Women4Africa wows and honours African women in dazzling awards ceremony

By Rachel | 27th May 2016

The Women4Africa Awards celebrated its fifth anniversary last Saturday at the Great Hall in Kensington, London, and it was an evening that made us all proud to be Africans, an evening that celebrated, uplifted, empowered and honoured our beautiful continent and the women who work tirelessly to give us something to be proud of.

The organisers, Sam Debo Onigbanjo and his wife Tola Onigbanjo, took the event to new heights this year however, as everyone in attendance felt both awed and proud to be a part of something that makes us feel great to be Africans. We at Viva Naija could not congratulate them enough on a job done excellently!

Mrs. Aisha Buhari, Wife of President Muhammad Buhari of Nigeria was the special guest at the prestigious awards. Unfortunately, she could not attend the event as a result of prior engagements, but so thrilled was she to hear of such an event, that she promptly wrote a message of congratulations and encouragement, and sent a delegation of three Nigerian governors’ wives to represent her, namely Mrs. Florence Ajimobi (Oyo state), Mrs. Hajiya Yari (Zamfara state) and Chief Rachel Umahi (Ebonyi state).

The nominees for the awards are African women from all fields of endeavours – from artists to sportswomen to stateswomen to every conceivable profession in between – moving mountains and breaking barriers to make a difference in their immediate community and affecting their continent positively.

It is further empowering to note that despite the fact that the annual event is organised by a Nigerian couple, the whole of Africa is represented, and indeed, this year, we saw appearances from our sister islands – the Caribbean Isles. Kenyans, Ghanaians, Guyanese and South Africans women were among those honoured last Saturday.

Categories, Nominees and Winners at the 5th Women4Africa Awards

All the nominees – all outstanding women in their own right – can be found here on the Women4Africa website and the awards include prestigious titles such as International African Women Recognition, International Humanitarian, International Business Woman of the Year, Role Model Of The Year, Inspirational Woman of The Year, and Outstanding Mother of the Year amongst others.

Winners on the night were:

INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN WOMAN RECOGNITION

• HRH Lady Julia Osei Tutu – Ghana
• Arunma Oteh – Nigeria
• Dr Snowy Khoza – South Africa
• Wendy Luhabe – South Africa

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RECOGNITION

• Clara Agyeman – Ghana
• Mercy Mugure – Kenya
• Peggy Mkhoto – South Africa

UK RECOGNITION

• Oluyemisi Aiyegbusi – Nigeria
• Cecilia Anim – Ghana
• Anne Wafula Strike – Kenya
• Sherry Ann Dixon – Guyana
• Jenny Okafor – Nigeria
• Funke Abimbola – Nigeria

JUDGES CHOICE RECOGNITION

• Peace Hyde – Ghana
• Claudine Adeyemi – Nigeria

CATEGORY WINNERS

FASHION DESIGNER

• Oye Omiyale – Nigeria
• Toyin Seweje – Nigeria

MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER

• Jacqueline Onalo – Kenya

EVENTS ORGANISER

• Seyi Olusanya – Nigeria

UK HUMANITTARIAN

• Marsha Jones – Kenya

YOUNG ACHIEVER

• Kanayo Dike-Oduah – Nigeria
• Phoebe Ruguru – Kenya

BUSINESS WOMAN

• Folayemi Olaitan – Nigeria

CAREER WOMAN

• Rashida Abdulai – Sierra Leone/Barbados

MAKE UP ARTIST

• Mercy Kudakwashe – Zimbabwe

OUTSTANDING MOTHER

• Phinnah ikeji – Nigeria
• Seyi Oluwamayowa – Nigeria
• Sonia Meggie – Jamaica
• Melissa Emmanuel – Nigeria/St. Lucia
• Olamidotun Akinrosotu – Nigeria
• Victoria Idowu – Nigeria
• Victoria Lawrence – Nigeria

INSPIRATIONAL WOMAN

• Aya Chebbi – Tunisia

ROLE MODEL

• Wambui Njau – Kenya

COMMUNITY LEADER

• Ini Usanga – Nigeria

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS WOMAN

• Dr Bc Esuruoso – Nigeria

INTERNATIONAL AFRICAN WOMAN

• Nancy Kacungira – Uganda

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN

• Dr Joyce Akumaa Dongotey-Padi – Ghana