Presenting the Seven Wonder Woman Award winners 2025

…‘Wonder Women Who Mean Business’

The second edition of the Guardian Woman Festival, themed, ‘Women Mean Business’ was held at Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island on March 14. One of the highlights of the event was the unveiling of the 35 finalists of the Seven Wonder Women Awards, created by Investing In Women.

The principle behind the essence of this competition was to determine in the first instance what a Wonder Woman is. There are many Wonder Women in the world, many of whom may not be recognised enough. Yet there may be some that can be recognised over and over again, because their story never gets old. Sometimes it’s a very obvious choice, sometimes it can be someone that simply surprises you.

The journey towards generating the initial shortlist was led by a non-exhaustive list of considerations such as: time of service/in career (either a long-serving professional in her field or a young woman who has elevated herself very quickly); any previous awards won (including any national honours); any record-breakers; being the first woman to achieve something in a certain field; perseverance/surviving against all odds in the face of adversity; women fighting fearlessly for the promotion of women while pursuing their careers; and women fighting – taking risks even – to fight against discrimination against other women.

We are excited to share that after over 28,033 votes were generated by the public a Wonder Woman has emerged from each of the seven categories: The Business of Culture; The Business of Public Service; The Business of Care and Wellness; The Business of Technology; The Business of Financing and Investment; The Business of Philanthropy; and The Business of Academia. We are happy to confirm that indeed the winners were those that really stand out as women who mean business and who are accelerating action, no matter which spectrum of the category they fall under.

Isabella Adediji – Winner, The Business of Culture
Isabella Adediji is the founder and Managing Director of Yellow Tamarind Productions, a media, PR and edtech company based in Lagos, Nigeria. She is a graduate of Education with English and Drama from the University of Cambridge. She began her career in corporate communications at Nestlé Nigeria PLC where she was responsible for media relations and internal communications.

Her passion for education led her to the classroom where she taught English Literature, Sociology and History. It was during this time that she created, presented and produced her first television show, Africana Literati. Now in its fourth season, the Afro-centric literary show has aired on several stations across Africa and a streaming platform in the United States of America.

She has gone on to present other edutaining programmes on radio and television such as The Movie Buff Show on Africa Magic Showcase, Correct Student on City 105.1 FM and Nolly Silver Screen on Views Channel. She also hosted The FrontPage on Radio Continental, Politico Politica with Isabella Akinseye on Views Channel and Searchlight on Radio Now. She is a regular guest host on the popular live youth talk show, Rubbin’ Minds on Channels Television.
Also known as The Intelligent MC, Isabella has over a decade of experience anchoring conferences, festivals, awards, summits, product unveilings, book launches, hackathons, film screenings, weddings, and parties. On weekends, you can catch her on stage as a traditional wedding compere with the stage name Alaga Sisi Bella (Alaga Oloyinbo, Alaga to lo Cambridge).

Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein – Winner, The Business Of Public Service
Dr. Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein hails from Iperu Remo in Ikenne LGA of Ogun State. She obtained her Higher National Diploma (Accountancy) in 1988 at Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), Abeokuta. She also obtained Postgraduate Diploma and Master’s in business administration from Ogun State University (now Olabisi Onabanjo University), Ago Iwoye. In 2019, Commonwealth University awarded her with Doctor of Business Administration (Honoris Causa).

She is a professional Accountant, a Fellow of the Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants (ACCA), UK, member of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). She bagged a doctoral degree in Management Finance in 2020 from the Walden University, Minnesota in the United States.
Her experience in the Federal Civil Service spans over 30 years as an Accountant, Financial Manager and Internal Auditor. She began her career in the civil service as a middle level officer from Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) and later joined the team of pioneering staff for both Family Economic Advancement Programme (FEAP) and National Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP).

She also served in various Ministries such as Ministry of Police Affairs, Commerce and Industry, Works and Housing and Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Abuja. Prior to joining the Federal Civil Service, Oluwatoyin had worked as an Executive Officer (Accounts) in Ogun State Property and Investment Corporation (OPIC), Abeokuta. Oluwatoyin Madein is happily married to Engr. Adeleke Olusina Madein and the marriage is blessed with four wonderful children.

Blessing Oyeleye – Winner, The Business of Care and Wellness
Blessing Oyeleye Adesiyan is a care economist and innovator. She is the founder and CEO of Caring Africa, an organisation closing the care gap for families, workplaces, and economies through research, policy, and technology reaching over 30M plus globally. She is on a mission to unlock Africa’s care economy and advance women’s economic power.
An accomplished leader in the corporate, tech, and manufacturing sectors with a background in engineering, energy, and business and over 15 years leading operational excellence at four Fortune 100 companies — PepsiCo, Cargill, DuPont, and BASF.

