Folorunso Alakija tells aspiring young women that gender cannot stop them realising their dreams

FAMFA Oil vice chairman and Africa's richest woman Folorunso Alakija has told young women not to let the burden of gender weight them down as they pursue their dreams because if they prove themselves being female will no longer be an issue.

Speaking in London yesterday where she was the guest speaker at King College under its African Leadership Global Engagement Series, Mrs Alakija said that being a woman had not prevented her from achieving any of her goals. Addressing a multinational audience made up mainly of students, Mrs Alakija was the first African female entrepreneur to participate in the series and wooed those present with her bold assertions.

Going into her own background, Mrs Alakaija revealed that she was the eighth child in a family of 52 but from a very tender age had decided she wanted to be an entrepreneur. She added that she spent 12 years working in a bank but during this time had managed to save as she was not touching her salary because she used to buy goods and sell them to her colleagues.

Mrs Alakija said: "I started off in fashion design but then went into printing and now, we are into oil exploration and estate management. My company is now the number one in terms of print quality in Nigeria because in everything I do, I believe in exercising doggedness and diligence .

"With oil for instance, it took us three years to get a licence and from the submission of our application to the striking of oil took us 15 years but I remained steadfast. When you are a woman, there may be doubts about you but when you achieve, it silences those doubters who think you cannot get the job done."

Adding that succeeding in business is not a physical thing, hence is not gender-related, Mrs Alakija said what was required is having a vision and being steadfast. She pointed out that these same qualities apply to success in any area of endeavour and urged young people to follow their dreams whatever challenges they might encounter along the way.

"What is most important is having that leadership and vision that enables you to turn your dreams into reality. A leader is a visionary who is saddled with responsibility to inspire, lead, promote, direct and guide others to achieving the set goal.

"For me, success is based on seeing God, consistently focus on your goals, having credibility and reliability, educating yourself about what needs being done, saying no to discordant agents and sacrificing daily by going the extra mile. For instance, my fashion company Supreme Stitches was voted Nigerian Designer of the Year just very shortly after I launched it," Mrs Alakija added.

She ended the evening giving the students her definition of smart which she said stood for their plans being specific, measurable, actionable, rational and time-bound. Mrs Alakija added that to achieve their goals, however, young people needed to develop thick skin and be able to take the set-backs, body blows and disappointments that they will encounter along the way.