Onome Odometa: ‘Life has taught me to be more self-reliant – while at the same time being open to receiving help and assistance’.

Onome Odometa is internationally recognized as a global and visionary leader in the entertainment, social enterprise, wealth management, and fashion industries. She possesses a rare ability to lead large organizations while also assisting and inspiring hope through philanthropy.

Onome is the Founder and CEO of Hedge Productions, a leading independent film and television production company that is quickly establishing itself as an international entertainment platform that promotes inspiring African stories.

Onome’s commitment to assisting those in need led her to establish and chair the Onome Aid Foundation, a social enterprise that advocates against abuse, poverty, and a lack of proper education while promoting employment.

Onome joined AIICO Capital in 2014 as a pioneer in the Sales Department. She later became the Company’s Head of Private Wealth Management and Client Services, as well as a member of the AIICO Capital Limited Management Committee. During her tenure at the Company, she was primarily responsible for business development and client services for all of AIICO Capital’s external clients, increasing AIICO Capital’s external clients’ assets under management by 26,000% between 2014 and December 2020, and increasing annual portfolio inflows by more than 400% between 2014 and 2020 at the time of her exit.

She is an INSEAD (France) alumna who completed the Management Acceleration Programme.

Onome also attended the London Business School’s Leading Businesses Into The Future Programme (UK). She graduated with honors from Delta State University in Nigeria with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics.

she has a strong leadership track record with over ten years of experience in education, fashion, beauty, entertainment, sales, retail, private wealth management advisory, and fundraising.

Her message is clear: No matter what life throws at her, she will continue to build solid businesses that help the less fortunate overcome life’s challenges.

Read our Q&A with Her and be inspired!

Three words that best describe you
Ambitious
Compassionate
Elegant

What are you currently working on?
Through my production company, Hedge Productions, we produced a yet-to-be-released feature film- ‘Devil is a Liar’. It is a movie that centers around deception in marriage and the struggles single career women go through. Upon release, it will be available to a global audience.

Also, Onome Aid Foundation is sponsoring 20 women to empower them to be financially independent and be better individuals for themselves and society through our Women Empowerment Programme (WEP). The program is tailored to help women achieve their dreams in technology, culinary mastery, and fashion design industries.

I am also working on a platform, that will be a safe haven for women to grow and thrive in both their personal and professional lives.

Who inspires you and why?
Not an individual but acts of bravery, resilience and philanthropy that I witness in the ordinary course of life evoke a ferocious spirit in me to aspire for the same. Inspiration lives around me.

What is your opinion on women supporting women?
In a society majorly controlled and dominated by men, women need to uphold, support, and be each other’s cheerleaders. The world as it is, is hard on women, especially in the corporate environment. I believe that if you are a woman in a position of power, it is important you lift other women and put them in positions where they can also thrive. A strong sisterhood is a force to reckon with, have friends that can go the distance for you. Having the right circle of women around you is the greatest gift and magic happens when women support each other. No one can have our backs as we would. Teamwork makes the dream work.

What is your definition of greatness?
Having a great impact on people’s lives.

What do you want to be remembered for?
I want to be remembered for the lives of women I have touched and helped to achieve freedom, and children that are given the opportunities to now live better and healthier lives.

What are your thoughts on mentorship and the impact of having mentors for personal growth?
The impact of having a mentor on one’s personal and career growth cannot be over-emphasized. Everyone needs that person that would guide them as they go through life. Someone who would nudge you in the right direction and prevent you from making costly career and personal mistakes. Best to learn from the experience of others to prevent ‘unforced’ errors or avoidable mistakes.

What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Life has taught me to be more self-reliant – whilst at the same time being open to receiving help and assistance.

What is your advice to your younger self?
Relax. Set a goal and take things easy, everything works out – eventually.

What is one bad habit you are committed to changing?
Procrastination for time awaits no man

What are the top 3 impactful things you have done/achieved in the past year?
I’d give you four:

1) Potable Water Project – In a bid to help reduce the number of children and maternal mortality due to lack of clean water, Onome Aid Foundation embarked on a solarized clean/potable water project, to provide drinkable water across communities in Africa. The first phase of this project, which commenced in December 2021 and was commissioned in June 2022, provided potable water for two communities across two states- Ogun state and Oyo state – giving access, for the first time, to potable water for the over 500 inhabitants of both communities.

2) Women Empowerment Programme – Currently, we are providing full scholarship and sponsorship for 20 women to empower them to be financially independent and be better individuals for themselves and society through the Women Empowerment Programme (WEP) in the technology, culinary mastery, and fashion design industries

3) Food Outreach Programme – Following the Covid pandemic in 2020, we saw how the pandemic affected families, especially children, and women, and thus, embarked on a food outreach to support struggling families with food items, to enable them to have an unforgettable joyous Christmas celebration. This programme started in 2020, and in 2021, we provided food items to over 1,000 families – comprising of over 8,000 individuals (men, women, and children) for Christmas. We also in march 2022 provided food items to 200 families thereby impacting the lives of over 1,200 people

4) Awareness on Domestic Violence – we are currently finalizing work on a public awareness campaign on domestic violence – 1st phase is through a soon-to-be-released documentary on the effects of domestic violence in a home – Unheard, Unseen – showcasing real-life stories, incidence, and impact of domestic violence on women and children across Africa

You have over 10 years of experience in diverse industries and across various impactful roles, share with our readers some valuable lessons you have learned as a professional in the various fields you’ve worked in.
First, time is of the essence. Time is the scarcest resource – everyone’s got 24 hours a day, and time passes regardless of what you do – what you have to show for the passage of time are the results you achieve.

Second – Grit. Just because someone says something is impossible does not mean you cannot do it. Everything is seemingly impossible until it’s done for the first time. Keep at it, and have ultimate faith in yourself.

Third – Persistence. No matter how many times you hear ‘No’, keep trying until you get ‘YES’.

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