We just premiered the first episode of Zikoko’s HER docu-series, featuring Ibukun “IBK” Akinola, the quietly powerful Payments Director at PiggyVest. If you need motivation or just want a quick glimpse of what it’s about before committing yourself to the episode, watch the trailer here.
To whet your appetite, here are a few things we found fascinating about the woman who’s earned the trust of millions of Nigerians, without ever needing the spotlight.
Ibukun’s people and money management skills are probably generational
Both her parents have backgrounds in finance, and she followed in their footsteps by studying Accounting at Covenant University (yes, she’s an Eagle). She topped that off with a Master’s degree in International Business from Coventry University.
PiggyTech, the money-moving machine, wasn’t her first start-up rodeo
After completing her Master’s degree in 2013, she moved back to Nigeria and started a few businesses with her brother, Ayo Akinola, and their friends, Somto Ifezue, Odunayo Eweniyi, and Joshua Chibueze. These brilliant minds went on to build platforms like PUSH CV and 500 Dishes. With the support of mentors like Olumide Soyombo, they kept pushing till they made it.
As PiggyVest’s Payments Director, Ibukun Akinola understands the weight of her responsibility and power
She describes herself as the person responsible for collecting your money and giving it back to you. She regularly speaks to about 700 processors to ensure Nigerians don’t take the company to the streets of Twitter. Beyond this, she’s incredibly proud of the milestones PiggyVest helps customers reach, and how it’s shaping Nigeria’s saving and spending culture on a larger scale.
Her friends describe her as “scarily intentional and fiercely loyal”
Ibukun says she’s one of the luckiest people alive, thanks to the community she’s built. To her friends and family: if you’re reading this and you haven’t watched the episode yet, know that Ibukun loves you very much and says she couldn’t do life without you.
Ibukun Akinola steadies herself by being on the move
Whether it’s tennis, running, or taking long walks, Ibukun processes life, work, friends, and family through these movements. They also act as moments of solitude for her, where she connects with herself and her faith. So, what’s next? For now, she’s focused on living in the moment and getting it right. What she’s most interested in is finding balance in the sweet middle of life. Whether it’s in her faith, her work, and her friendships. She’s searching for the sweet spot right in the middle, where everything just feels sweet.
Watch the full episode below and tell us something we haven’t already told you.
ALSO READ: The Elevator: I Didn’t Know What a Startup Was 8 Years Ago – Odun Eweniyi
