Career
Oluwadamilola Olatunji, Adesola Arogundade, Toyosi Odukoya Make 9to5Chick’s Top 100 Career Women 2022 List
We need more female thought leaders in Africa. “This is our mantra at 9to5chick and we believe one way of achieving this and simultaneously forging positive visibility for women in the corporate sector is by highlighting, celebrating and rewarding Career
women in Nigeria who do great work”, says President of 9to5chick media, Glory Edozien (PhD).
The 9to5Chick Top Career Women in Nigeria List for 2022 is the second part of the annual compilation that honors inspiring mid and senior-level female professionals in the corporate world who are making a big difference at work, setting an example, and changing the rules.
The list, which was compiled initially via open nominations, has been reviewed by an independent judging panel comprising Yemi Faseun, Chief Talent Officer, YF Talent Partners, Osayi Alile, CEO, Aspire Coronation Trust, Funke Amobi, Regional Head People and Culture, Nigeria & West Africa Region at Standard Bank Group and Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing, Corporate Communication & CSI, Standard Bank Group, who evaluated each nomination based on 4 distinct criteria: Excellence in leadership and performance; Personal achievements in the corporate world; a desire to share knowledge and change the status quo.
To ensure the integrity of the list and to give maximum visibility to deserving women who hitherto, despite having various laudable achievements, may not have been given the visibility commensurate to their significant career contributions, nominees from previous editions of the list have been purposefully excluded. C-suite and thoroughbred executives who have been in their fields for a long time are also not on the list.
With the presence of career women in middle-management roles declining year after year, we hope that by highlighting these deserving mid-senior level female managers, we can help to strengthen and retain top female talent in the talent management pipeline and, ultimately, # breakthebias.
Below is the list of Top 100 Career Women across 20 industries in Nigeria
1. Titilope Oguntuga (Head Sustainable Development and Corporate Brand, Lafarge Africa Plc)
She has been at the forefront of positioning organisations for competitiveness for almost two decades, leveraging resources, reputation and relationships to create positive financial and non-financial impact. Titilope brings to bear multi-sector knowledge and exposure, working with organisations to deliver progressive bottom-line impact, building partnerships that last, and strengthening organisational resources for optimal
performance.
Titilope was instrumental to the rebranding of Nigeria’s most capitalised life insurance company in the late 2000s, and also developed effective marketing and brand strategies for several organisations in the IT, manufacturing, and financial services sectors. To date, she has implemented over 500 successful projects in business recapitalisation, new product development, culture transformation, communications, branding, and corporate social investments. Titilope is currently Head, Sustainable Development and Corporate Brand at the Nigerian operations of the world’s largest building solutions provider, Lafarge Africa Plc. She is responsible for implementing the organisation’s sustainability strategy, managing its economic, environmental, social and governance practices while leveraging this as a competitive advantage for the corporate brand.
2. Priscilla Iyari (Adeboye) (Brand Manager, Quickteller at Interswitch Group)
Priscilla is an extraordinary everyday lady with the heart of a ministering angel and nerves of steel. She is as resourceful as they come; an astute brand communications and consumer marketing expert with over a decade’s worth of experience with brands across various industries: financial services, technology, sustainability, FMCG, and sports. She is an alumnus of the prestigious Cannes Young Lions Award with core competencies in Integrated Marketing Communications, Brand Management, Brand Quality Assurance, Communications Strategy, Procurement, Project Management, Multilateral Stakeholder Management, Negotiation, CSR and Sustainability. Her wealth of experience spans the creation of efficient communication solutions for various local and international brands in the best Public Relations/Perception Management Agencies, a Management Consulting firm, a Radio station, as well as launching innovative products like ALAT, Africa’s first fully digital bank.
Priscilla is the co-convener of the annual Open Your Heart Camp for under-served teens living with Autism and Down Syndrome. She also volunteers as the Communications Manager for MEDIC Nigeria (Mental and Environmental Development Initiative for Children), empowering and educating the society to create a cleaner, more habitable, more sustainable and more united world, where children are the spearhead of the revolution.
