Cintia A. , Lebledparle.com
Linda Ifeoma Ikeji was born on 19 September 1980 as the second born of seven children in her family. She is a native of Nkwerre, Imo State in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. Linda Ikeji completed her secondary school education at the age of 17, got admitted to the University of Lagos at 18 where she studied English Language. After graduating in 2004, and having to do menial jobs like waitress, model, writer, to fend for herself and family. She later ventured into blogging in 2006, after her fashion magazine FM&B( Fashion, modeling and Beauty) failed, using the blog to share her life travails. Ikeji became fully active in the blogging space in 2007 using the blogger sub-domain lindaikeji.blogspot.com and later obtained her current domain www.lindaikejisblog.com, that covers various topics ranging from daily news, entertainment, lifestyle, fashion and gossip. It was in 2011 that her site began gaining attention and in 2012 she made good money from it. She is considered as one of the pioneers of blogging in Nigeria.
She created her online TV network, Linda Ikeji TV in 2016 that airs variety of programmes that include talk shows, reality shows, TV series and movies. Also the owner of Linda Ikeji Media Office that runs a radio program.
She equally runs a non-profit organisation, “I’d rather be self-made,” which has sponsored many young entrepreneurial girls from ages 18-25.
Linda Ikeji is the author of the book titled “It takes you”.
Recognition and awards
Through her blogging, Linda Ikeji was profiled in Africa’s 20 Most Prominent Women in the year 2012.
The next year, she received two awards such as Nigerian Blog Awards, in the category of best entertainment blog and Nigerian Broadcasters Merit Awards in the category of Website/Blog of the year.
In 2018, she was conferred with Honorary Doctorate Degree from Trinity International University in Georgia for her outstanding job in Business and Media in Africa.
For her contribution to building a global media reach and entrepreneurship in Africa she was honoured with the Global Leadership Awards in Digital Media in 2018, by United Nations Global Awards.
In 2019 she bagged the African Media Personality of the Year at the African Achievers Awards in the UK.
Ikeji’s net worth today stands at $40 million, and her story is a true one of from grass to grace as she has built a media empire from scratch, and her wide influence and entrepreneurial pursuits continues to expand through her online platforms.
