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Folake Ani-Mumuney: First Class Strategist, Achiever Extra-ordinaire
By Eric Elezuo
One of the basic achievements of the Beijing Women Conference of 1995 was creating untold courage among women who are determined and committed to making a paradigm shift towards affecting humanity for the positive reasons. One of such women is the strong woman at Nigeria’s foremost bank, First Bank, in the person of Mrs. Folake Ani-Mumuney, who is the General Manager as well as sits atop Marketing and Corporate Communication department of the bank.
Ani-Mumuney, simply known as Folake or FAM by friends and well-wishers, is a humble combination of beauty, brains and workaholism. She is a stress-free achiever, who also chairs the Board of Directors of the insurance arm of the group.
Born to the family of late erudite former Medical Director of the National Orthopedic Hospital, Dr. Francis Owosina, who served between 1977 and 1989, Folake could very well be said to be a chip off the old block, striding in the very transparent footsteps of her forebears. Her father is reputed to have developed the modernised general and specialised Orthopaedic and Emergency Services department of the hospital in addition to introducing hip replacement and spinal surgery when he held sway in the hospital. He was also the brain behind the recognition of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi as a World Health Organisation collaborating centre in 1979 as well as establishing the Post Basic Nursing School and the Residency programme in Orthopaedics.
Versatile and very prolific, Folake holds a degree in Philosophy and Law and also a diploma in Business Computing System Analysis and Design in addition to several management certificates and affiliation to many professional bodies.
She began her prolific and illustrious career with the British Airways, where she was responsible for Brands Policies and Communications across Europe and African region comprising 59 countries. She was practically running 59 countries, more than the size of the African continent at a time. It could only be as a result of her doggedness and desire to be the best one can be. She equally managed portfolios as Business Analyst, Strategy & Business Planning Manager, New Business Development Manager and Head marketing & Communications Manager Africa. And she was quite young then – a typical example of not too young to run product.
Her dexterity attracted the presence of the richest man in Africa, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who promptly co-opted her into the group. Bringing her experiences to bear, she initiated the speedy turnaround of Dangote Industries as its Chief Marketing and Communication Officer. Her days at Dangote are remembered with fondness for the giant strides she took.
It was from Dangote that Ani-Mumuney moved to First Bank where she presently serves as Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications and General Manager. She is known to be the brain behind the meteoritic rise in the fortunes of the bank as she continuously dishes out one form of market oriented policy after another.
It is not for granted therefore, that her prolific nature was rewarded in 2017 when she emerged as the 10th President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria in a keenly contested election. She therefore made history as the first female president of the association. Folake is known for creating firsts.
Between September 2017 when she took over the mantle of leadership of the association and today, Folake has walked her talk, creating a level playing ground for stakeholders as well as room for profit maximization in members’ respective businesses. Her intelligence and willingness to positively affect lives have remained her propelling philosophy to greater heights.
In the testimonies of those who had been privileged to work with her or just come across her, Folake is a quintessential enigma, down to earth and full of respect – a virtue she confessed to receiving from her disciplinarian parents – her late father and her still bubbling over 80 years mother.
With the likes of Wasiu Abiola of Nigerian Breweries, Nkiru Olumide Ojo of Stanbic IBTC, Nnena Osi Anugwa and Onome Asgbara of Dufil Prima on the driving wheels with her, Ani-Mumuney has been able to steer the progress of ADVAN forward, initiating new vistas and building on the achievement of the past executives.
The communication and marketing expert, who has conquered the fields of aviation, manufacturing and banking, was recently appointed to chair the insurance brokers’ arm of the group, FBN Insurance Brokers, while maintaining her position. Her appointment was contained in a notification to the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), shareholders and the general public. Her elevation is a function of ability and trust.
A philanthropist of immeasurable standard, Folake has engaged in veritable corporate social responsibility, including individual based assistance to persons and communities. She is known to have put smiles on the faces of everyone that has come across her in one way or another, and has a retinue of gratitude in the bargain.
Folake is happily married with lovely children who are gradually carving a niche for themselves in their various little ways.
Ma, for being who you are (intelligent, productive and humane) and striving to make life bearable for as many people, you are our Boss of the Week. Congratulations!
The draw for the Champions League last 16 and knockout play-offs has been completed.
One of the most interesting fixtures, will see Benfica play Real Madrid.
The two teams clashed on the last day of the league phase with Jose Mourinho’s men winning 4-2 in Portugal.
That result saw Benfica sneak into the play-offs and denied Madrid an automatic spot.
Clubs have been paired together based on where they finished at the end of the league phase to form seeded and unseeded pairs.