3. Chinelo Ngene
VP, Marketing & Business Development, Page Financials Chinelo is a results-orientated marketing & brand communications professional bringing a decade of wide-ranging experience, executing measurable marketing/PR campaigns for fast-paced Internet companies and multinational companies. She provides creative and forward-thinking leadership in any business environment. She has a BA in Mass Communication & MSc. in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs.
4. JeNika Mukoro (Vice President, Marketing and Communications, VerifyMe Nigeria)
JeNika Mukoro is a dynamic and versatile leader with over 20 years of progressive experience, spread across several verticals of the profit and non-profit sectors in and beyond Nigeria. JeNika is currently the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at VerifyMe Nigeria, a vibrant technology company that provides an array of identity verification services to individuals, businesses, and governments. In her capacity as Vice President, she charts the overarching brand vision and superintends the activities of multidisciplinary teams. JeNika’s professional journey began at AmericasMart Atlanta, one of the largest wholesale trade centres in the world. There, she served as managing editor of the organisation’s publication and oversaw various aspects of its content development and promotion processes. After years of driving transformative processes and instituting award-winning brand initiatives at Heirs Holdings and The Tony Elumelu Foundation, JeNika pivoted to the rugged terrains of telecommunications. She assumed the role of General Brand Manager at ntel, Nigeria’s first 4G/LTE network, helped launch the brand into the Nigerian market, and grew its customer base substantially.
In 2018, she returned again to the corridors of consulting with MindField Communications, a privately owned firm that specialised in providing marketing and brand communications solutions to SMEs and other organisations in the West African market. Her extensive professional track record of re-creating brands, driving growth, and delivering excellence is complemented by her passion for voluntary service. She occasionally donates her time and resources to social causes and also serves as a member of ACT Foundation’s Proposal Review Committee.
5. Edememe Oladiji-Wusu (Senior Manager, Employee Engagement & Culture, KPMG Nigeria)
Edememe is a Manager in the Tax, Regulatory and People Services division of KPMG in Nigeria and has accumulated over 7 years’ experience of tax and business advisory services having worked on various tax and regulatory advisory projects for clients in various industries and sectors of the economy, delivering value-added results with industry leading practices. She organized the maiden edition of the transformational “Take Charge of Your Life” Conference, been a guest on a TV show sharing her thoughts on Multiple Taxation and Enabling Business Environment. She was nominated for the Strategic African Women in Leadership (SAWIL) 2021 Trailblazers Award, and she has written her first e-book titled “Demystify No”. Edememe believes in giving back to society. She volunteers at Belleful Naija with Eromz – CSR initiative that focuses on capacity building, poverty alleviation and nation-building.
6. Shola Odeyinde (HR Business Partner, Flour Mills of Nigeria PLC)
Shola is a certified Human Resource Management Professional and Senior Certified Professional by the prestigious HRCI and SHRM U.S.A with over 14 years of experience aligning HR strategy to business goals across various HR functions and various industries. She is currently the Human Resource Business Partner for Agro-Allied and Corporate Division at Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc where she provides strategic HR support to eleven Business units including Human Resources, General Management, Exports, General services, Legal, Registrars, Premium Cassava Products Limited (PCPL), Golden Fertilizer, Golden Agri input (GAIL), Agri Palm and Agri syrup.
7. Bolaji Shote
Group Vice President, Human Capital, Reliance Infosystems Experienced Human Resources Business Partner with a demonstrated history of working in HR Consultancy, Information Technology and Insurance industries. She is skilled in Talent Management, HR Consulting, Learning & Development, Personnel Management, Employee Engagement, and Recruiting with a B.A in Philosophy and Sociology from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
8. Aishatu Aliyu Umar (Chief Civil Engineer, Federal Housing Authority)
Engr. Aishatu A. Umar is currently working with Federal Housing Authority as Chief Civil Engineer. Over the years, she has been involved in the supervision of civil infrastructures and building structures in Gwarimpa II, Lugbe, FHA Estate, and presently Apo Site, Abuja. Engr. Aishatu Aliyu Umar, over the years, has been involved in the supervision of Civil Infrastructures such as Culverts, Roads, Bridges, Drains, Dams and the design of High Rise Buildings. She has equally been involved in the vetting of building structural designs.
