Mo Abudu, “Ebony Life CEO” Biography
Mosunmola Abudu, known as Mo Abudu, was born on September 11, 1964, in London, United Kingdom. She is the eldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Lawerence Akintunde.
Her father, an engineer, passed away in 1975, and her mother worked as a caterer.
They are originally from Ondo town in Ondo State, located in the South-West region of Nigeria.
When Mo was 7 years old, she moved to Nigeria to live with her grandparents.
However, she returned to the UK at the age of 11. Mo spent her formative years in London and attended the Ridgeway School, MidKent College, and West Kent College.
She also obtained a Master’s degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Westminster in London.
Despite being a prominent figure in the media industry, Mo Abudu prefers to keep her personal life private.
Mo Abudu Wikipedia Profile
| Real name | Mosunmola Abudu |
| Date of birth | 11 September 1964 |
| Country of Origin | Federal Republic of Nigeria |
| Occupation | Media mogul, philanthropist |
| Net worth | $650 Million |
| Education | MidKent College Gillingham Campus, University of Westminster, The Ridgeway School & 6th Form College, North Kent College, West Kent College |
| Production company | Ebonylife TV |
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Marriage
It is known that she was briefly married to Tokunbo Abudu, a wealthy businessman and the son of Chief Olatunde Abudu, a Nigerian businessman and the Mayegun of Egbaland. Chief Olatunde Abudu hails from Ogun state.
Mo’s union with Tokunbo Abudu resulted in the birth of two children, Temidayo and Adekoyejo Abudu.
However, their marital relationship eventually dissolved through a divorce.
The reason cited by the businesswoman was that their connection lacked certain essential elements besides friendship.
Despite the separation, the former couple maintains a friendly relationship for the sake of their children.
Interestingly, Mo continues to utilize her ex-husband’s surname, “Abudu,” even after the divorce.
Since the dissolution of her marriage, the media magnate has chosen to keep her personal life confidential and has not disclosed any information about being involved in another relationship or remarriage.
Instead, she directs her focus toward the operation of her media empire, Ebonylife.
Career
When it comes to owning a highly successful media empire, it’s interesting to note that Mo Abudu didn’t start her career in the media industry.
Her initial professional path was quite different from her current pursuits. So, where did this billionaire CEO, who is making waves in the media landscape in Nigeria and globally, begin?
Back in 1987, Mo Abudu started her professional journey as a recruitment consultant at Atlas Recruitment Consultancy firm in the UK.
Later on, she transitioned to Starform Group, a thriving business information group in the UK.
At Starform Group, Mo played a crucial role in researching, designing, and producing various conferences and seminars.
However, in 1993, she relocated to Nigeria and joined Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited (now ExxonMobil) as the head of Human Resources and Administration.
Her position at the company provided her with valuable skills in business discipline and corporate culture, which proved vital when she eventually launched her own company.
After nearly a decade at ExxonMobil, Mo resigned in 2000 and founded her own firm called Vic Lawrence & Associates Limited, a Human Resources consultancy firm in Nigeria. Presently, her company operates an executive training center at Protea Hotel, Oakwood Park, Lagos.
Apart from her interest in Human Resource Management, Mo was also drawn to the idea of telling African stories in the right way.
This led to the creation of her talk show, Moments with Mo, hailed as Africa’s first syndicated daily talk show focusing on celebrating African achievements.
Today, she serves as the Executive Producer of the show, which airs in 49 African countries and on cable TV in the UK.
Notable personalities such as Hilary Clinton and Christine Lagarde, the managing director of IMF, have graced her talk show.
Through Moments with Mo, she has also developed reality TV shows like The Debaters and NaijaDiamonds, all of which champion Nigerian and African stories.
In 2013, Mo embarked on the gradual realization of her dream to own and run a media empire, and that’s when Ebony Life TV was born.
This media company is recognized as the first black entertainment and lifestyle global network. Ebony Life TV operates under the umbrella of Media and Entertainment City Africa (MEC Africa).
It initially broadcasted on MultiChoice DSTV CH 165 and later expanded to the Star-Times Network in 2018. Additionally, Mo established Ebony Life Films, a film production unit that commenced operations in 2014.
The debut movie from the company was titled Fifty, which tells the story of four friends in Lagos navigating their careers while balancing personal lives.
In 2016, Ebony Life Films was part of the ELFIKE Film Collective, responsible for producing the Nigerian blockbuster, The Wedding Party.
The company has also produced other movies such as The Wedding Party 2, The Royal Hibiscus Hotel, Netflix’s Oloture, and Netflix’s Blood Sisters.
Beyond her business empire, Mo is a philanthropist who founded The Inspire Africa Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on raising funds for implementing social transformation initiatives.
The foundation has organized charity concerts and partnered with other organizations to achieve its goals. It also operates a charity store called The Designer Outlet for Charity.
Mo has received numerous awards and recognition throughout her exemplary career, including being named the first woman to own a pan-African TV channel by Forbes Africa in 2013.
She has also been listed as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Global TV by Hollywood Reporter, awarded Entrepreneur of the Year at the International Women’s Day Forum in New York in 2014, and received an honorary doctorate degree from Babcock University in 2014, among many other accolades.
Furthermore, in 2023, Mo Abudu’s media companies, Ebony Life, Idris Elba, and GreenDoorPictures, joined forces to amplify voices and tell more stories from the African continent.
Car
Mo Abudu resides in a magnificent mansion situated on Banana Island, valued at more than N600 million.
Additionally, she possesses an array of opulent vehicles, including the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon, Escalade ESV SUV, Lexus LX570, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
In essence, Mo Abudu’s collection of cars is estimated to surpass N1 billion in value.
These luxurious automobiles serve as symbols that she is not merely interested in any vehicles.
Rather, she prioritizes cars renowned for their exceptional performance, particularly the G-Wagon, which is well-suited for navigating Nigerian roads, and she also emphasizes elegance and sophistication when selecting her rides.
Net worth
In an article published in 2022, Forbes ranked Mo Abudu #99 on the list of 100 Most Powerful Women list in the World.
Through her various business ventures and her media company, Mo Abudu has generated a huge net worth that’s estimated at $650 million.