Career - Women Times

Double First-Class: Stephanie and Isabel Offor Graduate Top of Their Classes in the UK

by Women Times on September 4, 2026

By Prosper Mene

This year, the Offor family had double the reason to celebrate.

Sisters Stephanie and Isabel Offor both graduated with first-class honours in the UK — Stephanie from the University of Leicester with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and Isabel from Nottingham Trent University with a degree in Law with Business.

Stephanie’s path to first-class was marked early. During her placement year, she won the 2025 Goldsmith Prize for outstanding performance. She has since taken the next step in her career, joining Caterpillar — the world’s largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment — as a Manufacturing Engineer.

Isabel also stood out in a competitive field. She was one of just 11 students out of a cohort of 47 to graduate with first-class honours in Law with Business at Nottingham Trent.

The achievement is significant given the current UK academic landscape. According to recent data, first-class degree rates dropped to 28.8% in 2023–24, down from 37.7% in 2020–21, making top honours more competitive than ever.

“An Incredibly Rare Academic Double Feat”

For their family, friends, and community, the news was both emotional and surreal.

Their father, Mr. Chidi Offor, said he had heard they were on track, but it only felt real when the official letters arrived from the universities.

Their mother, Mrs. Oluchi Offor, said her daughters had given her “wings to fly.”

Ogo Ogbata, Director at Creativity and Sense Consulting, who attended the celebration, called it a rare milestone:

“Having two sisters graduate with first class honours in entirely different, rigorous disciplines — Mechanical Engineering and Law with Business — is an incredibly rare academic double feat. Their success speaks of resilience, sacrifice, and the power of believing that dreams can be reached.”

The Offor sisters’ achievement has resonated far beyond their home. It has become a moment of pride for church communities, cultural groups, and wider Nigerian and UK networks who watched them grow.

For Isabel, the message is clear: “Dream boldly, work hard, and never let anyone make you feel inadequate.”

Stephanie is already building her career at Caterpillar, while Isabel steps into the world with the same grace and determination that earned her top honours.

Two sisters. Two disciplines. Two first-class degrees. One shared story of excellence.

Congratulations to Stephanie and Isabel Offor.

Career Entertainment

Brandy Slays the Spirit Tunnel in a Striking Lime Green Suit on The Jennifer Hudson Show

by Women Times on April 17, 2026

By Prosper Mene

Burbank, California – April 17, 2026

When Brandy stepped into the iconic Spirit Tunnel on The Jennifer Hudson Show, she didn’t just walk, she danced. Dressed head-to-toe in a show-stopping monochrome lime green suit, the R&B legend lit up the Burbank studios with effortless star power, turning what’s already one of TV’s most joyful entrance segments into an unforgettable moment.

For a few glorious seconds, all eyes were on the vibrant citrus shade as Brandy grooved her way through the cheering tunnel. She twirled with grace, pointed toward the camera, moved her hands to the rhythm of the crowd, and placed a hand over her heart in genuine appreciation. The audience erupted into a custom welcome song: “Brandy’s at JHud! Hey! Love everything you do!” The energy was electric — and social media instantly agreed. Fans flooded the comments with praise, calling the look “stunning” and declaring, “Neon green on brown skin will ALWAYS do it.”

The oversized double-breasted blazer and matching wide-leg trousers created a sharp, powerful silhouette that moved beautifully with every step. She completed the look with oversized gold disc earrings, a sleek chin-length bob with flicked-out ends, and soft, clean makeup featuring a winged liner and neutral lip — the perfect balance of bold and elegant.

Brandy was on the show to promote her highly anticipated memoir Phases, which recently soared to No. 1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list shortly after its release. In a heartfelt conversation with Jennifer Hudson, she opened up about her journey through fame, reflecting on everything from her iconic first meeting with Whitney Houston to the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, reclaiming her voice, and finally telling her full story on her own terms. The two icons also shared a full-circle moment, recalling their very first meeting during American Idol days years ago.

The Spirit Tunnel entrance perfectly captured the celebratory spirit of the episode — a reminder of why Brandy remains “that girl” after three decades in the industry. From her groundbreaking roles to chart-topping hits and now her deeply personal memoir, she continues to inspire with authenticity and resilience.

Fans and fashion watchers alike are still buzzing. One thing is clear: when Brandy shows up, she shows out — and in lime green, she absolutely slayed. The internet (and the Spirit Tunnel) couldn’t get enough.