Blessing has been a driving force partnering with corporate and policy leaders to advocate for paid family leave, care infrastructures and policies to improve wellbeing, optimize business performance, catalyze economic growth and social progress. She co-founded CareForce and the Chamber Of Mothers and serves on the board of Famtech.org with a mission to make care a global imperative. Blessing holds a BSc. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida, an MSc. in Energy Management from the New York Institute of Technology, and an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

She writes for Fast Company, Time Magazine, and Forbes on care policy and culture. Blessing has been featured in publications like WSJ, Fortune, Fast Company, Forbes Africa, and Time Magazine, and is a seasoned keynote speaker across continents.

Dr. Elizabeth Jack-Rich – Winner, The Business of Philanthropy
A philanthropist, entrepreneur, and businesswoman, Dr. Elizabeth Jack-Rich was born on May 18, 1993, and hails from southwestern Nigeria. Through perseverance and hard work, she founded Elin Group Limited in 2017—a conglomerate with operations across aviation, oil & gas, mining, and agriculture. Today, she leads the group as its Chief Executive Officer.
With her strong culture of dedication to hard work and excellence, the group has metamorphosed from a conglomerate of vision-based firms into a wealth-creation avenue, built to positively empower the economically disadvantaged.

Dr Elizabeth’s quest for a better society and opportunities to add value to humanity is reinforced by her husband’s vision to transform and guide youths worldwide, helping them become relevant and make a positive impact in their communities. This burning passion led to the creation of the Elizabeth Jack-Rich Aid Foundation (EJRAID). Through this foundation, lives have been transformed and empowered for positive change, especially among disadvantaged groups in rural areas.

Dr. Elizabeth believes that for society to align with the moral values needed for progress, rural disadvantaged groups—especially women, children, and youths—will require both material and non-material enablers, such as grants, skills, entrepreneurial empowerment, and education, to drive much-needed change in current standards of living.

This belief gave birth to her special interest initiative, the “Opportunity for Rural Women Development Initiative” (ORUWODI), which supports women in need with necessities to help build economic and social value within communities. Since its inception in 2018, the Elizabeth Jack-Rich Aid Foundation, led by Dr Elizabeth herself, has donated over $1,600,000 in forms of alleviation funds, 1,000 scholarships to underprivileged students, empowerment to women entrepreneurs and training for over 800 youths in various vocational skills.

In addition to her honorary doctorate in Leadership and Community Development, presented by ISFOB (Institut Supérieur de Formation Professionnelle), Benin University, Dr. Elizabeth holds a BSc in Banking and Finance from Le Cours Sonu University Institute in the Republic of Benin. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Economics at George Washington University, USA, and studying Strategic Management at Harvard University, USA.

She has earned numerous certifications from prestigious institutions, including an Entrepreneurship Essentials certification from Harvard University, USA, and a certification from the Cambridge Rising Women Leaders Program in the UK. She is also certified by The Institute of Management Specialists in Modern Management Technology & Systems, recognised by the IMS Membership Board with the Grade of Fellow (F.I.M.S [Dip.IMS]) and Leadership & Management.

Prof. Folasade Ogunsola – Winner, The Business of Academia
Professor Folasade Ogunsola, opened another chapter in the history of the University of Lagos with her appointment as the 1st female and 13th Vice-Chancellor by the Governing Council on Friday, October 7, 2022.

The Professor of Medical Microbiology was born on November 14, 1958 in London, United Kingdom. She attended Maryhill Convent School, Agodi, Ibadan and Staff School, University of Ibadan for her Primary Education from 1963-1969. She proceeded to Queens College, Yaba, Lagos, from 1970-1974, where she got the West African Secondary School Certificate, finishing in the Grade I Category.

In 1982, she graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). She finished her Master’s degree in Medical Microbiology with Distinction from the College of Medicine, University of Lagos in 1990. She then enrolled at the University of Wales, College of Medicine, Cardiff where she bagged a Diploma in Biomedical Techniques in 1993. In 1998, she earned her Doctorate from the University of Wales, College of Medicine.

A member of many professional bodies, she became a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College, Faculty of Pathology (by Exam) in 1995, Fellow of West African College of Physicians (by Exam) in 1997, and Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, UK (by Published Works) in 2021. She is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science and of the Royal College of Physicians, UK.

Professor Ogunsola joined the services of University of Lagos as Lecturer I in 1995, became a Senior Lecturer in 1997, an Associate Professor in 2004 and a full Professor in 2008.
Outside the classroom and the research laboratory, she has served the University in many capacities such as: Head, Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Medicine, (2009-2012); Deputy Director of MEDILAG Consult, College of Medicine (2009-2010), Director of MEDILAG Consult, College of Medicine (2010-2012), Chairman of the Board, Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu (KAAF) Maternity and Laboratory Center, UNILAG (2016-date), and Executive Chairman of the Board, Academic Publishing Centre (2021- date).

