Princess Afoma Adigwe: The Profile Of An Amazon And A Grassroots Woman -By Chisom Gozie

In this era of social turbulence and decadence in ethical values, the issue of mentorship and tutelage is a matter of necessity. For the people especially our youths to remain focused, they need mentors otherwise, they may be misguided and disoriented. Unfortunately, our society seems to lack real mentors these days because of the pervasive influence of alien cultures. And hence it is always heartwarming to see one who is a true role model to our youth.

It is in the light of this that I wish to write on Princess Amb. Afoma Ojei-Adigwe, a delectable lady who has devoted her life, time, energy and resources to youth mentoring and empowerment through directed programs and acts philanthropy. Princess Afoma Adigwe is an amazon and dogged fighter for what she believes in. She believes that our society will be more peaceful and pleasurable to live in when the poor and the vulnerable members of the society especially the youths are taken care of.

I am one of the numerous admirers of the princess and one of those she had mentored from a distance, having participated in some of her pet-projects and capacity-building programs. She has inspired thousands of youth and women through her programs. She is a very pleasant person to be with. She is simple and down-to-earth, despite her rich background and connections.

The Princess is a motivator and a talent developer with incredible burst of energy; restlessly committed to touching lives. Her quest for touching lives began quite early in her life when she was in school in London.

Princess Afoma is a London-trained actress and fashion designer with a deep-rooted passion for agriculture, which has spanned over 25 years. She is the chairperson of Chrislara Nig. Ltd, Chrislara Farms, Chrislara Fashion Worldwide Services Ltd. Afoma is also the CEO of the African Queen Mothers Agricultural Platform, an innovative online marketing platform that connects African Queen Mothers and rural women to markets, information, and technology in agriculture. She is championing the cause financial inclusion for women and in furtherance of this objective, she is proposing the establishment of a fin-tech banking system specifically for women in farming, aimed at providing access to credit, digital transactions, and tailored financial services for smallholder women farmers across Africa.

Again, to be more able to accomplish her vision and mission of uplifting the lives of others, she established organizations. She is the founder and president, Uplifting Women Through Farming (UWTF) and Uplifting Youth Through Agriculture (UYOTA). These platforms are dedicated to empowering women and youth in Nigeria and across Africa through sustainable agricultural development and agribusiness opportunities. Through UYOTA, she actively promotes youth participation in modern agriculture, with a strategic focus on agro-tech, value-added processing, packaging, and the export of agricultural products. Her commitment to agricultural empowerment has earned both UWTF and UYOTA recognition from global institutions such as the World Bank, USAID, FAO, UNDP, and the Leo Sullivan Foundation.

Afoma is also the CEO of the African Queen Mothers Agricultural Platform, an innovative online marketing platform that connects African Queen Mothers and rural women to markets, information, and technology in agriculture. In further advancing women’s financial inclusion, she is proposing the establishment of a fin-tech banking system specifically for women in farming, aimed at providing access to credit, digital transactions, and tailored financial services for smallholder women farmers across Africa.

And in recognition of her work, Afoma received the European Market Research Center (EMRC) Award at the European Union headquarters in Brussels, Belgium in April 2004. On April 5, 2005, she led the UWTF Royal Patrons and members on a courtesy visit to His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, then President of Nigeria, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Impressed by the UWTF initiative, President Obasanjo established a presidential committee—headed by Mrs. Modupe Adelaja, then Director General of SMEDAN—to support her program. To further cement her global influence, Afoma was invited by the American Embassy in Nigeria in January 2006 to participate in a roundtable discussion with Mrs. Laura Bush, former First Lady of the United States, on the theme “Women Leading Nigeria in the 21st Century.” In October 2015, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), invited her to participate in the High-Level Conference, “Feed Africa” in Dakar, Senegal—an event centered on a strategic roadmap for agricultural transformation across the continent.

Afoma is the global ambassador for Royals Africa, Commonwealth Entrepreneurs Club. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce (RSA), UK, member African International Development Organization (AIDO), UK.

Princess Afoma is versatile and dynamic. She is a farmer, an accomplished entrepreneur with investment in different sectors of the economy. She is an actress and a media personality. At present, she is expanding her impact into media, by launching a groundbreaking online agricultural TV program, “AGRICTALK SHOW with AFOMA”, designed to create a dynamic platform for agricultural education, innovation, and entrepreneurship. And her outstanding contributions to agriculture, business, and women/youth empowerment continue to inspire transformation across Africa and beyond.

Princess Afoma’s organizations have been involved in many high profile projects and collaborative programs with other organizations within and outside Nigeria. Recently, there was a Youth in Agriculture Summit held in Abuja. They have another program coming up in China in December. UYOTA and Ifiwerexyz, an American based organization are planning to host a concert entitled “Africa for USA” in June 2025.

Chisom Gozie

A fashion designer, talent developer and youth counselor