"I never went to university" Africa's richest woman speaks

Africa’s Richest Woman, Folorunsho Alakija, has revealed that she did not go to a University but that did not stop her from making it in life and achieving her goals.

folorunsho Alakija

63-year-old Folorunsho Alakija made this revelation, yesterday, August 27 while giving a motivational speech to the students of the University of Lagos during the 2014 UN International Youths Day in Lagos.

Alakija while motivating the students opened up about her background saying: “I come from Ikorodu, Lagos state. I am married to a dashing young lawyer of 70 years of age and we have four grown up gentlemen and grandchildren. It has not been a rag to riches fairytale. It has not been an overnight phenomenon like some cases which you find here and there all over the world. For as long as I can remember, I had always wanted my own business.

Hard work…am trying to tell you how I got to where I am if you want those billions. Hard work, diligence, persistence…days where you nearly gave up but I chose not to give up.”

It would have been easy to compromise but I chose not to and I stayed focus. I could have stayed a secretary as my father desired according to his plan for me but I had bigger aspirations. I dreamt big. God strengthened me and gave me wisdom. I had a passion and burning desire to succeed. Being a secretary, a banker, a fashion icon, a cooperate promoter and printer, a real estate owner, an oil magnate, that I can assure you was no easy feat. Firm belief that what is worth doing is what doing well or not doing at all.

I took charge of my life with the tools I have shared with you. I chose to become born again at the age of 40.

I chose to make a covenant with God that if he would bless me I would work for him all the days of my life. I chose to hold on to the cross and look up to him every step of the way. Today additional accomplishment includes a wife of almost 40 years, a mother, grandmother, ministry, counseling, outreach, NGO Rose of Sharon Foundation for widows and Author, writer, author of several inspirational books.

All I say to the glory of God. So I am 63 and I am not yet done. So what is your excuse? I never went to a University and I am proud to say so because I don’t think I have done too badly. You do not have to have a University education to be able to make it so count yourselves privileged to have that education as part of the feather in your cap” she said.

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Billionaire oil mogul, Folorunsho Alakija who is reportedly worth $2.5billion is the chairman of Famfa Oil.

In May 2014, she was listed among Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in the World for 2014.

In 2013 Folorunsho Alakija defeated Oprah Winfrey to beccome the richest black woman in the world.

Alakija started her career as a secretary in a bank in the mid 1970s, she then studied fashion in London and returned to Nigeria to start a label, Supreme Stitches. But her biggest break came in oil.

In 1993, her company, Famfa Oil, was awarded an oil prospecting license, which later became OML 127, one of the country’s most prolific oil blocks, by then-president Ibrahim Babangida.

Alakija also has a charity called the Rose of Sharon foundation that helps widows and orphans by empowering them through scholarships and business grants.

Folorunsho Alakija is happily married and blessed with four sons: Rotimi, Dele, Ladi and Folarin.