Grant Career

Busha Empowers Female Founders With 6 Million Naira Grant Through Beauty Hut Africa Initiative

by Women Times on April 17, 2026

By Prosper Mene

In a bid to boost women-led entrepreneurship in Nigeria’s booming beauty sector, digital finance platform Busha has awarded a total of ₦6 million in equity-free grants to three innovative female founders.

The funding was disbursed through the second edition of the Beauty Hut Africa Women’s Grant Initiative, which wrapped up with a high-energy live pitch event on Saturday, April 11, 2026, at the Ecobank Pan-African Centre in Lagos.

Five shortlisted female entrepreneurs took the stage before a distinguished panel of judges, pitching their business models with passion and precision. The judges—Subuola Oyeleye (Founder of Beauty Hut Africa), Bobe Badaki (Head of West Africa at Uncover), Omolara Dada (Product Marketing Manager at Busha Business), and Abimbola Akerele (Founder of The Nail Boutique)—evaluated entries based on innovation, scalability, market impact, and overall potential.

The winners are:

1st Place – Inveo Labs, founded by Magdalene Ekanem

2nd Place – Tulivu Fragrance

3rd Place – SavedSkin Cosmeceuticals

The grants will fuel product development, research and development (R&D), market expansion, and operational scaling for these beauty brands, helping them move from early-stage growth to sustainable, continent-wide impact.

Subuola Oyeleye, Founder of Beauty Hut Africa, said: “This grant initiative was created to bridge a real gap for women in the beauty industry—access to funding, visibility, and the right support systems to grow. The level of innovation and resilience we have seen from these founders is incredibly inspiring, and we are proud to have partnered with Busha to help bring their vision to life. This is just the beginning of what we believe will be a new wave of scalable, women-led beauty businesses in Africa.”

First-place winner Magdalene Ekanem of Inveo Labs added: “Winning this grant is a milestone for Inveo Labs. Beyond the funding, this platform has given us valuable visibility and affirms the relevance of our work. This support will be directed toward advancing our R&D, expanding our testing infrastructure, strengthening claim substantiation, and further expanding our already existing foundation for high-performance product development.”

The Beauty Hut Africa Women’s Grant Initiative, now in its second year, is designed specifically for women founders or co-founders in the beauty space across Nigeria. With a total grant pool of ₦6 million, it provides not just capital but also mentorship, industry exposure, and strategic support, resources many female entrepreneurs have historically struggled to access.

For Busha, the partnership aligns with its Social Impact Initiative under the Empowerment Pillar. The company, Nigeria’s first SEC-licensed digital asset exchange with over one million users across Nigeria and Kenya, continues to expand its footprint in financial inclusion. Through Busha Business, it offers digital financial tools and infrastructure that help SMEs and high-potential founders scale faster.

Nigeria’s beauty industry remains one of the continent’s most dynamic sectors, driven by rising consumer demand, e-commerce growth, and global interest in African beauty solutions. Yet, access to early-stage capital continues to be a major barrier for women founders. Initiatives like the Beauty Hut Africa Women’s Grant are helping close that gap, one empowered business at a time.

Busha and Beauty Hut Africa have signalled that this is only the start of deeper collaboration aimed at nurturing Africa’s next generation of beauty entrepreneurs. Applications for future editions are expected to open later in the year.

Career

Zedcrest Appoints Simbiat Bada as Managing Director of Stockbroking

by Women Times on April 16, 2026

By Prosper Mene

Zedcrest Group, a leading Nigerian financial services institution, has announced the appointment of Simbiat Bada, ACS, ACA, as Managing Director of its stockbroking arm, Zedcrest Securities. The Board-approved appointment, which is subject to regulatory approval by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), strengthens the group’s capital markets capabilities following its 2024 acquisition of RMB Nigeria Stockbrokers.

The announcement was made by Group Managing Director Adedayo Amzat, CFA, during a media parley at the company’s head office in Lagos.

“Bada’s appointment reflects Zedcrest’s commitment to deepening its expertise in securities trading and delivering superior execution, advisory, and wealth creation opportunities for our clients,” Amzat stated. “It also reinforces our ambition to build a best-in-class stockbroking business that is responsive to evolving market dynamics.”

Chairman of the Zedcrest Board, Babatunde Sanda, FCA, expressed strong confidence in the new appointee. “We are confident that Simbiat brings the discipline, professionalism, and strategic insight required to strengthen Zedcrest’s position in the equities market,” he said.

