Sonnia Agu is a self-motivated millennial Entrepreneur with excellent client and people relations skills. Sonnia is a devout believer of the Nigerian dream with over 6 years strategic and diversified professional experience in social work, media, aviation, oil and gas as well business development.
G-1st has partnered and volunteered internationally, i.e., Growth foundation in London, Lawrence hope foundation South Africa, Food for life Hungary etc. ranging from Feeding, Education on and Capacity Building under her supervision.
A member of the Pan African Youth Commission and an executive board of director for the Nigerian chapter. Sonnia is an Ecowas Women and Youth Ambassador and a current attendee and ambassador of the world youth forum.
Read our Q&A with her and be inspired.
In your words, who is Sonnia Agu?
A dual certified Harvard and MiT Alumni, passionate about the social – Economic and political development of Africa. Sonnia is a Nigerian social entrepreneur, Business strategist, inspirational speaker and philanthropist.
Founder and CEO of The Sapio Club and G1st International Foundation. She is an executive board member of the Nigerian chapter of the Pan African Youth Commission. She is an ECOWAS Youth and women Ambassador.
What are three words that best describe you?
Sapiosexual
Business Strategist
Humanitarian
How did your journey into Entrepreneurship start?
I made my first million at 16 buying and reselling. I don’t know if that meant I was an entrepreneur. However, my social enterprise journey started officially in 2015. My love for myself, community and my country at large sort of set the tone for me.
Tell us more about the Sapiosexual Club and the inspiration behind it.
Derived from the Latin word “Sapio” which means wise/ Intelligence and “Sexual” is relating to the male/ Female gender making one a wise male or female.
The Sapio Club is an intellectual networking space that employs a novel approach to empower young Africans, so they are stirred and inspired to take social development seriously and apply their creative minds to contribute tremendously to the all-round progress of Africa and the advancement of the human race.
The idea is to create a society that is non- biased, non-political and free from all racial or religious distinctions.
My love for intelligence and its use was the inspiration. After my first Uni in Cyprus, I had applied for a straight PhD in Cambridge. Upon submitting my thesis proposal to my lecture as at then, he reminded me of the need for Africans to start thinking and preparing for the next revolution which is that of the mind.
What are some life lessons you’ve learned in your life’s journey so far?
My first lesson came from the word Equanimity. Life requires a balance and the ability to be present and focused on every task at hand. Also, Consistency is key and finally, Deflect negativity and mastermind your thinking.
On days when you feel uninspired or afraid, what motivates you to keep going?
If you could go back in time, what is one piece of advice would you offer a younger Juliet?
On days when I feel uninspired, I pray. I keep praying. Sometimes I even quit. (don’t tell anyone) lol
Truth is always I want to throw in the towel and quit but one way or the other, God finds a way to throw in a piece of motivation because it’s all for his Glory.
To a younger Juliet. Believe in yourself. Other people’s opinions or actions towards you has nothing to do with you. The completion is between who you were yesterday and tomorrow. Don’t forget to give when you get and teach when you learn.
What are the top 3 impactful things you have done/achieved in the past one year as concerns empowering women?
- Being an Ecowas women and youth ambassador. This came right after my team and I finished an empowerment campaign in Makoko. We taught the women how to make local hand soaps and sanitizers. Little did we know that COVID-19 was at hand.
- At the last elections in Nigerian, I had registered over 5000 youths and to our surprise, 67% of the youths were women.
- Generally living my life each day, loving, wishing and praying for all the women I come across. This part of my life doesn’t make it to social media. Each month, my team and I have our monthly outreach and women as much as girls are empowered in the capacity that we can. From loans to start small business, to education to talk shows etc
What is your take on “women supporting women”?
I’m a deep believer of it. Women need to support women for us to move forward as women. Women need to network and love ourselves more.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you so far?
The hardest truth to grasp about happiness is also the most promising: It can be experienced each day regardless of your current lot in life.
What is one bad habit you are committed to changing?
Putting myself second.
Time Travel or Teleportation?
How about Equanimity? Lol can I go to the future and come back to change time? Lol
What would you like to be remembered for?
The one who did it so others can for the Glory of God. Simply put “A child of God”
More About Her
In 2020, she was named one of the most influential persons in Lagos State. She was nominated and recognised in 2016 by the Nelson Mandela Washington fellowship “Young African Leadership Initiative on the completion of the focus on understanding the Rights of women and girls. She also received the 2016 Lagos state award of excellence for her immense and outstanding contribution on towards growth and development of education on in AJegunle .
In 2015, she was elected and invited to sit on the round table to discuss the issues of education on and gender mainstream (UNESCO) in the house of assembly Aso villa hosted by (Mrs Amina Saliuh). She joined the “Future Nigerian Conference” leaders club in 2014 (Abuja) where she happened to be the secretary of the club and Nigerian project initiative.
In February 2014, she joined the team that hosted the Nigeria @100 centenary (A nation united) hosted by then president His Excellency, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR
She was awarded and recognized in Nasarawa for her immense contribution on in the education sector offering future scholarships to first class holders while rehabilitating and building capacities.
In 2013, she was called to work under the office of special adviser to the president on ethics and morals, Mrs. Sarah Jibril where she co-founded the iniave called YES- Youths on ethics and social responsibility. The goal was to go round the 36 states of Nigeria and speak to other youth corps members highlighting the benefits of ethics and morals.
She was invited recently to participate in the round table discussion “NOT ANOTHER NIGERIAN IDEA” countering violent extremism hosted by NERI (North East Regional Initiative)