“I Come From a place where opportunities are Staring you in the eye, but it’s looking for the people who have the heart and courage to do it and do it right” _ Ibukun Awosika.
Mrs Ibukunoluwa Abiodun Awosika is a Pastor, Motivational Speaker, author, business Magnate, Entrepreneur, Leader and Challenger who was born Bilikisu Abiodun Motunrayo Omobolanle Adekola on the 24th of December 1962 Has changed and she’s still changing the narrative for every woman out there aspiring to be independent and successful.
She attended St. Paul African Church Primary School and Methodist Girl’s High School, Yaba, Lagos State. Ibukun Awosika has a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Obafemi Awolowo University and holds a postgraduate certificate and MBA from Lagos Business School and I.E.S.E Business School respectively.
After school, Ibukun Awosika started as an Audit Trainee at Akintola Williams & Co (now Deloitte) as a corp member. Her personality not being one of a person who can succumb to a life full of routines so she left Akintola Williams & Co despite being offered a permanent employment opportunity.
She found a job as a showroom manager at Alibert Nigeria Limited. While at the job, she discovered she had a thing for architecture as she imagined all the things she could do to a space with furniture. This made her venture out on her own after spending a little over three months at Alibert Nigeria Limited.
In her pursuit of independence, she established a furniture manufacturing company called Quebees Limited in 1989 before it evolved into The Chair Centre Limited and later SOKOA Chair Centre Limited.
She is the CEO/founder of The Chair Centre Group which has sub-companies. The companies are The Chair Centre Limited, SOKOA Chair Centre, Furniture Manufacturers Mart Limited and TCC System & Service Limited. The Chair Centre Group are involved in furniture manufacturing, retail and bank way system services.
On September 7th of 2015, the multi-talented entrepreneur was appointed the Chairman of, the Board of Trustees of First Bank of Nigeria. She is also the Chairperson of Intermac, the organizer of the smart card conference in Nigeria.
Ibukun Awosika sits on several boards including Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Digital Jewel Limited and the International Advisory Board of I.E.S.E Business School, Barcelona, Spain.
Ibukun Awosika was the Chairman, of FBN Life Assurance Limited, FBN Capital Limited, and Kakawa Discount House Limited. She has served on the board of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority as well as the National Job Creation Committee (NJCC).
Ibukun Awosika is also a fellow of the African Leadership Initiative, Aspen Global Leadership Network, Institute of Directors and Society for Corporate Governance, Nigeria.
A renowned entrepreneur is a TV personality and hosts a programme on television “Business His Way.” She is also the author of “Business His Way” and “The “Girl” Entrepreneurs”.
She is also First bank’s First woman chairman i.e, the first female to be appointed chairman of First Bank of Nigeria.
Beyond her career success, Awosika is a pastor at the Fountain of Life Church and she established the Christian Missionary Fund which is dedicated to raising support for Christian missionaries across the country.
Dreams do indeed come true if we dare believe in ourselves.
In Entrepreneur, She proved to us that indeed “A woman can do whatever she puts her mind to ” and she did this by succeeding in a male-dominated industry.
As a speaker, she delivers over thirty keynote speeches per year.
As an Author, she shares insights, her personal experience, and stories of entrepreneurs who have succeeded in carving a niche for themselves in the business world and profiles their stories in her books for the benefit of other women who aspire to build themselves up.
Pastor Awosika is married with three children.
She once said “Your First opportunity can change your life, it all depends on what you do with it” and she has proved this to be true with her personal life.