Bada is a seasoned investment professional with nearly a decade of experience spanning securities trading, asset management, sales, and business development. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the American University of Nigeria, Yola, and a master’s degree in Economics from the University of Lagos. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) and a qualified Chartered Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Prior to her new role, Bada held key positions at Vetiva Securities and WSTC Financial Services Limited, where she excelled in trading, operations, and wealth management.

The appointment comes on the heels of Zedcrest’s strategic acquisition of RMB Nigeria Stockbrokers in 2024, which was subsequently rebranded as Zedcrest Securities. This move has significantly expanded the group’s footprint in the Nigerian equities market and enhanced its full-service offerings across the capital markets value chain.

Founded in 2013, Zedcrest Group provides a comprehensive suite of financial solutions including asset management, investment banking, securities, and financing through its subsidiaries: Zedcrest Investment Managers (Zedcrest Wealth), Zedcrest Global Markets, Zedcrest Securities, Zedcrest Capital, and Zedvance Finance.

The development is part of the group’s broader expansion strategy aimed at delivering innovative, client-centric solutions in Nigeria’s dynamic financial landscape.

Career

Women CEO Tops 5% Of Companies Listed On Africa’s 24 Stock Exchanges

by Women Times on April 26, 2023

While only 5% of companies listed on Africa’s 24 stock exchanges have a woman as CEO, those that do have a woman CEO outperform financially by a wide measure, a new analysis byAfrica.com has said.

According to the report, to mark the evolution of Definitive List of Women CEOs, sponsored by Standard Bank Group, now in its third year, the online outfit analysed 2,020 listed companies on Africa’s 24 stock exchanges to compare the performance of companies where women hold the top position as CEO.

Women led companies remain a rarity across Africa in spite of a growing body of evidence that more diverse management produces better results.

Teresa Clarke, Chair of Africa. com, the company that conducted the analysis, said: “Despite difficult market conditions in most sectors and most geographies across the continent, in 2022, female run companies in Africa outperformed most benchmarks,” said

Transcorp of Nigeria, a diversified conglomerate with investments in the power, hospitality and energy sectors run by President and CEO Ms. Owen Omogiafo, ranked as one of the top performers on the Africa.com list gaining 8.27% in share price in 2022.

She joined us on the 19th to talk about how Transnational Corp. was able to outperform its competitors in this environment.

Another top performer was Bidvest Group of South Africa, a diversified industrial services company which has been run by chief executive Ms. Mpumi Madisa since 2020, saw its share price increase by 5.82% in 2022.

To put the figures into perspective, the share prices of the collective group of 93 women led companies analysed by Africa.com outperformed the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (FTSE/ JSE All Share) by 506 basis points, the Nairobi Securities Exchange Index (NSEASI) by 2,712 basis points, the London Stock Exchange (FTSE All Share Index) by 1,202 basis points, and the S&P 500 by 1,714 basis points.

Vera Songwe, Senior Fellow – Global Economy and Development, Africa Growth Initiative joined the virtual event on April 19th for the unveiling of the Definitive List of Women CEOs to share her perspective on why women outperform in the investment arena.

The trend of large, listed, women-led companies in Africa outperforming their male-run counterparts is consistent with trends seen in other parts of the world. Why do women-led firms often outperform? Patricia Lizarraga of Hypatia Capital wrote, “According to McKinsey, women face well-documented additional barriers in today’s workplace.

The few who rise to the highest executive ranks, by definition, must possess additional leadership and performance characteristics versus the average executive, predominantly male, who did not face the same barriers.”

Hypatia Capital of New York designed the Hypatia Women CEO Index, measures the performance of publicly traded securities on U.S. exchanges that have female Chief Executive Officers.

Over the same period, 6678 January 1, 2022 – December 31, 2022, that index outperformed its benchmark by 479 basis points. Patricia Lizarraga, CEO of the Hypatia Womens CEO Index Fund in the US talked more about the “Female Factor,” her term for how women impact investment performance.

One of the caveats to the Africa. com analysis is that the various exchanges on which the companies are listed report share prices in their local currencies.

Entertainment Career

Veteran actress, Hilda Dokubo jubiliates as she bags Doctorate degree in Literature

by Women Times on June 28, 2022

Actress Hilda Dokunbo has taken to her Instagram page as she jubilates bagging a Doctorate Degree in literature.

Weeks after Helen Paul bagged a PHD degree, Hilda Dokubo has been conferred with a Doctorate degree in Literature.

Hilda Dokubo can now be addressed as a Doctor of Literature in Leadership and Human development.

The degree is to honor the actress for her selfless works in leadership and human development in the country.

The degree was awarded by the Institute Suprereur of Technologies Et De Management.

