jobs by the instrumentality of entrepreneurship.
- Be diligent to succeed as there is a way where there be no way, only the persistent and diligent find it.
- Thinking opens the doors to our minds and makes us receptive to the very idea of broadening our horizons and learning new things.
- Always see challenges as opportunities in disguise. It’s not really about how much we possess, but rather how well we manage and use what we are entrusted with.
- Just start small with what you have and you can grow the business.
- For as long as one is alive, one will always have other things to achieve.
- My wealth allows me to reach out to others, to those in need. I am a God-fearing woman and I am not in competition with anyone. I use my wealth to touch the lives of others.
- It was a real eye-opener. It made us better Christians. For every battle we fought, a better lesson was learnt”.
- It is not every business one ventures into that one would succeed at.
- “I once dared to dream and if I could succeed, then so can you!”
- “Rome was not built in a day. As you continue to struggle to make ends meet, somewhere, somehow, you will make it.”
- “People should not just look at people who are on top. They should go and study how they got there and the challenges they had to face as they while climbing the ladder.”
- Don’t give up when things get tough, just hang in there, stay focused and be patient.
- My late father was one of those who, despite being a billionaire, initially had the mentality that educating the female gender was a waste of money. So, I was sent to England for a shorter course– for after all according to him, women would just become housewives bearing another family name.
- My siblings and I used to help my mum in the store and that is where we learned a lot about textiles, textures, colours, patterns and merchandising. That is where I learned all the practical steps that I later on applied to my fashion business.
- You have to start from little and then grow to a conglomerate. It is one step at a time and while doing this, do not forget your responsibilities to your spouse, children and God.
- Nothing to regret except that I didn’t come to Christ earlier which was close to 30 years ago. That’s my only regret in life.
- I sowed seeds of tenacity, courage, patience, and passion. I refused to take ‘no’ for an answer,
- What do you do when you get to the top? You use your influence to lift others.
- I do not see gender. I do not see a situation where people think that men were created specially to be able to make better decisions than women.
- I walk in there with confidence; I walk in there with boldness, and I say what I mean and mean what I say. I put my foot down. I don't allow anyone to pull the wool over my face.
- I make sure I don't keep quiet because it may be misunderstood. Your keeping quiet might make it look as if you don't know your onions.
- I'm an asset and not a liability
- On how she strategically influences decision-making in rooms where often she is the only female. Fireside chat with Folorunsho
