Taiwo Ajai-Lycett

I’m celebrating Taiwo Ajai-Lycett today. An exceptional woman who is such a huge inspiration to me. An actress, producer, journalist, television presenter, cosmetologist and a communication consultant.

Taiwo was born on 3 February 1941 in Lagos, Nigeria. She was educated at Mt Carmel Convent School, Lagos before proceeding to Methodist Girls’ High School, Lagos. To further her studies, she travelled to London to study business and administration. She took courses at Christine Shaw School of Beauty Science in London, where she received a certificate in cosmetology. She also attended Hendon College of Technology, where she obtained a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies in 1969.

Her acting debut was in December in 1966 in Wole Soyinka’s ‘The Lion and the Jewel’, a two-act comedy directed by William Gaskill at the Royal Court Theatre in London. In 1972, she left her corporate career and joined the Traverse Theatre Group for the Edinburgh Festival. She was later in a string of television and stage shows. In 1976, she played the lead role in Yemi Ajibade’s Parcel Post at the Royal Court Theatre. She was a director with the Black Theatre Workshop in London. She has featured in several notable Nigerian films, including Tinsel, the award-winning Nigerian soap opera.

In 1975, Taiwo was invited to join the staff of Africa Magazine. Later, she became the pioneer editor of Africa Woman Magazine. As editor, she was a participant at the United Nations International Women’s Year. Taiwo is a feminist and was the first editor of Africa Woman Magazine in the 1970s.

On 1 October 2006 she received a national award of Officer of the Order of the Niger, decorated by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. She was honoured as a leader of British-African theatre, at an All-Star Gala held at Theatre Royal Stratford East, London in 2008.

She is truly a source of inspiration and a phenomenal woman!

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Have a lovely weekend guys.