Dr. Chief (Mrs.) Folashade Okoya is the Managing Director of Eleganza Industrial City. Born on April 25, 1977 in Lagos, Dr. Shade Okoya studied at the Lagos State Polytechnic, Isolo, where she obtained an Ordinary National Diploma in Banking and Finance. She followed this up with a degree in Sociology at the University of Lagos. The mother of four has interests in many areas of business. She also oversees the Eleganza Cruise and Travels Limited, and is also a board member of Eleganza Group and RAO Investment Property Company Limited.
The wife of billionaire Razak keeps wowing the society with her jaw-dropping and elevated sense of style. The Bewaji Of Lagos, she holds the ace in the ageing businessman’s life and business. She is no doubt, one of the most formidable businesswomen in Nigeria. Over the years, she has been able to inject a lot of entrepreneurial magic into her husband's manufacturing business empire. Eleganza Industrial City, the company she manages for the family, manufactures plastic utensils, plastic chairs, luggage, cooling packs, sanitary products and many other household necessaries. She is stunning, isn’t she? Well, she speaks to Owambevibes in this interview
Thank you and welcome to my home. I have been blessed, I eat right, I sleep very well and I enjoy sleeping, if time permits. Also, I don’t compromise on the food I eat as well. Being around my happy family enables everything to fall in place. Also, the kind of job I do also enables me to keep svelte figure because it involves a lot of going round. I thank God for giving me a loving and wonderful husband who gave me lovely children. This, I believe is my secret.
Owambevibes: How do you feel today as you mark another birthday?
Age is just in the number. I’m happy, blessed and fulfilled. I thank Allah for everything.
Owambevibes: A lot of people see the Dr Shade Okoya who is a Fashionista and a celebrity but the real Dr Shade Okoya we heard from reliable sources, works so hard. Tell us what you do away from the cameras especially in the Eleganza Industrial City
The journey has been a very wonderful one so far. People have their opinion regarding what they think about me but I think majority of my close friend know I work day in day out. That is one of the reasons we brought out the Eleganza Industrial City. It is less than 10 years; it is a baby of the Eleganza Group of Companies. It is a new dream come true for the Eleganza Group. It is different kind of joy when you dream of something and it actually becomes a reality. We manufacture chairs and, we have over 68 designs of chairs. Most people see the glitz and glamour but I have been married to my husband for 23 years and I have been working all these years. People who are close know how hard I work.
Owambevibes: Getting married to someone who is a workaholic how were you able to fit in?
He made me realise that he likes to work and that is part of his life. He made me understand that if I want to make it work, I had to work like him.
Owambevibes: You got married at 22 when your husband was 59, was age a barrier at all?
My husband was very sincere. That alone got me. I just knew this is where I wanted to be. A Yoruba proverb says, “You do not look at the crowd or people around you but focus on where you want to go.” I do not believe in doing something and failing; so having taken that decision, I had to make sure and do everything so it works.
Owambevibes: Your husband celebrated his 81st birthday in January 2022. Now, as someone close to him, tell us what we don’t know about him…
My husband is a very open person. He is very generous to a fault. He is a very loving person. As a result of being shy, he tries to hide away from some things. He is a very shy man. They will think he is quiet. This makes us work very well because I am very shy person myself. My shyness makes me keep calm.
Owambevibes: You have said he is a very loving person, is it that love that swept you off your feet 23 years ago?
My husband is very loving and very caring. We are all humans, and it depends on what you see that makes you think, okay let me give this think a thought. My husband will tell you that he is a go-getter; he will tell you that he never loses in anything he wants. Anything he desires, he works towards getting it
Owambevibes: So you are one of those ‘things’ he won?
(Laughs) I guess so.
Owambevibes: What attracted you to him?
(She pauses for a second and then answers): Maybe his hardwork. His hard work and his generosity. It wasn't love at first sight because I was really young then. He didn't pretend about the whole thing when he met me. He saw and liked me and said he wanted to marry me. I liked him as a person and he was really generous to a fault and really caring. My husband is full of fun and loving. There is never a dull moment being with him. My advice to young ladies is to pray to God to lead them to the love of their heart.
Owambevibes: When you got married 23 years ago, there were a lot of criticisms, how did you feel?
I was young and when you are young, you do not listen to comments, when you grow older. Then I just said it was my choice, I just thought it was my life and it was the way I present my life that matters and people would take me for who I am.
Owambevibes: That decision you took 23 years ago if given the opportunity will you do it again?
I think I would have done it at a much younger age. Now when I look back, I look at my children, growing as told as me, the fun I have with them as a mother now, I would have loved to have two years earlier. I would have wanted my children to be older now, we hang out a lot. I would have wanted them to be more matured.
Owambevibes: If your daughter comes to tell you she wants to marry a man of that age would you allow her?
It is her choice. I made my choice and now I am happy. If I had married a younger man, I wouldn’t have lasted in that relationship.
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