Former First Bank chairperson reveals how she earned more for over a decade while her NNPC engineer husband stayed faithful to a Bible promise—and how it eventually paid off
For 13 years, Ibukun Awosika earned more than her husband. And for 13 years, she refused to let it become an issue in their marriage.
The former Chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria and renowned business leader opened up about navigating that income disparity during a recent preaching engagement at Celebration Church International, offering candid advice to couples on building lasting partnerships .
Two Different Strengths, One United Front
Awosika, who married Abiodun in 1990, described how their contrasting personalities created a stable foundation for their family . While she built a manufacturing business with fluctuating income—sometimes securing small contracts, other times landing lucrative deals—her husband worked as a petroleum engineer in the public sector with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) .
"We would never go broke in my family because my husband is the most prudent human being in this world, that's just the truth," Awosika said. "Me, I'm a risk taker, so I can take risks, but he's a prudent, organized human being. We will never be hungry because he will make sure that we're not" .
Holding onto a Promise
Throughout those 13 years, Abiodun held onto a personal promise from Scripture—Amos 9:13—believing his time would come . Awosika admitted she didn't pay much attention to it initially, but in her spirit, she always believed he would be rewarded for his diligence .
That patience paid off when President Olusegun Obasanjo's administration decided to allocate smaller oil fields to Nigerians. Abiodun, a sharp petroleum engineer, applied alongside friends and secured an oil field .
"A smart petroleum engineer married to a business-minded wife means two minds working together," Awosika reflected. "From that day till now, things changed" .
The Real Lesson
For Awosika, the true lesson wasn't about the eventual financial breakthrough—it was about how she conducted herself during the waiting period.
"Let me now tell you the real lesson. Whatever way I behaved in the 13 years before, I was about to reap my reward, and I have reaped them big," she said .
She urged couples, particularly women, to view money as a tool rather than a source of conflict. "So when I say do not make money an issue in your home, I mean it. Money is a tool. Use it to achieve things together, whether it comes from the man or the woman. One plus one is one. It is not mathematics" .
A Team That Rules the World
Now a mother of three, with her husband serving as CEO of Excel Exploration and Production Company Limited, Awosika emphasized that true partnership transcends financial contribution .
"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. They will rule the world and do greater and mightier things" .
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