THE RICHEST BLACK WOMAN IN THE WORLD - By Charles Novia

THE RICHEST BLACK WOMAN IN THE WORLD - By Charles Novia

These past couple of weeks, there's been a media and social frenzy about Mrs Folorunsho Alakija, the owner of the Rose of Sharon fashion store near my former office at Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere and (it seems to me) an overnight billionaire who has been rated by Forbes Africa and other obtuse online magazines as the richest black woman in the world. 

Various reports estimate her wealth to be between the range of $660 million dollars to $3 billion dollars. Her claim to wealth has been assumed and presumed to be because of her ownership of an oil block or Oil Prospecting License which she purportedly got as a 'gift' by General Ibrahim Babangida when he was the Head of State in the early nineties. Mrs Alakija supposedly got this gift because she was a friend and personal tailor of Maryam Babangida, the former First Lady, who (as reported or gossiped) prevailed on her husband to 'dash' her loyal friend the oil license.

 And so, after years of exploration and years of patient battles with successive Nigerian Governments who were after her license, her blessings turned full circle and she has now become one of the wealthiest women alive! I have been amused by the comments and snide remarks on the lady and her wealth by Nigerians these past few days. She has become the talk of all circles, social and private. 

Most people envy her and pray to God to give them 'heavenly connections'. One woman made me laugh with a comment; ' God give me favour to be even the shoe cleaner of Nigeria's first lady! Divine connections!' Really? Another said, 'May my luck shine like Mrs Alakija o. Where my riches will really smell like the heavenly Roses of Sharon!'. One female undergraduate summed up the discussion with hers; 'Which 'Runs' better pass that woman own?' she crowed and sighed. ' Na the main hammer be that naa. And I sure say she nor use any bottom power sef. Kai! Heaven must bless my hustle o'. Mmmm.

I'm sure Mrs Alakija must be a bit concerned that her hitherto private world and wealth has now been exposed and all her privacy has now been invaded. That is if she did not approve the report from Forbes Africa. I'm told she is a very loving and generous woman who gives to charities and helps people a lot.

 I am more concerned ( as a writer and Dramatist) with the 'reversal of fortune' slant of her claim to wealth. If indeed it is true that she was given the Oil licenses as a gift, then it's the stuff great stories are made of! Forget the propriety or impropriety of the process. The final denouement is the clincher; being rated as one of the world's richest people! Those people shouting that it's crass injustice for a Yoruba Woman to be given a license when there are thousands of Niger-Deltans looking for such favors miss the point. There is no need to bring ethnicity and politics into this. I don't believe in such. I'm a staunch believer of how the process of individualism can improve on communal progression. Where an individual by his gifts, talents or vision changes his/her environment and the world to a large extent. That's how I see life; through a prism of change and personal assertion.

I can bet that from now on, Mrs Alakija will not be allowed to even enjoy her privacy. Thousands of Charities and NGO's in Nigeria and abroad will send her thousands of requests for donations and Chairing of fund raising events. Hundreds of Nigerian Universities will fall over themselves to bestow on her ( or sell to her) nebulous and laughable Doctorate Degrees. Despite her being married ( as I think she is) thousands of men and young gigolos will see how they can 'set a trap' for her to win her heart and get a piece of the pie. (I'm told there's no way for them in this case because she is staunch Christian and very proper). 

Her four sons, who are now some of the richest men alive, will be harassed by all sorts of women for 'friendship'. If any of them are single, they would have to battle with a range of choices from the bevy of ladies with the most inordinate ambitions. I would advise them to go the Cinderella Route and find the lady with the Glass Slipper rather than the dubious women who would come to their private balls ( no pun intended here!).

 The reality of Mrs Alakija's wealth is also the sad and amusing lampoon of who we are as a people and how we do things. It's all about money here. And I'm not talking about the pictures of our dead 'heroes past' on our national currencies. I'm talking about the Benjamins, baby! After all, e easy to be the richest black woman for this world?