Furniture guru and author of Business His Way and The “Girl” Entrepreneur Ibukun Awosika Tuesday was announced as the chairperson of the new board of First Bank of Nigeria Holdings Plc. Nigeria’s second largest lender.
She takes over the helm of affairs from Prince Ajibola Afonja who is retiring. This appointment makes Ibukun the first woman to assume this position since the establishment of First Bank of Nigeria in 1894. She was a non-Executive Director of the Bank before her appointment.
She is a graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife). Ibukun is an alumna of the Chief Executive Programme of Lagos Business School and the Global Executive MBA Programme of the prestigious IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.
She started her own furniture manufacturing company; Quebees Ltd that later evolved to The Chair Centre Ltd. The Chair Centre Ltd is a market leader in office furniture and banking security systems industries with a modern factory and office facility in Lekki, Lagos state. She is also the MD/CEO of Sokoa Chair Centre Ltd and also on the board of several companies including Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Digital Jewels Ltd, she is the Chairman, Board of Trustees of Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ), as well as the Chairman of Intermac, the organisers of SmartCard Conference in Nigeria.
She is a TV personality and host of a popular television programme, Business His Way, where she shares ethical business values and principles with business communities across Africa. She has written two books with the titles The ‘Girl’ Entrepreneur and Business His way.
