Shade Okoya
Folashade Nimota Okoya | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 25, 1977 Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, industrial leader |
| Known for | Managing Director and CEO of Eleganza Group |
Folashade Nimota Okoya (born 25 April 1977) is a prominent Nigerian entrepreneur and industrial leader. She holds the position of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Eleganza Group, a major manufacturing conglomerate in Nigeria established by her spouse, the billionaire industrialist Chief Razaq Okoya.
Early life and education
Born on 25 April 1977 in Lagos State, Okoya is the daughter of Alhaji Tajudeen Adeleye and Alhaja Nimota Adeleye. She belongs to the Yoruba ethnic group and practices Islam, with her roots tracing back to Ijebu Ode, Ogun State. Her academic background includes a National Diploma in Banking and Finance from Lagos State Polytechnic and a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from the University of Lagos.
Personal life
At the age of 21, in May 1999, she married Razaq Okoya, who was then 59 years old. The family resides in Lagos, Nigeria and includes their four children: Olamide, Subomi, Oyinlola, and Wahab.
Charities and philanthropic interests
Okoya is the patron of the Folashade Okoya Kids Cup, an initiative started in December 2014 in collaboration with the Lagos State Grassroots Soccer Association to honor children during the Christmas season. She also provides annual scholarships for ten students pursuing higher education and coordinates yearly Muslim pilgrimages to the holy sites.
Awards and recognition
On 23 August 2014, she was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Business Management and Corporate Leadership by European American University. Later that year, on 11 December 2014, she was honored with the Business Executive of the Year award by the International Centre for Corporate Leadership for Africans and Blacks in Diaspora. In July 2018, she received the Inspiring Executive Woman of the Year accolade.