Chairman & CEO, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; WIMBIZ Chairperson, Aisha Ahmad; CEO, Bestman Games, Nimi Akinkugbe; The president of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Aigboje Aig-Imokhuede; and Genevieve Magazine publisher Betty Irabor, are just some of an impressive array of Nigerian influential business leaders who have lauded The Smart Money Woman, the debut fictional novel from personal finance and financial literacy expert, Arese Ugwu. The book is a refreshing blend of entertaining chick-lit with sound financial literacy basics advice, written to entertain as well as educate.

The Smart Money Woman details the journey of Zuri, a smart, well-educated and well-employed young woman who has spent her way into a financial bind and needs to take control of her life to work her way to financial freedom. With each chapter comes a Smart Money Lesson, a guide to help readers work their way up the financial ladder as they follow Zuri on her path to restoration.

According to Dangote, The Smart Money Woman, is “an entertaining way to learn about money, ushering in a new narrative, specifically of the African woman in the 21st century,” while Ahmad said the book provides a “practical, no-holds-barred guide to building wealth for the 21st century African woman.” Aig-Imokhuede also commended the novel’s unique perspective saying it was, “A journey through personal finance written from a truly African context by a gifted young woman who seeks to reposition and redefine the way we think about the subject.”

Irabor praised the message of the book, saying it “addresses the issue of money management in a way every woman can relate to.” Akinkugbe, who wrote the foreword, describes the manuscript as a “unique combination of a light-hearted fictional novel in Arese’s compelling and engaging style, filled with familiar, vivid characters, accompanied by serious smart money lessons.” Bolanle Austen-Peters, Producer & Director, Terra Kulture and BAP Productions called it “Unprecedented,” while Tara Fela-Durotoye, Founder, House of Tara extolled the book for its “great storytelling and strong message.”
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A witty, insightful take on life, money, and culture for the new age African middleclass woman, the book also tackles the thorny issues surrounding spending behaviour, debt, the consumerist culture of the African middle class, money, love, friendships, cultural and societal pressures, and the roles that they all play in a woman’s struggle for success.

Unveiling the teaser on her Instagram page @smartmoneyarese, the author shared with her followers why she decided to write the book. “I basically read two types of books—stories about the modern woman and business books—and the smart money woman is a blend of both. It follows the personal finance journeys of Zuri and her friends and gives smart money lessons at the end of each chapter.”

‎The Smart Money Woman is set to be released online on Amazon, in bookshops, supermarkets and other retailers this August.