Veuve Clicquot Announces the Winners of the Bold Woman Award In Nigeria

The winners of the 2023 Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot in Nigeria, were announced on October 8th,2023 at a highly anticipated award ceremony held at Alliance Francaise, Ikoyi. The ceremony was a night of inspiration and empowerment, celebrating the audacity and determination of women who have defied the status quo in the world of business.

Ndidi Nwuneli, Co-Founder of AACE Foods, was awarded the prestigious 2023 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award, making her the second winner of the Bold Woman Award In Nigeria; while Tarebi Alebiosu, Founder of QShop, became the first winner of the Bold Future Award in Nigeria. These awards acknowledge their outstanding contributions to entrepreneurship, innovation, and ethical leadership.

In conjunction with the award ceremony, Veuve Clicquot officially launched the Bold Open Database, a game-changer for female entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Women entrepreneurs need more than ever visibility to succeed, the Bold Open DataBase is allowing them to connect and be visible to the media and investors. As such, Nigerian female entrepreneurs were invited to register here and join an illustrious community of women worldwide who embody the spirit of Madame Clicquot.

The spirit of female entrepreneurship has been ingrained in Veuve Clicquot’s DNA ever since Madame Clicquot took the reins of the Maison after the death of her husband in 1805. In a time when most women neither worked nor held a bank account, she brought innovation and creativity to the champagne industry—inventing the first vintage champagne as well as the first rosé.

Earning the title of ‘Grande Dame of Champagne’, her extraordinary legacy is the driving force behind the champagne house’s enduring commitment to supporting and celebrating female entrepreneurs. This commitment first took the shape of Bold by Veuve Clicquot in 1972, a programme designed to increase inclusion, impact and visibility for female entrepreneurs. The Bold Woman Award was created to spotlight women in business, and later in 2014, the Bold Future Award was established to encourage young, emerging entrepreneurs.

“The Bold Woman Award is more than an accolade; it’s a catalyst for entrepreneurial revolution. It spotlights women who excel in their fields while championing ethics and inclusion. Their stories inspire future generations to fearlessly innovate. And today, we celebrate Madame Clicquot’s vision and the determination of these remarkable women, committed to fostering a future where female entrepreneurs in Nigeria and beyond break barriers and transform industries.” says Carole Bildé, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Maison Veuve Clicquot, LVMH.

Apart from the award ceremony, there was also a panel discussion based on the 2023 Bold Barometer study. In 2019, Veuve Clicquot created its Bold International Barometer, a groundbreaking study that provides a detailed and insightful picture of the state of female entrepreneurship around the world. For the third edition of the study in 2023, over 49,000 people were surveyed in 25 countries across five continents to gauge their vision of entrepreneurship by women. This year’s discussion was premised on an insight from the study that – Female-owned businesses in Nigeria are strong and growing however, most of them are focused on sectors that deliver low income.

Moderated by actor and presenter, Michelle Dede, the panel featured Adia Sowho – Chief Marketing Officer, at MTN NIGERIA, Mitchell Elegbe – Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Interswitch; and Yanmo Omorogbe – Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Bamboo; where they discussed on the topic “How Can We Inspire the Emergence of More Female Role Models in Tech?’’.

The award ceremony brought together leading businesswomen to network, connect and engage in meaningful conversations around entrepreneurship. The keynote speech delivered by Olatowun Candide-Johnson – Founder of GAIA Africa – provided a moment of inspiration where she challenged the audience to “remain ambitious & dogged in their entrepreneurial pursuit”; entertainment was provided by Eko Pearl Orchestra and Havfy a spoken word artist.