First female First Bank chairperson, Ibukun Awosika, urges couples to treat money as a tool, not a source of conflict
Ibukun Awosika’s Powerful Marriage Advice: “Make Money of No Consequence” – Her 13-Year Journey of Earning More Than Her Husband
Renowned business leader and the first female chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, has shared an inspiring message for couples: never let money become a battleground in marriage. Instead, view it as a tool for shared growth, backed by unity, prudence, and faith.
Speaking during a recent session at Celebration Church International (shared widely on Instagram by Pastor Emmanuel Iren), Awosika drew from her own life to illustrate how complementary strengths and mutual respect triumphed over financial differences.
“When I say make the money of no consequence in your home, I’m speaking from personal experience,” she said.
Awosika described herself as a bold risk-taker who ran a manufacturing company and secured various contracts early in their marriage. Her husband, Abiodun, a petroleum engineer in the public sector of the oil and gas industry, was the epitome of prudence and organization.
“When we got married, I as a business person running a manufacturing company, getting contracts, I could get any kind of contract. My husband was a petroleum engineer working in oil and gas at that point, but working in oil and gas in public sector,” she said.
“Now if we never go broke in my family because my husband is the most prudent human being in this world, that’s just the truth. Me, I’m a risk taker, so I can take risks, but he’s a prudent, organised human being. We will never be hungry because he will make sure that we’re not,” she continued.
For 13 years, she earned more while supporting his career ambitions. They clung to a biblical promise from Amos 9:13, which they repeatedly claimed in their church tradition of selecting scriptural promises.
“Have you read Amos 9? Go to 9.13. We kept picking this promise for a long time because in our church, we pick promises.”
Their patience paid off dramatically. Thirteen years into the marriage, opportunities arose for Nigerians to apply for smaller oil fields previously held by major companies.
“So anyway, he and a few of his friends applied. At the end, he got his field, and from that day till now, please go and price furniture and price oil. Let me now tell you the real lesson.
“Whatever way I behaved in the 13 years before, I was about to reap my reward in the years after, and I have reaped them big,” she said.
Awosika urged couples to prioritize teamwork over financial scorekeeping.
“So when I say to you, do not make money an issue in your home. It’s a tool. Use it to achieve the things that you can do together. Whether it’s on the side of the man, on the side of the woman, one plus one is what? Is one.
“You haven’t found a team until you find a team of a husband and a wife who understand who they are in Christ and work together as one. Nothing can stop them,” she concluded.
Her candid testimony has resonated widely, offering timeless wisdom on building resilient, faith-centered marriages beyond material wealth. Read More