9. Ofodile Anulika Nkemdilim (Engineer, Nigerian Air Force)
The 31-year-old lieutenant who holds a PhD in Control Engineering from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, is currently an aerospace engineer in the Nigerian Air Force. She is well-known for also being the chief avionic specialist on the “Amebo UAV”, a drone built by NAF Engineers to train drone pilots. As one woman part of the
league of women in the Nigeria Airforce making history with a number of firsts, she hopes that “young ladies out there will never take no for an answer and do what is in their heart”. NAF said the drone could also be used for policing operations, disaster
management, convoy protection, maritime patrol, pipeline and power line monitoring as well as mapping and border patrol duties.
10. Deborah Danladi (Engineer, Ashaka Cement Plant)
Deborah Danladi is a process engineer and she is the first and the only female engineer in the history of the company incorporated in 1974. Resting behind that pride is a tacit acceptance that being the first female engineer in the company comes with a big challenge. Deborah’s success story becomes more profound if backgrounded against a report published by Africa Check in July 2017. According to the report, only 4% of females complete secondary school in northern Nigeria, while two-thirds of girls in the region “are unable to read a sentence compared to less than 10% in the South.”
11. Chinelo Nkennor (Head of Counseling, Greensprings Group of School)
A major highlight of her over 12 years’ career experience has been counselling and coaching. She has over 2000 hours of counselling and coaching experience spanning over different continents. She has had the opportunity to work with youth organisations as well as personally implement several youth programs. She has a first class Bachelor’s degree and a first-class M.A in Counselling. She started her department from scratch growing it from a one-man department to over seven people across four campuses. She currently heads her department ensuring programs and services meet international standards and positively impact clients.
Chinelo’s interest in young people led her to initiate programs like the Girl-up and Man-up initiative, a yearly commemoration of the international girl-child day and in recognition of the boy child; Essence conference; Skill acquisition program for underprivileged youths and the Making a Difference Summer program. She also served as director and educator at the African Leadership Academy Global Scholars Program in South Africa. In 2020 and 2017 she was awarded Best Staff and Outstanding Staff of the year and have been nominated four times out of her six years serving in the organization.
12. Thelma Igwe (Chief Education Officer/Learning And Development Specialist)
Empress Thelma Igwe popularly known as the anointed teacher is an educator, coach, learning difficulty consultant and innovator, acclaimed for her educational method called the Thelsian Intervention Method that makes reading, spelling, comprehension, writing and grammar work easy to learn. Having studied Education/learning disabilities and worked for 16 years in the educational sector, both as a class teacher, intervention teacher and consultant, she at different occasions was able to meet students learning needs using simple strategies. She offers training and coaching to children/adults with any type of learning difficulty to function and thrive in a regular class/business world. With her vast knowledge, she equips and grooms regular teachers to become intervention teachers.
She is a trained Montessori and Jolly program teacher; she is an early year foundation education and a digital educator. She is also a handwriting therapist. She completed the inclusive education program of the Queensland University of Technology and Educational psychology (Working with students with special needs) Alison education Ireland. A certified trained TEDx speaker, she has trained over 1900 teachers and 500 adults through her training academy school support initiative where learning difficulties are turned into learning possibilities. She has worked with over 3000 children with learning difficulties helping them to be successful academically, worked with over 100 parents with techniques to parent their child with AUTISM or learning difficulty to soar. She is a seasoned author, and authorized author of the gifted hands (Ben Carson) workbook.
