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Arese Ugwu – The Money Entrepreneur And Author Of Smart Money Woman

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| Updated:
April 23, 2026
Arese Ugwu

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Arese Ugwu, popularly known as Smart Money Arese, is proving herself as a force to reckon with in Nigeria’s financial sector.

She is a mother, an entrepreneur, and author of the book – Smart Money Woman, a blogger, and an advocate of financial literacy.

CEO magazine referred to her as a “Millipreneur – part of the Most Entrepreneur Generation Ever”.

See Also: Resources that will help you start, market and grow a sustainable business.

Arese Ugwu Background

Arese Ugwu is the charming daughter of Victor and Funke Ogiemwonyi. She was born on 19th March 1986 and hails from Benin, Edo State, Nigeria.

She has a bachelor’s degree in Business and Management from Aston Business School, Birmingham, and a Master’s degree in Economic Development from the University College of London (UCL).

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She is an alumna of Lagos Business School, INSEAD Abu Dhabi, and The London Business School executive education program.

She has a beautiful daughter named Zikora and three siblings: Ms Isoken, Kolawole and Ms Ivie.

Arese Ugwu Net Worth

Hmm, the financial guru’s net worth is unknown. According to her, she believes that ‘your net worth is your network’.

Arese Ugwu Early Career

Arese Ugwu has worked in the financial industry for eight years and is currently the Head of Wealth Management at Partnership Investment Finance.

She is in charge of building the company’s wealth management division through business development and growing the existing customer base.

Arese Ugwu is a non- executive director of Partnership Securities Ltd, House of Tara International Ltd, and The Higher Education Foundation. She is also an associate member of WIMBIZ (Women in Management Business & Public Service) and has served on the planning committee.

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Arese Ugwu’s Journey Into Personal Finance

In her quest to help young women make smart money decisions, Arese Ugwu founded a personal finance platform, Smart Money Africa. Smart Money Africa helps Africans easily gain financial literacy.

Her dream is to change the African description of poverty by educating this generation on financial literacy. Arese uses stories the average African can relate to, workshops and several media platforms to encourage and promote financial liberation.  

She is also the founder of Smart Money Travel, which is a platform under the Smart Money Africa brand. Smart Money Travel provides travel packages for small millennials and assures luxury for less.

She released her debut book titled ‘The Smart Money Woman – an African girl’s journey to financial freedom’. Indeed, her book is the 21st-century woman’s guide to financial liberation. The way she broke down the complex issue of money in her book is amazing.

Arese Ugwu hosts a program, “Your Life, Your Money” on Guardian TV’s personal finance show and also co-hosts “Analyse This” on NdaniTV.

Financial Lessons Learned from The Smart Money Woman

  • Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. We can be our own boss, without necessarily being the boss, by using our abilities and capabilities.
  • It is important to set aside an emergency fund. A fund to cover unforeseen circumstances such as loss of job, natural disaster, car breakdown and so on.
  • This book opens the possibility of financial freedom. Do you know that debt can be a useful tool to achieve financial success? Wealthy people use debt to leverage their investment and grow their cash.
  • It is also important to generate various means of income to grow your wealth. Arese Ugwu sheds more light on the importance of investment and the different investments you can venture into in her book. Note that smart people grow their wealth by making their money work for them.
  • One of the key lessons in her book is to spend with intention. We should learn to treat our money with respect so that it won’t leave.

Arese Ugwu’s Recognitions and Awards

  • Finalist at Access Bank’s Awards for Young Professional of the Year 2015
  • Rémy Martin’s Pacesetter Award 2016
  • Nomination for the Future Awards Africa Prize for Education 2016
  • Listed in YNaija’s ‘The New Establishment’ 2017

Arese Ugwu is a woman who takes advantage of every opportunity that comes to her, opportunities that help her reach her goals.

When we learn to make smart decisions, especially about money, the sky will be our starting point, and we will have a better tomorrow.

We want to see you succeed, and that’s why we provide valuable business resources to help you every step of the way.

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Photo Credit: Instagram page of Arese Ugwu.

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2 responses

  1. Nice job, your movie gives a clearer information and i’m please you did it in both sense thank you. I hope to see more lessons in the next season of your movie.

  2. Your literature is an inspiration, reading it has opened my eyes to so many things I wasn’t doing right and now I know how to manage my finance. Thanks a lot for sharing

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Juliet Ugochukwu

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