The Unforgettable Legacy of Alhaja Simbiat Atinuke Abiola. By Falilat Oreoluwa Dikko
The Unforgettable Legacy of Alhaja Simbiat Atinuke Abiola
In every generation, there are women who don’t just exist… they shine. Women who rise above limitations, rewrite the rules, and leave behind legacies that make history sit up and take notice. Alhaja Simbiat Atinuke Abiola was one of those rare gems. A woman of substance, resilience, and quiet power, her life reminds us that greatness isn’t always loud, it often moves in purposeful silence, touching lives and transforming destinies.
Alhaja Simbiat Atinuke Abiola was not born into obscurity. Her destiny had always whispered hints of distinction, but it was her own courage and clarity of vision that pushed her from promise to prominence. While the world often remembers her as the graceful wife of the late Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, the truth is that Simbiat was a shining star in her own orbit. She was not content to stand behind her husband’s towering figure, she stood beside him with dignity and strength, all the while building a name that could stand on its own merit.
Back in the 1980s, when female entrepreneurs were few and far between in Nigeria’s competitive business terrain, Alhaja Simbiat did the unthinkable, she founded Wonder Bakery, a company that wasn’t just successful, it was revolutionary. Employing over 140 Nigerians, the bakery was more than a business; it was a statement. A declaration that women, too, could dream, build, and lead. She was a rare breed, a female CEO thriving in an era where boardrooms were thick with testosterone and opportunities were reserved for men in agbadas.
But what made her even more remarkable was her heart. Her success never hardened her. Despite her towering achievements and social standing, she remained humble, soft-spoken, and deeply committed to helping others. She wore her wealth with modesty and carried her influence with grace. Even while quietly battling cancer, a battle that eventually took her life in 1992 at the age of 51, her focus remained on lifting others up.
Perhaps one of the most striking examples of her philanthropy came after a devastating earthquake in Egypt. Rather than merely send thoughts and prayers, Alhaja Simbiat Abiola dipped her hands into her own purse and donated a whopping $100,000 to help rebuild a school. That act alone speaks volumes. It wasn’t about headlines or accolades; it was about compassion in motion. She saw pain and responded with action quietly, quickly, and selflessly.
Her life was an embodiment of what it means to be a woman of purpose. She was a wife, a mother, a business mogul, and a philanthropist—all wrapped in one graceful figure. In a society that often boxed women into narrow roles, she broke free, danced to her own rhythm, and paved the way for others to do the same. Like a candle that lights other candles without losing its flame, Simbiat’s influence continues to burn in the lives of those she touched.
Her legacy brings to mind other formidable women across the globe who, like her, refused to be defined by limitations. Women like Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo, who rose from humble beginnings in India to lead a global corporation. Or Folorunsho Alakija, Nigeria’s own business titan who built a billion-dollar oil empire in a male-dominated industry. Like Simbiat, these women dared to step into arenas where few expected them to thrive and they didn’t just survive, they soared.
Simbiat’s life is also a testament to the truth that leadership is not always about titles. It’s about influence. It’s about character. It’s about living in such a way that others are inspired to dream bigger, try harder, and give more. She may not have held a political office, but her impact was deeply political, she changed lives, created jobs, and represented the power of female agency in a patriarchal world.
Today, when we look around and celebrate women who are shattering glass ceilings—whether in business, politics, education, or government we must remember the women who laid the foundation. Women like Alhaja Simbiat Atinuke Abiola, who showed us that grace and grit can co-exist, that kindness is not weakness, and that a woman can be soft and strong at the same time.
The Yoruba have a saying: “Obìnrin ni í gbe’lé duro”—it is the woman who steadies the home. But in Simbiat’s case, she did more than steady the home. She uplifted a nation, one thoughtful deed at a time. And though she left this world far too soon, her story remains an enduring beacon. A reminder that the true measure of a life well lived is not in how long it lasted, but in how deeply it touched others.
So, let us raise our voices and hands in celebration of women like Simbiat. Women who don’t wait for change they create it. Women who don’t beg for recognition they earn it. Women who remind us, again and again, that when you empower a woman, you don’t just change her story you change the world.
May her soul continue to rest in peace, and may her memory live on not just in books and archives, but in the hearts of every woman who dares to dream, to do, and to give.
Falilat Oreoluwa Dikko, author and public affairs analyst writes from Lagos Nigeria 2nd May, 2025