In 2013, she began her streak of many firsts in UNILAG’s history of leadership succession when she emerged as the 1st female Provost of the College of Medicine. She served meritoriously in that position until 2016. In 2017, she was appointed the 1st Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), a position with which she initiated and hosted the first ever UNILAG International Week. Between August and September, 2020, when the University was going through the Council-Management Crisis, Professor Ogunsola was the trusted hand to which the University Senate turned to steady the ship during those stormy times. She, again, emerged the 1st female Acting Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG. Her eventual emergence as successor to the 12th Vice-Chancellor was, therefore, a pleasant culmination of events that confirmed her date with destiny.

A researcher of global reckoning, she has one hundred and forty-two (142) publications in reputable academic journals, and has co-authored four (4) books on antibiotic resistance, infection control and HIV. Her publications have been important reference materials in medical and public health research, and have garnered over 2,000 citations from the late 1990s till date. Her areas of interest include the prevention and control of infectious disease and antibiotic resistance.

Professor Folasade Ogunsola has attended and presented over eighty (80) academic papers at conferences, workshops and symposia, locally and internationally. She has many academic and professional distinctions to her name – the most recent of which was her nomination and feature as one of 23 Outstanding Women in Science in United Nations Economic Commission for Africa 2022 Book titled, “Earth, Ocean, and Skies: Insights from Selected Outstanding African Women”.

Oluseye Olufunmilayo Alayande – Winner, The Business of Financing and Investment
Oluseye Olufunmilayo Alayande is a seasoned Legal Practitioner with over 20 years’ extensive experience in several sectors including private law practice, oil and gas, energy, power, and the FCMG industry. She is well versed in the key areas of contract and commercial law corporate law, company secretarial, litigation advisory, negotiation drafting, regulatory management and compliance.

Oluseye commenced law practice in 2002 at the renown legal luminary and icon, Chief Rotimi Williams Chambers. Thereafter she worked at Adepetun, Caxton Martins, Agbor and Segun between May 2004 and December 2006. She went into corporate practice in January 2007 as Legal Manager, Sahara Group responsible for overseeing the Group’s commercial and energy transaction, most notably the company’s acquisition of the 1320MW Egbin Power Plant.

She worked at Afren Nigeria from 2010 to 2015 and ascended to the position of Deputy General Counsel, she handled all Afren Group’s national and international transactions in West Africa, East Africa, and Kurdistan. Key transactions included the acquisition and divestment of petroleum assets including the acquisition of OML 26 from Shell, Host Government production sharing contract negotiations, asset development contracts, crude sales contracts, commercial contract management and project finance negotiations.

From 2016 to 2020, Oluseye was the Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc., with the largest franchise area in Nigeria. She was responsible for all board related matters and legal advisory service for all contracts executed by the company.

She is currently at Bua International as the Group Chief Legal Officer, Corporate and Commercial where she manages and executes all corporate and commercial negotiations and transactions undertaken by BUA.

An accomplished, forward thinking, and resourceful legal professional with exceptional leadership abilities, Oluseye excels in building highly productive and motivated teams capable of delivering consistent results within demanding regulatory environments. She is excellent at working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders at all levels to ensure organisational goals are achieved.

Aisha Mumuni – Winner, The Business of Technology
Aisha Mumuni is a seasoned business executive with over 20 years of experience in the telecoms sector. As the Chief Digital Officer of MTN Communication Nigeria, she leads a team of experts in leveraging modern technology and data to achieve the company’s business objectives.

Aisha’s expertise in innovative tech solutions support, building strong partnerships and ecosystems, and the development and launch of viable digital products and services are rooted in her work at the intersection of innovative digital solutions and customer lifestyle.

A’isha Mumuni, who was once the General Manager of the Value Added Services of MTN Communications Nigeria, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria. And has attended local and international strategic training programs, including senior executive education which has helped in her digital journey.

Before becoming the Chief Digital Officer in 2022, Aisha was instrumental in the evolution of the Digital Services business in MTN and, by extension, in Nigeria. She has been a significant contributor to the key achievements of the Digital Services division since its inception in February 2019 and has been Acting Chief Digital Officer since December 22, 2021.

Mumuni’s leadership style is characterised by her ability to inspire and motivate her team to achieve their goals. She is known for her strategic thinking, innovative ideas, and her ability to adapt to the fast-paced digital environment.

As the industry across Nigeria adapts and evolves with the trends of the digital environment, Aisha works to ensure that MTN remains strongly positioned ahead of the curve, as both a trendsetter and innovator.

Mumuni is a dynamic and accomplished business executive who is committed to driving innovation and growth in the telecoms sector. Her expertise, leadership, and vision make her a valuable asset to MTN Communication Nigeria and the industry as a whole.