Celebrating Fela and Tara Durotoye
Its Fela Durotoye’s birthday and it is also the wedding anniversary of Fela and Tara Durotoye. I like to describe this couple as one of God’s most precious gifts to Nigeria, they have let God use them in unprecedented dimensions, I have not met Fela Durotoye but I have met many that know him and what he impacted in their lives is awesome. I can trace many of the anointed youth leaders of our time to the mentorship of this great man. Tara has also changed the lives of many women, she has let God do business through her, she stands primus interpares in Nigeria’s make up industry.
I thought the best thing I could do to honor them was to share their story that I culled from Fela Durotoye’s website www.feladurotoye.org I celebrate you.
Wednesday, the 12th of May 1971 was a particularly remarkable day for Sisi Addy and Bros Toks as they welcomed the newest member of their family in Ibadan South West Nigeria.
They named their third child and second son, Oluwafeolami; meaning (God has enlarged my territory).
Together with his brother Pade and sister, Jibike, the family moved to the university town of Ile-Ife, also in South West Nigeria in 1972; where Fela grew into one of the liveliest kids on the campus’ staff quarters.
Ile-Ife would come to hold a special place in Fela’s life as he was thoroughly educated there. First at the Staff Children’s School (1974-1981) where he was a member of the Boys Scouts, School Band and played the lead role in the “Tragedy of Meggini” and then on, to Moremi High School (1981-1986) where he became the lead singer and keyboardist of the youth band, “The Midwaves”, who regularly featured on TV.
They named their third child and second son, Oluwafeolami; meaning (God has enlarged my territory).
Together with his brother Pade and sister, Jibike, the family moved to the university town of Ile-Ife, also in South West Nigeria in 1972; where Fela grew into one of the liveliest kids on the campus’ staff quarters.
Ile-Ife would come to hold a special place in Fela’s life as he was thoroughly educated there. First at the Staff Children’s School (1974-1981) where he was a member of the Boys Scouts, School Band and played the lead role in the “Tragedy of Meggini” and then on, to Moremi High School (1981-1986) where he became the lead singer and keyboardist of the youth band, “The Midwaves”, who regularly featured on TV.
THE COLLEGE YEARS:
Fela moved onto the University for his Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science & Economics (1986-1991). Ever the entrepreneur, during his MBA (1995-1997), Fela started “The Pool Bar”, which was the number one Hang-Out on the campus.
Interestingly, during this period, he had a 4-day one-on-one encounter with GOD in April 1997. It was during this experience that Fela became born again and life took on a whole new meaning.
Having obtained his MBA and spurred on by his new found relationship with Jesus, Fela moved on from Ventures & Trusts to Phillips Consulting in 1998, where he rose to head the Customer Service Group until 2000 when he returned to acquire an M.Phil in Strategic Management at, yes you guessed it, OAU, Ife.
THE PRO
Fela Durotoye is a graduate of Computer Science and Economics from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration and an MPhil. in Strategic Management from the same institution.
In 1998, he brought his experience to Philips Consulting, a management consulting and training outfit based in Lagos, where he rose in an unprecedented career path and excelled to head the Customer Service Group. In this role, Fela designed and facilitated several customer service and personal mastery training programmes and retreats. Based on his unconventional approach to facilitating, Fela became a household name in many organizations, including Diamond bank, Chartered Bank, Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria, where he managed streams of Customer Service Management training programmes and retreats on behalf of Phillips Consulting.
The Executive Chairman of Phillips Consulting, Mr. Folusho Phillips, declared that “I saw Fela preach the gospel of Customer Service, according to Saint Fela Durotoye and I watched in amazement as he converted all the souls of his listeners involved”.
In 2005, Fela Durotoye was invited by Mr. Phillips to return to Phillips Consulting to speak to all the staff on the topic, “Becoming a Successful Consultant”.
Today, Fela Durotoye is the Chief Executive Officer of Visible Impact; a social enterprise set up to tackle social and environmental challenges and limitations with the aim to build people into super-achievers and responsible leaders, build corporate organizations into global market leaders and responsible corporate citizens, as well as assist governments in developing blueprints and programs that create a desirable environment for their people to do great things.
He is widely regarded as a nation builder, corporate strategist and unarguably, Nigeria’s most sought after prolific business strategist and corporate activator.
He got married to Tara on his 30th birthday and their marriage is blessed with three fantastic sons, Mobolurin , Demilade & Morolaoluwa.
TARA… UNVEILED
Beside every great man, the saying goes, is an equally successful woman.
Tara Fela-Durotoye epitomizes this saying perfectly.
From her humble beginnings as a fledgling make-up artist, to becoming the leading pioneer of beauty and makeup, she has become a household name synonymous with excellence and top-of-the-range quality.
Tara is the leading pioneer lake-up artist in Nigeria, highly celebrated and yet easily accessible. She is the Managing Consultant of Tara Makeovers; a company she began at the age of 20. Her make-up studio, House of Tara has become a household name for women who seek to be “Tararized” to perfection. House of Tara also doubles as a make-up training school for young ladies who desire meaningful careers as make-up artists.
Tara was recently nominated for and won the prestigious “Young Entrepreneur Award” given by The Future Awards in 2006. Being the innovative leader she is, Tara recently launched her premium make-up brand, “Tara Orekelewa”, specifically designed for enhancing the African women’s complexion.
Apart from being a make-up brand, “Tara Orekelewa” is a tool for empowering young women who wish to become financially independent, by training them through seminars facilitated in Nigerian Universities; to becoming Tara beauty representatives; thereby curbing the incidences of prostitution and “Aristoism” among young women.
Tara is a loving and supportive wife, a caring mother, a savvy business woman, a role model worthy of emulation and is absolutely passionate about Jesus Christ.
Happy Birthday and Wedding Anniversary