The teams that finished ninth to 16th were in the seeded pairs, while 17th to 24th were in unseeded pairs.
PLAY-OFF DRAWS:
Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta
Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen
Galatasaray vs Juventus
Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid
Monaco vs PSG
Qarabag vs Newcastle
Benfica vs Real Madrid
Bodo/Glimt vs Inter
Knockout play-off round: February 17-18, February 24-25
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has rejected the call by the Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) seeking the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan.
The Shari’ah Council, earlier this week, demanded the immediate removal and prosecution of Amupitan, as members of the Council questioned his integrity over a legal brief in which he reportedly acknowledged claims of persecution constituting genocide of Christians in Nigeria.
Reacting to the development in a statement on Thursday, the Chairman of Northern CAN, Reverend Joseph John Hayab, and the Secretary General of Northern CAN, Bishop Mohammed Naga, questioned the motive behind the demand, asking who was sponsoring the call and why such interests are hiding behind the platform of a religious body.
Describing the call as a dangerous attempt to politicise religion and undermine a critical national institution, Hayab stressed that Professor Amupitan has a constitutional right to freedom of religion, adding that expressing concern over challenges faced by his religion does not amount to bias or disqualification from public service.
He also pointed out that many Muslims who had served in key government positions in the past had troubling religious antecedents, yet were not subjected to similar scrutiny, urging national actors to prioritise competence and national interest over sectarian sentiment.
Hayab, who warned that the controversy further reinforces concerns about persistent religious discrimination against Christians in Nigeria, particularly in appointments to sensitive national offices, recalled that the two immediate past INEC chairmen were Muslims from Northern Nigeria, and warned against narratives suggesting that only adherents of a particular religion are qualified to lead the electoral body.
“Anyone hiding under the guise of the Shari’ah Council to demand the removal of the INEC chairman over political or sectarian interests should come out boldly. Otherwise, the ploy has died naturally, he said.
“”Are they saying that no other religion should serve as INEC chairman except Muslims? The most important question Nigerians should ask is whether Professor Amupitan is competent or not.
That should be the focus, not his faith,” the statement added.
The association commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what it described as a deliberate effort to promote national unity by appointing a Christian as INEC Chairman, despite being a Muslim.
It noted that the decision reflected statesmanship and inclusivity, similar to precedents set under the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, who kept a northern Muslim as INEC Chairman against all odds.
The Christian leaders advise the Shari’ah Council to publicly identify any individual or group behind the campaign against the INEC chairman, insisting that religious platforms must not be used as “cheap cover” to pursue political interests or intimidate public officials.They, however, called on the INEC chairman not to be distracted by the controversy, urging him to remain focused on his constitutional responsibility of conducting free, fair and credible elections.
“He should concentrate on doing the right thing for Nigerians and not behave like others who openly manipulated elections in the past and now seek to remain relevant through religious blackmail,” the statement said.
Northern CAN also raised concerns about what it described as emerging signals of a coordinated political agenda ahead of the 2027 general election, citing recent comments by the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, who warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) risks electoral defeat if it drops a Northern Muslim-Muslim ticket from President Bola Tinubu’s re-election ticket.
According to the association, such statements, when viewed alongside the sustained attacks on a Christian INEC chairman, raise legitimate questions about whether there is a deliberate effort to undermine Christian participation and confidence in the country’s political process.
Headlines
FCT Council Polls: Mammoth Crowd Troops Out in Solidarity As Peter Obi Campaigns for ADC Candidates
Leading presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Peter Obi, on Tuesday embarked, on an early morning grassroots engagement across several area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of activities ahead of the council polls.
Obi, in a post on X, said he set out as early as 6:30 am from his office in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to interact directly with residents and reinforce his vision of people-centred leadership.
His first stop was Abaji Area Council, where he campaigned alongside Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) chairmanship candidate.
Peter Obi took a one-hour walk through the community, engaging the grassroots and listening to their concerns.
He later proceeded to Kwali Area Council to support Hon. Jeremiah Badoji, the ADC chairmanship candidate, where he again spent time walking through the community and interacting with locals, stressing that leadership must be accessible and rooted in the everyday realities of the people.
The former Anambra governor also visited Zuba in Gwagwalada Area Council to campaign for Pharmacist Iko Danjuma, the ADC chairmanship candidate, before moving to Deidei Market.
At the market, Obi engaged traders and residents while canvassing support for Dr Moses Paul, the ADC chairmanship candidate for AMAC.
He used the engagements to reiterate his commitment to inclusive development and grassroots-driven leadership that prioritises the welfare and aspirations of ordinary citizens.
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