…19 women leaders to mentor 20 young female professionals in 12-month cascading model; Ibukun Awosika charges Circle: “Pay it forward. Let’s keep the chain moving.”

Mrs. Folake Soetan, Managing Director of Arahas Global Oilfield Services (a Sahara Group Company), today kicked off activities lined up in celebration of her 50th birthday with the formal launch of The Folake Soetan Golden Circle Initiative.

The launch, described by attendees as beautiful and wholesome, unveiled the Initiative’s flagship programme — The Folake Soetan Leadership Fellowship (Golden Circle) — and its second pillar — Akoka to the World.

The Initiative is a permanent, multi-year platform anchored in mentorship for female professionals and educational grants for students in the Department of Finance, University of Lagos, her alma mater.

The programme runs on a 12-month cascading model. In the first phase, spanning months one to six, 20 mid-level female professionals and emerging leaders aged 25 to 40, known as The Golden 20, will be mentored by 19 Founding Mentors, with monthly meetups with Mrs. Soetan herself. In the second phase, spanning months seven to 12, The Golden 20 will pay it forward by mentoring selected final-year students from UNILAG Finance.

Speaking on why she is starting the Golden Circle and why now, Mrs. Soetan said: “At 50, I am reflecting on the women who lifted me — women who shared, who listened, who guided. I have been a beneficiary of mentorship, and privately, I have tried to do the same for younger women. The Golden Circle is my way of putting structure to that. We are 19 women pouring into 20, and those 20 will pour into the next generation from my alma mater. That is how we keep the chain moving.”

The Initiative’s vision is to develop ethical and transformative female leaders, and invest in promising future talent through educational grants, creating a self-sustaining legacy of excellence, service, and generational impact. Its mission is to invest in women leaders and future talent through mentorship and educational grants, creating a ripple effect of empowerment, achievement, and service that endures across generations.

The event featured a Legacy Voice message from Mrs. Ibukun Awosika, former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and mentor to Mrs. Soetan:

“Mentorship allows us to benefit from people who have gone ahead. Pay it forward. Let’s keep the chain moving.”

Anchored by Oluwasola Obagbemi, the event featured the symbolic Golden Pairing (20 Women, 19 Mentors, One Bowl) and Golden Commitment, and closed with a toast led by Mrs. Tosin Adefeko, CEO of AT3 Resources.

The launch marks the kick-off of a series of activities lined up to celebrate Mrs. Soetan’s 50th birthday on November 5th.