In Nigeria, family-owned businesses remain a cornerstone of the economy, contributing roughly 70% of GDP and employing millions nationwide.
Within this landscape, some of the country’s most successful enterprises are built not by individuals alone, but by couples who align their personal and professional ambitions.
Power couples, spouses who combine complementary skills and strategy, have shown that marriage can be more than a personal partnership; it can become a force multiplier for economic growth and social influence.
In a patriarchal society where leadership is often male-dominated, these duos highlight the potential for gender empowerment, with women increasingly taking prominent roles in major companies and boards. Their collaborations demonstrate how shared ambition, strategic alignment, and calculated risk-taking can scale businesses faster than traditional solo-led ventures.
By profiling Nigeria’s most influential couples, we see how marriages can transform not just households, but entire industries. From oil and gas to technology, banking, and manufacturing, these partnerships create platforms for innovation, societal impact, and wealth generation.
Methodology
This feature profiles Nigeria’s most influential business couples, individuals whose combined ambition, strategy, and leadership have shaped industries, created jobs, and driven economic growth.
The couples were considered based on at least ten years of active business operations and demonstrable growth in revenue, scale, or market share.
At least one partner must hold a controlling role as CEO, Managing Director, or equivalent,t actively steering strategy, operations, and decision-making.
All couples must have clean legal records, with no unresolved criminal cases or allegations of fraud, ensuring the integrity and credibility of their enterprises. Beyond business performance, the methodology considers the economic and social impact of these companies, including job creation, and the long-term viability of the products or services offered.
Jason and Mary Remmy Njoku are one of Africa’s most influential business couples, best known for building iROKO Group, the company that helped digitise and globalise Nigeria’s Nollywood film industry.
Founded in 2010 by Jason Njoku, iROKO began as an online platform licensing and distributing Nigerian films to a global audience, at a time when Nollywood content was largely informal and under-monetised.
Jason Njoku, a British-Nigerian entrepreneur, serves as CEO and is widely regarded as a pioneer of Africa’s streaming economy. Under his leadership, iROKO Group attracted millions of dollars in international venture capital and built platforms such as iROKOtv, positioning Nollywood content for viewers across Africa, Europe, and North America.
Mary Remmy Njoku, an actress and producer, played a critical role in shaping the group’s content strategy. Drawing on her deep roots in Nollywood, she later founded ROK Studios, a production company that created hundreds of original films and series tailored for African audiences. In 2019, ROK Studios was acquired by Canal+, marking one of the most significant exits in Nigeria’s creative industry.