Sharing the good news, Hilda Dokubo advised her fans to keep doing their works.

According to her, they can never know who is watching them.

“KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO IS WATCHING. WELL…THIS IS MORE IMPORTANCE ONE IN THE BAG. HAVE A BLESSED DAY PEOPLE”.

Career

Zainab Bello Broke Sixty Years Record, Become First Female First Class Graduate In Mathematics Department.

by Women Times on February 1, 2022

Zainab Bello a female student at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna has broken sixty years old record in becoming the first female to graduate with a First Class in the Dapartment of Mathematics.

This very intelligent lady has surprised almost everyone with her performance, ever since it’s establishment in 1962.

Zainab finished with an impressive CGPA of 4.85, a record that has never been achieved. The Department of Mathematics in ABU was established in 1962.

Zainab’s academic prowess apparently did not start today. A post made on Facebook by Mohammed Ali shows that she has consistently emerged as best since her nursery school days. According to the post:

“Meet Zainab Bello the overall best graduate graduating with 1st class (CGPA 4.85 in the Dept of Mathematics ABU Zaria & the 1st female ever to graduate with such grade. She’s been the best student since her nursery & guess what? She was Hafiza (Memorized The Glorious Qur’an at 11 years), Congratulation may Almighty Allah bless your certificate.”

Appointment Career

Kemi Nanna, Newly Appointed Immigration Comptroller

by Women Times on January 30, 2022

Kemi Nanna Nandap has been appointed as the new comptroller to resume the duty of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos command

She replaced Abdullahi Dalhatu, the immediate past comptroller of the command who retired from service earlier in the year.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the command, Louisa Amadiokoro, said until her appointment, Nandap served as comptroller in charge of Plateau State Command where she “left indelible marks of infrastructural and human capital development.”

The statement hinted that the new comptroller had served as the Assistant Comptroller General (ACG) in charge of Zone C.

Born on June 3, 1966 in Zaria Kaduna State, she had her undergraduate studies at the University of Ilorin where she bagged a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry.

Nandap had previously served in many commands and in different capacities including Officer-In-Charge (O/C) Investigation and Compliance, O/C Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and African Affairs and second in command Nasarawa State Command.

Others are Lagos, Ogun, and Anambra states commands, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the service headquarter in Abuja.

Appointment Career

11 female advertising trailblazers emerge APCON Fellows

by Women Times on January 28, 2022

A symbol of hard work, resilience and professionalism, 11 female advertising trailblazers have been inducted as Fellows of the Advertising profession in Nigeria. This was at the just concluded APCON induction ceremony which held at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos.

The inducted amazons expressed that the newly donned Fellowship hat is a representation of their quest to be at par with their global counterparts, to enable them for strategic positioning in building an outstanding and sterling career amidst male dominance and gender stereotypes in the advertising industry.

Some of these amazing and accomplished practitioners who have made notable contributions in the industry include:

Temitope Jemerigbe, Chief Executive Officer, DKK Nigeria; Betsy Iheabunike, Chairman/ CEO Betex Communication Ltd & MISHAB IDEALS Ltd; Margaret Olele, CEO/Executive Secretary, American Business Council;Ifeyinwa Onukwuba, Managing Director, Nigeria Advertising Service, NAS; Julia Jacks, Head Consultant, Julia Jacks Consulting; Hannah Oyebanjo, Managing Director, Redwood Consulting; Ijedi Iyoha, Director at APCON; Ifechukwude Kagho Manages Customer Loyalty Programme for MTN; Martha Onyebuchi, Deputy Director, Sourthern Region, APCON; Funke Nwankwo, General Manager, Human Resources, NDPHC; Omowunmi Owodunni, Chairman of APCON’S Advertising Standards Panel, (ASP).

The ad experts agreed, that the mantra to succeed in the highly competitive space is through constant up-skilling and upgrading of career status in the industry to help reach the top of the corporate ladder.

Sharing the happy news of elevation of status, Temitope Jemerigbe, Chief Executive Officer, DKK Nigeria, one of the leading lights who have carved a special place for herself in the hallowed portals of advertising, said she is glad to be reckoned with APCON’s highest industry status, as an inductee, describing it as a thing of honour.

“It is recognition of the experience and contributions of individuals who are being conferred with the induction of which I am one, and I am really glad for this.”

Hannah Oyebanjo, Managing Director, Redwood Consulting, with pride and prestige over the new feather placed on her cap, said it will go a long way in promoting Nigerian advertising’s brand positioning.