13. Ayojesutomi Abiodun-Solanke (Lecturer at Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology)
AyoJesutomi Abiodun-Solanke hopes to change the face of research by contributing immensely to the achievement of a happy, safe, sustainable, and fish food secured continent through resource management, value addition and building capacities. Her primary area of interest is fish safety and utilization. She lectures at the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos. She coordinates a chapter of an international conservation organization, Mundus Maris-Science and Arts for Sustainability that improves awareness on safe ocean resources while empowering marginalized fisherfolks on sustainability and healthy living. She is working on developing safe and quality smoked fish products by controlling the assurance of the habitats and fish itself. She believes in the use of traditional and available preservation and packaging options supporting healthy alternatives. She belongs to many professional bodies and has won several research and travel grants. She is a fellow of AWARD and a leader in many other networks.
14. Hannatu Adegboyega (Senior Sales Manager, Oracle)
She is a self-motivated and passionate individual with 12+ years of experience in Marketing, Enterprise and Retail Sales & Customer care focused on applying cutting edge optimal strategies to deliver organisational goals. She is driven by the desire to ultimately become an expert in turning around performance and creating market leaders
of businesses by developing inspiring and innovative brands/products/ promotions or revamping existing brands/products with the use of effective marketing strategies to drive an increase in revenues/sales across all market segments. She is also an
associate of WimBiz and an executive at the women in tech Nigeria.
15. Jennifer Oyelade (MIRP International Talent Acquisition Director)
Zindi. Jennifer (Nwanosike) Oyelade is an International Recruitment Business Leader, EMEA Talent Acquisition Director, Employability Specialist, Writer, Author and Mentor. She is a member of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals (MIRP – UK) and a Organisational Change Advocate with an extensive career spanning across Europe, the Middle East, North America and Sub-Sahara Africa. As a Talent Acquisition Director she had spearheaded recruitment and Market Entry strategies for in-country and global organisations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa more specifically Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Botswana, and South Africa with the objective of identifying, developing and empowering talent.
She is the author of “Careerectional Facility – Writing the Wrongs of Professional Development”, a book that educates the reader on how to strategically position themselves for opportunities in a market where talented professionals are many and opportunities are few. The book also debunks the ideology that career success can only be attained within a predetermined structure. Jennifer has also been featured on BBC Africa’s ‘Gist Nigeria’ on Channels TV, Guardian Nigeria, ThisDay Nigeria, Punch Newspaper, Business Day Newspaper and The Nation Newspaper to provide her expertise on Career Strategy, Organisation Transformation, Employee Engagement, and Capacity Building for future growth. In partnership with Business A.M Newspaper, Jennifer also has a weekly column called “HR Insights with Jennifer Oyelade” where she writes about Career Strategy, Organisational Transformation, Human Capacity Development, Gender Inclusion and everything else in-between.
16 Chiwendu Sarah Ohakpougwu (Head, Corporate Communications, DLM Capital Group)
Chinwendu Ohakpougwu is an experienced financial communications professional, providing deep sector knowledge with a breadth of public relations and marketing which enables her to solve complex communications challenges for her clients. She has worked with institutions in the financial services sector such as FBNQuest, Renmoney, Visa, Agusto&Co, WorldRemit and Standard Chartered, Tangerine Life, AppZone and Coronation Group. She has also experience working on non-financial players such as Laliga, Turkish Airlines, Enyo Retail, Eat’N’Go, Western Digital, and Hogan Lovells.
17. Lara Adewumi (Editor-in-Chief, Dabira Magazine)
She is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, of Dabira magazine www.dabiramagazine.com, an online magazine dedicated to empowering and informing women to thrive and live. She hosts the Women of Influence & Leadership Summit, a global gathering of women in leadership and influence. She also hosts the popular Dabira Women’s Conference in Nigeria that seats hundreds of women across the nation with local and international speakers gracing the stage. Lara has received several awards for the humanitarian work within the society and the women network at large. Lara served as Country Director at Global Goodwill
Ambassador, and a Greenden Ambassador for Nigeria on Agriculture and the green environment for 4 years. Lara focuses on women’s issues, mentorship for young girls, and her desire is to see every woman and child live a meaningful & purposeful life.
