Offiong Ekanem Ejindu is a Nigerian architect, philanthropist, and businesswoman born in Ibadan, Nigeria in June 1962 to Professor Sylvester Joseph Una and Obonganwan Ekpa Una. Princess Fifi, reputedly a billionaire, is an influential philanthropist, “ranked as one of the African female pioneers in the fields of Architecture and Business,” as well as the great-granddaughter of King James Ekpo Bassey, a traditional ruler crowned by representatives of Queen Victoria in 1893 in Cobham Town, part of Calabar, Nigeria.
Ejindu educational training began at the Senior Staff Primary School of the University of Ibadan and continued at Queens College, Yaba in Lagos, Nigeria for secondary education. She then attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In 1983 Ejindu graduated from Pratt Institute School of Architecture in New York, becoming the first African woman awarded with the institution’s Bachelor of Architecture degree. She then took courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before working at Grant Associates, a private firm in New York. Princess Fifi received her Master’s degree in Urban Planning from Pratt Institute.
Returning to Nigeria Ejindu founded numerous now-prominent businesses including StarCrest, a real estate company, started in 1995 before expanding into what is now the StarCrest Group which includes StarCrest Investment Ltd., StarCrest Associates Ltd., and StarCrest Industries Ltd. These businesses specialize in real estate, business construction, oil, gas, and investments across Nigeria. She founded Building Support Systems and Hope Centres, companies that provide opportunities, support, and initiatives to help youth. In 2013 Ejindu established the African Arts and Fashion Initiative which has provided a platform for showcasing the rich and vibrant culture of Africa as well as provide support and opportunities to African youth.
Reputably, Princess Fifi Ejindu’s professional success has resulted in numerous honors and awards including the title, Her Highness Obonganwan King James. Additionally, she received the Patriotic Women of Integrity International Award (2004), African Female Economic Champion Award (2013), African Achievers African Arts and Fashion Lifetime Achievement Award (2013), African Child Nobel Prize (2014), Diaspora Excellence Award (2015), Nigerian Golden Book Professional Icon Award (2015), and the African International Achievers Merit Award for Excellence.
Princess Fifi is the Grand Patron of the Prestigious Icons Club of Dubai and a member of the Nigerian National Heritage Council. In 2013 she was inducted into the Global Women Leaders Hall of Fame – African Charter, as one of Africa’s top 20 Women of Influence and she was featured in the Famous African Women Architect Magazine (People Maven, 2018). Princess Fifi Ejindu is married to Amechi Ejindu, who is also her business partner.