Ijeoma Umebeh

As an entrepreneur and strong advocate for the empowerment of women, she was a finalist for the SME100 Nigeria ’25 under 25 awards’ for her contributions to the Fashion Industry.
Her experiences in the fashion world led to a discovery that would birth the first online Thrift Store (called Dupri’s Thrift Store) to cater for the needs of women majorly while narrowing the gap between the two major economic classes.
Her passion for business management and growth led her to organize the Lagos Pop-up Market, a one-day shopping event for small businesses to increase visibility and drive sales. According to the participating vendors who sold out their wares, it was a total success.
She was chosen as a facilitator by the Ministry of Education in Lagos state through the “Ready, Set, Work” initiative by the government to prepare final year students in tertiary institutions within the state for entrepreneurship and employment in the workforce after their graduations.

I was selected as a volunteer facilitator by the Ministry of Education in Lagos State. My function in this role was to prepare final-year students in tertiary institutions within the state for entrepreneurship and employment in the workforce after their academic programs. In line with the SDG goals to reduce poverty and promote gender equality, my passion led me to found Dupris Thrift Store which recycles clothes and caters to low-income women.

My vision is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, and the development tools to help women thrive in work, business, and society.