18. Aisha Augie-Kuta (Special Adviser (Digital Communications Strategy) to the Federal Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning)
Aisha Augie-Kuta is a Nigerian photographer and filmmaker based in Abuja. She won the award for Creative Artist of the year at 2011 The Future Awards. Her work spans documentary, fashion and aerial photography. She uses juxtaposition in her
work as her way of pushing the idea that there are always two sides to a story; this comes from her background in photojournalism and Mass Communication. Her personal projects explore issues of gender and identity influenced by her experiences as a female, mixed race and mixed tribe individual who struggled to fit in earlier in life.
Augie-kuta is the current Special Adviser (Digital Communications Strategy) to the Federal Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning. Prior to this, she was the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Kebbi State, Nigeria on New Media. Augie-Kuta leads various development initiatives for the advocacy of youth and women empowerment across Nigeria. With over a decade of experience in Media and Communications, Aisha excels at harnessing traditional and new media to create value for communities. As an internationally celebrated creative artist, photographer, filmmaker, and communication specialist, Aisha has led various development initiatives for the advocacy of youth and women empowerment across Nigeria. Working in both the private, public and not-for-profit sectors in key industries, Aisha has developed various soft skills including leadership and corporate communication. Aisha’s passion for community development and governance spurred her to run for the House
of Representatives for the Argungu-Augie Constituency as the first female under the major party in Nigeria.
19. Adenike Adeyemi (Executive Director, Fate Foundation)
Adenike Adeyemi is an expert in small and growing businesses, social entrepreneurship, institutional transformation, non-profit sustainability, philanthropy and corporate governance. Her 20-year experience includes working in the private, public
and development sectors to develop, fund and implement innovative programs and high impact policies for MSMEs and young people. She is the Chief Executive Officer for FATE Foundation, Nigeria’s foremost business incubator which has connected over 193,000 aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs with a range of resources including capacity building, advisory services, mentoring and financing to start, grow and scale their businesses. Under her leadership, the Foundation set up the FATE Institute as the thought leader on Nigeria’s MSMEs and has produced 13 research reports on the entrepreneurship ecosystem. She also led the
expansion of the FATE School of Entrepreneurship’s incubation and accelerator programs to 27 states and published 9 books for Nigerian entrepreneurs. She also oversees the FATE Giving which raised, disbursed and closed a $1,000,000 Fund for
the FATE Philanthropy Coalition for COVID-19 Support Fund in 2020. Prior to joining FATE Foundation, she worked at KPMG Nigeria; the Nigeria Leadership Initiative; the New Jersey Educational Opportunity Program and the West African NGO
Network. She also interned at the Africa-America Institute. She has a Masters of Public Administration and a Masters of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University (2005) and a BA in Linguistics from the University of Ibadan
(2001). She is a 2020 Eisenhower Global Women Leaders Fellow. Adenike’s Board experience includes Trustee of the Youth Business International; Council Member, Lagos Chamber of Commerce & Industries; Non-Executive Director,
VDT Bitflux Communications and Animal Care Limited; Director, Oxbridge Tutorial College Foundation; and Advisory Board Member, BudgIT. She is also the Lead Facilitator for the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) MSME Community of Practice and the Chairman, the Technical Sub Committee, 2022 NESG Nigerian Economic Summit.
20. Rose Keffas (Special Assistant, Office of the SSA to the President of Nigeria on SDGs)
Rose Keffas is a Special Assistant Office of the SSA to the President of Nigeria on SDGs. She has expertise in the coordination and strategic planning, economics, tailored policy support, result monitoring, and partnerships. She coordinates and integrates the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Nigeria’s national development plans and priorities and develop an actionable framework for implementation at the national, state & local government levels. She serves as the secretariat to the Presidential Committee on the Assessment and Monitoring of the SDGs (PCAM-SDGs). Prior to this position she worked as Principal Consultant at Team HR Services Ltd and also offered Client Services at Barclays.
21. Kemi Olawoye (Chief Communications Officer, Bora Communications)
Kemi Olawoye is a Practicing physiotherapist who is passionate about health promotion and advocacy through broadcast journalism. Kemi manages and treats patients who present with conditions that require physical therapy. She also runs antenatal and postnatal physiotherapy classes as well as provides community physiotherapy services. She is also the Co-founder of Babymigo, Nigeria’s largest pregnancy and parenting community.
