The Most Influential Person On AIB This Week Is Tara Fela-Durotoye

Mrs Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian Lawyer and a cosmetic entrepreneur. She was born on March 6, 1977. She was born in Lagos, at St. Nicholas Hospital, to John Ejegi, and Felicia Omoghomi. The couple separated when Tara was 8 months old.

She commenced her education at Command Children School, Victoria Island, and did her secondary school at Navy Secondary School. Shen proceeded to Lagos State University to study Law. After that, she established the House of Tara International.

She is also a graduate of the Lagos Business School, Chief Executive Programme, INSEAD Abu Dhabi, Yale University, The Stanford SEED Transformation Programme, and the Harvard Kennedy School, where she completed the Global Leadership and Public Policy in the Twenty-First Century program. She is a member of the France/Nigeria Investment Club, established in 2018 by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Report has it that she started “House of Tara” in 1998, at the age of 20, while she was still in the University. In 1999, she launched Nigeria’s first bridal directory, an International standard makeup studio, and in 2004, she opened the first beauty Academy in Nigeria. She is also the owner of Orekelewe Beauty Range, Inspired Perfume, and H I. P Beauty Range.

According to Wiki, as of 1999, the brand House of Tara had 270 products, 23 stores, 14 beauty schools, and 10,000 representatives across Africa.

Tara’s work transformed the beauty industry. She has won many awards and is also a role model to aspiring business owners. Tara Fela-Durotoye received the Africa SMME Award and the Entrepreneur Award in South Africa in 2007, and Forbes named her one of the 20 Young Power Women in Africa in 2013. Forbes magazine named her one of “Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women” in 2020. Her legacy continues to empower women.

Tara is married to Fela Durotoye, the chief executive officer of Visible Impact and a business strategist and corporate activist, and they are blessed with three children.