A Profile On Blogger And Entrepreneur, Linda Ikeji As She Turns A Year Older


 

When you talk of blogging in Nigeria, only one name rings a bell and that is none other than Linda Ikeji.

The former model, writer, and entrepreneur is a year older today and we have compiled a profile on her life.

Early Life and Education

Linda Ifeoma Ikeji was born on the 19th of September, 1980 in Nkwerre, Imo State Nigeria which is also where she is from. She was raised in a Catholic family and is the second child of her parents.

Linda started writing fictional stories as a hobby when she was 10 years old. Also, she had a soft spot for News reporting and interviews as a child. This endeared her to pursuing a degree in Mass Communication at the University of Lagos. Unfortunately, she was admitted to study English instead.

During her years in the university, she worked as a model, waitress, and writer to make ends meet and to support her family.

She graduated from the university in 2004.

Career

After graduation from the university, Linda founded a modeling agency and events company named BlackDove communications. The name Black Dove was inspired by the name of the media company and brand in Nigeria popularly called Silver Bird.

She also had a magazine called FM&B which released its first issue in 2006. After struggling with both businesses, she decided to give up on them.

In 2006, she started blogging as a hobby, when the internet was not such a big deal and she would go to the cyber cafe to make her blog posts.

She actively started blogging in 2007 under the subdomain of lindaikejiblogspot.com.

Her big break in blogging, however, didn’t come until 2011. Today, millions of people visit the site on a daily basis and has made her a celebrity and possibly the biggest African blogger.


 

Linda Ikeji announced the arrival of her online TV network on the 22nd of August, 2016  called LindaIkejiTV. She established this alongside other entrepreneurship ventures. The online TV airs a variety of web programs from talk shows, reality shows and even TV series.

Linda Ikeji TV airs a variety of programmes ranging from talk shows, reality shows, TV series to Movies.

She has launched her online radio and LindaIkejiSocial where people can interact with each other.

Philanthropy and notable recognitions

 

She started her not for profit organisation called “I’d Rather Be Self Made; No Thanks” which targets helping girls aged 16 – 25 that have good business ideas and entrepreneurial drive. She donated 10, 000,000 naira in phase one of the project. She revealed this in her interview with HipTV.

She was celebrated in Forbes August 2012 issue which focused on highlighting African women. She was profiled as one of Africa’s 20 Most Prominent Women.

In 2014, the name Linda Ikeji was the most searched name on Google from Nigeria and Linda Ikeji was the biggest search trend of that year.

She was interviewed on the Focus on Africa programme that airs on BBC and the interview aired on the 25th of September, 2012.

Linda Ikeji was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Trinity International University in Georgia on August 8, 2018, for her outstanding performance in Business and Media in Africa.

Controversies

She has had run-ins with different media personalities and politicians that she has spoken about on her blog.

LindaIkejiBlog was shut down by Google on the 8th of October, 2014 but it was restored two days after on the 10th of October. The reason for the shut down was never stated but it was rumoured to be as a result of a possible violation.

Children

On the 17th of September, she gave birth to her first child.





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