22. Oluwatumininu Adepoju (Regional Manager Network Enterprise Operations at MTN Nigeria)
Adepoju Oluwatumininu is a thought leader who influences her team by connecting to their hearts and minds to exceed expectations in their different fields of expertise. She is an experienced Regional Network Manager with a demonstrated history of working in telecommunications. She has won the Y’hello Manager Award winner, Best Customer Service Award (Enterprise Business Unit) all with MTN Nigeria. She has equally spoken to drive culture change on different platforms including the R.E.A.D
platform, M.O.A platform, AWEDI platform, etcetera. She equally possesses international certification in Agile ScrumMaster and ITIL Foundation. She has undergone several pieces of training in Leadership on different platforms including The Havard Business School.
An award-winning Manager, she leads an award-winning team by optimizing processes and eliminating waste. She possesses over 17 years of experience in the Telecommunication Sector. She began her career with VGC Communication where she
was responsible for building the data connectivity from scratch. She was responsible for managing the customer service, billing as well as connectivity design of all the data customers in the company. From there she transitioned to MTN Nigeria, where she
started as a Customer Service Engineer and moved on to being a Team Lead, responsible for supervising all the customer service engineers in the Northern Region. She is currently the Regional Manager, with oversight functions of managing the 18 Northern states in Nigeria, coordinating the activities of multi-vendors and cross-functional units. Outside work hours, she is passionate about coaching and mentoring, teaching people how to replace bad habits with healthier ones a habit at a time, a day at a time, a person at a time.
23. Jennifer Ukoh (Public Relations Manager, GOtv, MultiChoice Nigeria)
Jennifer is a marketing communication professional with years of hands-on experience in public relations, social media engagement, brands and events management. Before her elevation to GOTV PR Manager, Jennifer was a Public Relations Executive with Multichoice for over two years. She kick-started her career in the marketing communications industry in 2010 with The Quadrant Company as a trainee analyst where she has been directly involved in strategy development and content generation for multinational companies in various sectors including telecommunications, technology, FMCGs, automobile and aviation. Later becoming a full analyst and a team lead at the agency, Jennifer was saddled with the responsibility of increasing visibility and building credibility using a mix of traditional and digital media to shape public perception for various brands, developing PR plans, media liaison and monitoring, management and organization of corporate, consumer & media events content development among others. She possesses a CAM diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a B.Sc in Microbiology from the University of Lagos.
24. Chidera Didi Akwuba (Lead, Government Relations Ardova Plc (ex Forte Oil Plc) Oil & Gas)
Chidera is an experienced Corporate Strategist currently holding the portfolio of a Government Relations Advisor with an extensive knowledge of the mid-downstream oil and gas sector. She is well acquainted with the immense demands of operating with a compelling sense of urgency and drive, in a dynamic and fast-paced setting. She also hosts InsideoutwithDidi# on Clubhouse, a podcast discussing everyday life issues.
25. Charlotte Essiet (Director – Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, AOS Orwell Limited)
Charlotte is the Director in charge of Corporate and Regulatory (Government) Relations at AOS Orwell Limited. She has a successful track record for taking on cross-functional leadership roles in global conglomerates like Baker Hughes, Halliburton and a few others. Her professional experience spans Business Strategy, Project and Process Management, Supply Chain Management, and Business Consultancy and Analysis. Her problem-solving skills fuels her result-driven orientation and constant willingness to learn. With over 16 years of experience in the Oil and Gas Industry, she brings professionalism and extensive experience to the AOS Orwell Limited organization. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, from Lagos State University, an MBA in Engineering Business Management from Manchester Business School and executive certificates in Strategic Marketing Management from Stanford Business School and Achieving Leadership Excellence from London School of Economics.