“With a lot of changes currently occurring within the industry both locally and internationally, Nigeria must be at the forefront of leading change. Attaining this for me is like saying: hey! Get up again and see how much you want to add to the industry to grow generally”, she proudly stated.

Betsy Iheabunike, CEO, Betex Communication Ltd & MISHAB IDEALS Ltd, a passionate advertiser and marketing expert, applauded APCON for creating such a recognizable industry platform that places emphasis on women’s contribution. “I am happy that I am one of the people inducted by the highest regulator in the country, APCON. It is a great honour which will continue to speak well for the industry both home and abroad.”

Appointment Career

Eco Bank Nigeria Appoints New Chairman and Directors

by Women Times on September 29, 2021

The Board of Directors of Ecobank Nigeria has announced the appointment of three non-executive directors.

They are Mrs. Bola Adesola, Mrs. Titilayo Olujobi and Mrs. Bimbola Wright.

This was disclosed by the bank via a statement issued on Wednesday.

The statement issued by the bank said: “The new Directors have distinguished themselves in their various careers bringing with them a wealth of experience in the financial services industry, their professionalism and integrity, that has earned them international respect.

“Mrs. Bola Adesola who has also been appointed as the Chairman of the Board, following the end of tenure of Mr. John Aboh, is a highly respected professional with over thirty-three (33) years of experience in the banking sector. She has commendable leadership qualities and successfully driven expansion initiatives in several banks. Mrs. Adesola retired from Standard Chartered Bank as the Senior Vice-Chairman, Africa.

Prior to this role, she was the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer for Standard Chartered Nigeria and West Africa for eight years with oversight over the bank’s West African subsidiaries, including Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Cameroun. Mrs. Adesola was also the Chairperson of the Board of Standard Chartered Bank Mauritius and a Director at Standard Chartered, Ghana.”

Commenting on her appointment as Director and Chairman of the Board, Mrs. Adesola said; “I am honoured to be appointed as Chairman of the Board of Ecobank Nigeria. I am familiar with the brand and the proud history that is built on strong foundation across the African continent and indeed globally.

“I look forward to working with the other members of the Board and Executive team as we continue our journey to be top in the Nigerian market, by setting the standards in financial services for our customers. I would also like to express my thanks to my predecessor, Mr. John Aboh, a consummate and respected banker for a very successful tenure and wish him all the best for the future.”

Patrick Akinwuntan, Managing Director, Ecobank Nigeria said: “The entire staff and Management of Ecobank Nigeria warmly welcome Mrs. Bola Adesola and the other new directors to the Board. We will give them our full support in ensuring the actualization of the Bank’s strategic plans in Nigeria. I also thank Mr. John Aboh who recently retired from the Board after successfully completing his tenure of office. Under his tenure as Chairman of the Board, the Bank made remarkable progress in growing its market share and repositioning Ecobank Nigeria for leadership in the Nigerian financial services sector.”

Mrs. Titilayo Olujobi also a new director on the Board is a well-rounded and experienced professional with nearly four decades experience in Public Accounting, Banking, Training Facilitation, Business Consulting and Coaching. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and a Certified Professional Coach of the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Mrs. Olujobi who is currently Non-Executive Director of IBFCAlliance Limited started her professional career at Z. Olasanya & Co and Coopers and Lybrand (now PriceWaterhouse Coopers) where she led audit assignments and consulted on tax issues.

She was at Nigeria International Bank Limited (now Citibank Nigeria Limited) as a Management Associate and rose through the ranks across multiple positions to become Vice President (Deputy General Manager); She was Managing Director, IBFCAgusto Training Limited; Executive Director of IBFCAlliance Limited after the merger of IBFCAgusto and Alliance Consulting. She holds a B.Sc. Degree in Economics from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).

Mrs. Bimbola Wright is a transformative and human-centered professional with thirty-three (33) years banking experience in top financial institutions, over 20 years of which was at senior leadership levels. She is currently an Executive Director with Wright & Co Limited, a management consulting firm based in Lagos; Chairperson of the Board of Arami Essentials; member of the Institute of Directors, where she sits on the board of IoD Centre for Corporate Governance; and Fellow of the Nigeria Institute of Management.

Her career commenced with NAL Bank Plc (now part of Sterling Bank), from where she moved to Kakawa Discount House which was later acquired by First Bank Holdings to become FBNQuest Merchant Bank; she was Executive Council member of Women in Management, Business and Public Services (WIMBIZ). Bimbola holds a B.Sc in Human Biology from Surrey University, an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Kent at Canterbury.