About

On a special Sunday morning at about 9am in Enugu, Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State, a beautiful baby girl was born to Fidelis and Margaret Okonkwo an Insurance Broker and School Teacher respectively. Florence was the 4th child in a family of 5 siblings – 3 boys and 2 girls. Being the youngest of two girls and the last but one in her lineage, she was treated as the baby in the family and spoilt by everyone else. Her parents where devout Catholics, which inevitably influenced the environment in which they were raised. Her dad pioneered the building and establishment of the Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac; whilst her mum originally joined the local Coventry. When her father Fidelis Ukpolo Okonkwo (JP) passed on in 2007, his brother Mike Azuka Okonkwo (Former Executive Director of Union Bank Lagos) in line with Ogwashi Uku customs and traditions, inherited his late brother’s assets and liabilities upon his demise. By virtue of this fact, Florence and all her siblings referenced their uncle as father.

As a result of her dad’s occupation, her family moved to Lagos where she grew up. Florence attended the Nazareth Primary School, Festac, where even as a little girl her social skills began manifesting themselves in associations like the Brownies and Girls Guide. Right from the start of her secondary school days at the Holy Child College, Ikoyi, Lagos, Florence became an active member of the Red Cross. Her outgoing personality and 'Mother Theresa' like passion to help others. propelled her involvement into this organisation. She represented her school in a number of external activities; most notorious of all was the ‘'No Tuberculosis Day'’ programme. After her Secondary School education, she attended the Lagos State University where she graduated with a degree in Banking and Finance. As if to say I told you so, her endeavour to further secure a degree in marketing at the Middlesex University UK was exactly that.

An endorsement to validate a career already successfully established in the world of business. No one would dispute the fact that someone who already have their own Restaurant, Souya Bar, Business Centre and Real Estate Agency is an established entrepreneur in their own right. As if that was not enough, Florence later established a Boutique and a Catering Company for special occasions in the UK. A ‘catering company’ which eventually became a ‘training company’; as many were privilege to learn the ropes from this talented and resourceful lady. Her love for the cuisine, talent and hard work, produced a reputation that preceded her at a pace that even a woman of her stature struggled to keep up with. Good will is a quality that is difficult to go unnoticed, yet those who genuinely possess it are usually oblivious to it. Florence Blaster Okonkwo just happens to be one of those.

A lady whose charm and warmth would light up a room or increase the radiance around it if it were already lit. Her persona, beauty and flair for fashion was like a magnet around her which inevitable started generating calls for her to join the movie industry. Her reaction to this at first was that of denial and dismissal, as the entrepreneur in her was a more dominant force at the time. However, just to satisfy her curiosity and find an excuse to quell the urges generated by this God given talent in her to take the stage. Florence decided to give it a go and unwittingly stepped into a watershed moment of her life. ‘Shameful Deceit’ was the movie that herald her arrival unto the cinema screens and left her mesmerised by the whole experience. She has never looked back since. Today, the one who curiously and somewhat timidly stepped out of the shadows into the light of the pictures beamed on a huge white triangular screen and watched by millions in cinemas around the globe; is now dubbed the ‘Screen Goddess’.

Despite her knack for excellence in the motion picture industry, HRM Florence Okonkwo had also engaged herself positively with creative writing since 2019. She has since made an indelible mark in landscape of authors and writers. Realising her potential as a talented woman with multifaceted skills, her craft and imaginative works of literature stemmed from her intuitive thinking, creative ability and artistic prowess. This inevitable motivated her to delve into the art of writing and producing books and magazines. So far, Okonkwo has published two wonderful literary works: 'Through the storm' and 'The woman Celine Ajayi-Smith' adding more feathers to her talent in movie and film production. Her list of achievements now boasts of a 3D interactive magazine call Elegant Flix. Click here to check out her bookshop, or check out her magazine here.

Blessed with two handsome boys, Florence is a devoted single mum whose love for her children was a driving force behind her success and career path. Mapping out a future for herself in the United Kingdom, far away from home, meant treading a difficult and sometimes lonely path to fulfil her dreams. A path that dictated the types of jobs she can accommodate as she sometimes had to take her child with her to work. Despite these adverse and challenging circumstances, she was determined to raise up her kids in a loving, caring and fulfilling environment. At the age of 12 the youngest was already showing a keen interest in the entertainment industry and has featured in some movies already following the footsteps of his mum. Florence believes in discipline and hard work, and instils these values not only in her children but also in the younger ones coming up in the industry.

Having lost her 2 older brothers to Sickle Cell at an early age, the image of their pain was indelibly etched on her young mind growing up. So, when she got acquainted with the ‘Sickle Cell and Young Stroke Survivors’ charity, she did not need any cajoling to lend a hand. Soon she was going into various offices to raise awareness and funds for this charity that has become so dear to her heart. The charity provides social and entertainment outlets for about 30 sickle Cell children in the United Kingdom and provides medicines and funding for children with similar condition in Nigeria. As a philanthropist, she has received several recognition and accolades for her humanitarian endeavours and accomplishments. In 2011, she received an award in recognition for her voluntary work, both from the Deputy Mayor of Southwark, Counsellor Lorraine Lauder and Carol Nwosu the founder of ‘Sickle Cell and Young Stroke Survivor’ in the UK. She is now the proud founder of ‘M & M FOUNDATION’, a charity organisation, established to help vulnerable and grass-root people in Africa; setup in 2018.