title of Iya Oge of Lagos by Oba Adeyinka Oyekan. After leaving Unilag, she joined Johnson Products Nigeria's board as chairman and established the Opral Benson Beauty Institute and Chic Afrique Enterprises at Yaba, Lagos. She also served as a pioneer board member of the National Youth Service Corps and was member of the Nigerian Olympic Committee in 1982. There are very few Africans who have traversed the continent's socio-cultural landscape for as long and with as much panache and penetration as Opral Benson. In Nigeria and Liberia in particular, she has been a steady and recurring cultural cardinal for over half a century, defining, reconceptualising, and re-creating subliminal and popular trends in cultural and cross-national dialogue and diplomacy, and in beauty and fashion. Opral has been a constant figure, in the movement for women's development on the continent, playing such crucial roles that have not only awakened many women to the imperatives and strategies of advancement, but have also positively engaged men and leaders at various levels, in the cause of developing women. As a beauty icon, she has been at the forefront of defining trends and customs for her contemporaries and younger generations. She has also explored beauty as an industry and a strong driver of business, and has economically empowered thousands of young people in the process. Many articles have been written about her in various media, but her life story has been captured in her biography, 'Opral Benson: Life and Legend' authored by Udu Yakubu, PhD, a seasoned biographer and CEO of May University Press Limited, a biography publishing company. References 1935 births Living people Americo-Liberian people Liberian people Nigerian women business executives University of Lagos people Liberian emigrants to Nigeria Nigerian socialites Businesspeople from Lagos Beauticians Nigerian fashion businesspeople Benson family (Lagos) People from Montserrado County Nigerian corporate directors Women corporate directors