Bolaji ODUNUGA is a woman of many parts, from being a seasoned security analyst with years of experience to her credit, to a publisher, and CEO of Duke and Duchess International Magazines. Her magazines focus on the lifestyle, relevance, and tenacity of African descents (men and women) in all endeavors of life. Bolaji is an alumnus of Southbank University, where she obtained a degree in Business Information Technology.
Bolaji’s foray into media space dates back to 2006 when she worked as an Associate Publisher at Effects International Magazine, London. Her keen passion towards promoting the wealth of milestone achievements and relevance in African descents led to the birth of her internationally renowned magazine, Duchess International Magazine, in 2014. The magazine focuses on the strength, uniqueness, and relevance of women. She went further to launch the print edition of the magazine in 2018 in Nigeria to reach a wider audience.
Duke International Magazine, the brother version of Duchess, was launched in January 2020. Her relentless drive for excellence and focus on promoting the achievements of African descents has brought Duke and Duchess International Magazines to the fore of the publishing industry, and the response so far has been amazing.
Duchess Bolaji has she is widely known, is a woman of substance who embodies the virtues of a complete woman. She is a mum to three lovely boys and an SAP analyst, CEO, and publisher. She has always been vocal about the virtues of a complete woman, rape pandemic, among other issues. She believes that every woman has to be her own woman, and every woman is virtuous and complete. Bolaji’s emphases is on the importance of a woman knowing herself, her inner strength, and discovering herself.
For the accomplished publisher, being a complete woman means living in abundance, knowing your self-worth, loving yourself, and knowing your strength. She believes that when a woman knows who she is, her light shines through to her children, partner, friends, and everyone throughout the world.
Bolaji’s three qualities that define her are love, respect, and integrity. She believes that she has to love herself first before she can love her children, partner, sister, or mum. Bolaji emphasized the importance of respect, stating that she treats people as she wants them to treat her.
Meeting her and you will get a sense of who she is. Integrity is paramount to her, and her reputation precedes her. Bolaji’s philosophy in life is anchored on the need to make an impact on people’s lives. She believes that everyone has a purpose in life, and it is essential to identify that purpose and work towards fulfilling it.
Duchess’ journey has not been without challenges. As a woman of color, she has had to face discrimination in the publishing industry, but her resilience and determination have seen her through these. One of her recurring messages to women is to stay true to themselves and never give up on their dreams.
Bolaji’s passion for promoting the achievements of African descents has not gone unnoticed. In 2020, she was recognized as one of the top 100 influential Nigerian women in the UK. Bolaji’s work has also been recognized by the Nigerian Community Leeds, where she received an award for promoting African cultural heritage.
Bolaji’s impact on the publishing industry and the promotion of African culture cannot be overstated. Through Duke and Duchess International Magazines, she has given a voice to African descents, highlighting their achievements and promoting their relevance in all endeavors of life.
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Joseph Omoniyi
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