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lessed with four children from her loving union to Chief Okoya, it’s clear that Shade’s adoration and passion for husband has not waned for one second over the years of marriage. Instead, if anything, they are a close, loving and affectionate couple, whose love for each other transcends their age difference or mindset. Meeting Shade in her beautiful palatial home, I am struck by her fondness for fresh flowers everywhere and an uncanny sense of tidiness. Her home is immaculate, crisp and sweet smelling. Upon asking her, she simply remarks that beautiful fresh flowers make her happy. Watching her through the photo shoot, her soft voice gently beckons to whomever she speaks to with the grace of royalty. Never raising her voice, never losing her composure, but I hear the unmistakable quiet steel as she speaks and I have no doubt that as a business woman she would be no pushover. In this interview, Allure’s Latasha Ngwube gets up close and personal with the beautiful and ever youthful Folashade Okoya to open up on her life, her marriage, business and how she maintains her fantastic physique…
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ELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND. WHERE WERE YOU BORN AND WHAT WAS GROWING UP LIKE? I was born in Lagos the sixth child of a family of seven children. Growing up was fun in a large family AS A YOUNG GIRL WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE FOR CAREER WISE? I would say to be a doctor. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR HUSBAND? I met him in April 1999, we met casually and later he invited me out for dinner, from then we never looked back. WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST ATTRACTION FOR YOU TO HIM? The attraction for me was his nice nature and his genuine personality. HOW DID HE PROPOSE TO YOU AND WHAT WAS YOUR INITIAL REACTION? He proposed to me after a year of dating. WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR HUSBAND AS A ROMANTIC PERSON AFTER ALL YOUR YEARS OF MARRIAGE? He proposed to me after a year of dating. AFTER GETTING MARRIED TO A WEALTHY INDUSTRIALIST, YOU STILL DECIDED TO PURSUE A CAREER IN BANKING WHEN MOST YOUNG WOMEN WOULD HAVE SETTLED INTO A LIFE OF LUXURY. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK AND GIVE US A BRIEF HISTORY OF HOW YOU GOT STARTED? I have always been an active and resourceful person. I enjoy working hard so being married to a wealthy industrialist who is very hard working encouraged me not to sit at home and be idle. WHAT DO YOU CURRENTLY DO? I work in a family business which deals in manufacturing, property development and management. The manufacturing section is called Eleganza Group of Companies and the property development aspect is what we all know as RAO Investment Property Company Limited. Apart from working in these various companies as the Deputy Managing Director respectively, my husband supports me to do my own baby businesses such as Eleganza Fashion Product Limited which deals in all ranges of baby products, various types of cooling boxes and our new line is the shoe line which will be coming to the market soon. I also run Eleganza Cruise and Travel Ltd; it is a travel agency that attends to individual, corporate and government organizations travels, on both business and holiday packages respectively. Amongst other products we offer luxury cruises, air travels and tours. WOULD YOU SAY THAT SOME OF YOUR HUSBAND’ BUSINESS ACUMEN RUBBED OFF ON YOU OR IT WAS SOMETHING YOU ALREADY POSSESSED? Definitely his business acumen rubbed off on me. WITH THE SENIOR ROLE YOU OCCUPY IN THE BUSINESS COULD YOU SHARE THE FORECAST FOR THE BUSINESS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS? Eleganza Group and RAO Properties Limited by the grace of God will continue to grow from strength to strength and would have expanded by multiples of what we are now. We have a new construction site of about 30 hectares for Eleganza Industrial City along the Ibeju Lekki Epe road. We shall be producing household items and much more. This will also create a lot of job opportunities for the people of Epe/Ibeju communities and its environs. We hope by the grace of God that production will start at the end of the year. YOU CLEARLY HAVE A GOOD GRASP OF THE BUSINESS AND WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYTHING IT ENTAILS. DO YOU GO FOR TRAINING COURSES TO GET AN EVEN BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS WELL AS APPLY NEW IDEAS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE MORE RESULTS? My husband is a good teacher and a leader; he teaches me all I need to know about the business from his experience. DO YOU THINK YOUR CHILDREN WILL IMBIBE THIS INDUSTRIALIST SPIRIT OR WOULD YOU MIND IF THEY BRANCHED INTO OTHER CAREER FIELDS? My children will clearly take the spirit of industrialism. DO YOU OFFER ANY MENTORING PROGRAMS TO YOUNG LADIES WHO MAY GRAVITATE TOWARDS BUSINESS MANAGEMENT OR TRADE? Presently, I mentor all the female staff working under me.
I enjoy working hard so being married to a wealthy industrialist who is very hard working encouraged me JULY 8, 2012 ALLURE
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