Here is a list of top 10 Nigerian women entrepreneurs and how they strive to shape their world among a men-dominated society:

1. Tara Fela-Durotoye

Tara Fela-Durotoye is the founder of House of Tara, a beauty and makeup business, and an institute. She established House of Tara as a makeup business and beauty training institute, with over 14 outlets across the country and over 3,000 staff. She also established the first bridal directory in Nigeria and has trained over 1,000 people in the beauty and bridal services.

2. Mo Abudu

Mo Abudu is the CEO of Ebony Life TV. Her television station promotes women empowerment and various topical programmes dedicated to celebrating women’s achievements. She tells the African story with her visual media network and she was featured on Business Insider’s Top 100 business visionaries creating value in the world.

3. Deola Sagoe

Deola Sagoe is from Ondo State and the founder of House of Deola Sagoe, an haute couture fashion business in Nigeria. She has dressed thousands of high-profile women around the world and her international clientele values her top-range couture collection during global exhibitions. She has participated in many Fashion Week events around the world and she continues to be a force in the women fashion world.

4. Olajumoke Adenowo

Olajumoke Adenowo is the founder of AD Consulting. She is an architect of note and she has been recognized by major brands around the world for her sterling mastery of architecture. Olajumoke has been featured on CNN and international magazines for her roles in changing the world of construction, and she is celebrated for the many architectural masterpieces her company has designed.

5. Adenike Ogunlesi

Adenike Ogunlesi is the CEO of Ruff ‘n’ Tumble, a designer and producer as well as retailer of children’s clothing. Adenike in the early years of her business made children’s clothes and sold them from the back of her car, but her business has gone beyond that today and her manufactured clothes can be seen on children and teens throughout West Africa.

6. Reni Folawiyo

Reni Folawiyo is the founder of Alara, a fashion designer and retailer of indigenous African clothing. Alara, meaning “wondrous performer”, produces and stocks top-notch brands of pan-African designs which are calculated to offer a luxury lifestyle experience. Her iconic designs are targeted at promoting the black culture and demonstrating that Africans have a lot to be proud of when it comes to beauty and fashion.

7. Bilikis Adebiyi

Bilikis Adebiyi is the founder and CEO of WeCyclers, a waste-cleaning, and recycling business. The initiative promotes effective waste disposal as well as an incentive-based recycling programme for poor communities. The business cleans up the environment and recycles the wastes into useful products that people in the community can use in the most eco-friendly manner.

8. Kofo Akinkugbe

Kofo Akinkugbe is the CEO and founder of Secure ID Nigeria, a smart card technology and digital security company. Her company is the only manufacturer of debit and credit smart cards for ATM and online transactions in West Africa and one of the total six in Africa. Secure ID manufactures smart cards for 16 African countries and her cards are fully certified by MasterCard, VISA and Verve.

9. Ola Orekunrin

A medical doctor, Ola Orekunrin, is the founder of Flying Doctors Nigeria, the first air ambulance service in West Africa. Featured on both CNN and the BBC, Orekunrin’s air ambulance service transports ill people to the hospital using her dedicated helicopter. People in remote parts of the country can be airlifted to the nearest healthcare centre for treatment rather than being allowed to die for lack of immediate medical care.

10. Uche Pedro

Uche Pedro is the founder of Bella Naija, an online media platform that covers news events across the country and shares helpful content to a global audience. Website analytics reveal that BellaNaija has more than one million unique visitors every month and nine million page-views per month. The website covers lifestyle, entertainment, fashion and cosmopolitan content to the delight of her users.

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Top 30 Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs and Their Business Initiatives – Part 2
Top 30 Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs and Their Business Initiatives – Part 3