Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, one of the richest women in Africa, has urged women to engage in entrepreneurship and businesses that are cost effective to better their lives.
She made the call in Enugu on Sunday at a mentorship conference tagged “The Meeting”, organised by an NGO, Ace Foundation in collaboration with Today’s Woman magazine.
Alakija, who advised women to equip themselves with genuine skills and trade in the face of the current economic downturn, added that “there are businesses that require small capital to start.
It must not be something big.
“You have to start from little and then grow to a conglomerate. It is one step at a time and while doing this, do not forget your responsibilities to your spouse, children and God.”
The business tycoon also advised women to mentor their children and other young ones to become successful in life.
She also encouraged them to learn from other people who made it in their various businesses to avoid making unnecessary mistakes in their careers.
She added that “my success was not achieved in one day. I faced many challenges and learnt the hard way but today, I give God the glory.”
In a paper entitled “Business and Financial Planning”, businesswoman, Mrs Ononuju Irukwu, urged women to invest in meaningful ventures.
Irukwu, who is the Managing Director of Chapel Hill Investment Company, stressed the need for women to educate themselves about money.
She said “you need to know what is happening in the financial world, protect your assets through insurance and get into investments that will protect you.”
She listed investments women could go into to include equities, money market, Federal Government treasury bills and bonds, cooperatives and `Isusu’.
In her remarks, Prof. Ifeoma Okoye, a professor of Radiology at the College of Medicine, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), urged women to always embark on medical checks while doing business.
Earlier, Mrs Chinwe Ejiofobiri, the President of Ace Foundation, organiser of the conference, said the event was designed to bring women from all walks of life to mentor and be mentored.
Ejioforbiri urged women to form strong, vibrant networks that would culminate into remarkable growth and successes in faith, family and business.
Some of the participants who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) including Mrs Ada Okeke and Ify Ben-Okorie expressed satisfaction with the conference.
They said the conference had opened their eyes to business opportunities abound in the country.
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