Ifeyinwa Ighodalo: The Elegant Woman Conquering The Design World One Step At A Time

Ifeyinwa Ighodalo is the founder of DOII Designs a furniture and interior design company in Lagos. Ifeyinwa was born in the city of Ibadan in 1960.

The storied interior decorator holds a B.Sc. in Accountancy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where she graduated as one of the best students in the university. Upon graduation from the university, Ifeyinwa got a job in a bank. During her brief stint as a banker, Ifeyinwa knew that a career in banking and finance was definitely out of the question. She always had a passion for interiors, a passion she discovered while she was an undergraduate at the University of Nigeria.

After NYSC, she moved to Lagos to fulfill her dream of being an interior decorator. She helped in the set-up of Casafina, a retail furniture outlet and served as their first showroom manager. Having acquired all the necessary experience, Ifeyinwa went to start her own company, Design Options in 1987 and would go on to later set up DOII Designs DO II Designs which she describes as an acronym of her first company, Design Options and the initials of her name, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo. Her company is recognized as one of biggest interior decoration companies and was honoured with the St. Moritz Style Award for Interior Design in 2004.

Mrs Ighodalo describes the reason for her success in business as setting high standards which she holds her company accountable to achieving and working hard as a Nigerian global brand to maintain unique customer experience. This she notes has kept her company motivated and has set them apart from other brands.

Currently, Ifeyinwa Ighodalo volunteers as a mentor at Fate Foundation and she also serves as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of WIMBIZ, a non-profit organization that inspires, empowers and advocates for the representation of women in leadership positions in the public and private sector. Under her leadership as Chairman, Board of Trustees, the organization wrote a letter to the Federal Government faulting the non-inclusion of women in the newly constituted Governing Council of the University of Lagos and four other federal universities in the country.

Ifeyinwa describes herself as a family-oriented person. She is married to Asue Ighodalo, a lawyer and founding partner of the law firm, Banwo and Ighodalo and they are blessed with a beautiful daughter and many god-children. She continues to inspire young women in to realise their passion and relentlessly pursue it.

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