26. Ifedayo I. (Senior Legal Council – Africa, The Coca-Cola Company)
27. Ifunanya Anamelechi (Head Legal and Compliance Bud Africa)
With 12 years post-call experience in Commercial Law, Corporate Governance and Regulatory Compliance, Ifunanya is a committed, focused and driven Legal and Compliance Specialist who has worked across Africa under both Common Law and
Civil Law Jurisdictions and also across industries such as Banking, Telecommunications, Financial Technology, Construction and Oil and Gas by proactively providing strategic Legal support while ensuring strict adherence to the diverse regulatory requirements of the different jurisdictions. Currently, she is the In-house Legal Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer to a highly
diversified Conglomerate.
28. Ayodele Aburo (Corporate Communications Manager at Guinness Nigeria (A Diageo Company)
She is a creative and results-driven Corporate Communications Professional with extensive experience in communication, media & public relations, sustainability programs and reputation management, investor relations, employee engagement, crisis and change management, digital campaigns and special events direction. She is always excited about opportunities to deliver exceptional integrated campaigns in close alignment with business objectives, revenue goals and KPIs.
29. Kemi Longe (Head of Category, Personal Hygiene/PZ CUSSONS)
Kemi is an experienced Marketing Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the fast-moving consumer goods and consumer healthcare industries. She is skilled in Negotiation, Business Planning, Analytics, A&P management, innovation management, traditional and digital media management and Operations Management.
30. Miriam Odabe (Brand Manager, Budweiser, AB InBev)
Miriam is an experienced professional with a demonstrated history in Sales, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship skilled in business development, commercial excellence, strategy, product development, business operations, and management with proven expertise leading growth strategy campaigns for companies across FMCG, Technology, Telecommunications, Entertainment, Government, Oil & Gas and Hospitality.
31. Enitan Kuku-Omonijo (Senior Manager, Revenue Growth Management/ Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company)
Enita is a highly proficient finance subject matter expert skilled in concepts and strategies to yield the best financial outcomes for organizations. She is adept at management accounting, financial control and business partnering. She is energetic
and results-focused with FMCG, Consulting and Banking experience coupled with an excellent track record in providing unique strategies for achieving results and a robust ability to deliver in a fast-paced environment.
32. Mokutima Ajileye (Managing Director, Procter & Gamble, Nigeria)
A highly experienced marketing and business leader with over 17 years of vast accomplishments across Africa and Europe, Mokutima Ajileye’s appointment as the new Managing Director of Procter & Gamble Nigeria comes as no surprise. She has
consistently delivered revenue, profit, and market share growth while developing the capabilities and talents within the organization. Comfortable with ambiguity, Mokutima Ajileye’s entrepreneurial mindset has enabled her to take on start-up roles and build the organization from the bottom up.
33. Juliet Odogwu (Executive Director, eHealth Africa)
She is a public health program and portfolio management expert, with a strong focus on technology driven innovations and the use of data for decision making. She has extensive experience in designing, implementing and strategising for information systems based solutions. She is passionate about digital solutions for development in LMICs, ethical and responsible field implementation, innovations in public health, project management and project delivery in humanitarian settings, and building effective virtual teams. Juliet has more than 13 years of experience in Project and programs implementation and many years of experience in strategic planning and development of new programs, and very recently, Director of Programs at Impact at eHealth Africa. She has held several positions at eHA, including Senior Program Manager and Director at Program and Impact before being appointed as Executive Director, where she has been since 2018. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA),
Information Systems and Analysis from Howard University, Washington DC.
Juliet has also served as Portfolio Manager in the DFID-funded Growth and Employment in States (GEMS3) Program, where she provided oversight on several projects that were targeted at improving the legal and regulatory environment for small
and medium scales enterprises in Nigeria. She was the New Technology Lead and Senior Analyst on HIV Laboratory Access at the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Nigeria.
34. Chisom Obi-Jeff (Managing Director, Direct Consulting and Logistics, Nigeria)
Chisom is a Global Health Researcher and Implementation Scientist with demonstrated expertise in designing and implementing interventions to improve health-seeking behavior, equity and outcomes. She is skilled in implementation research, qualitative data analysis, grounded theory, community-based participatory research approaches, community needs assessment, program evaluation, project management, stakeholder management, public speaking and writing. She is currently working with her team to use the human-centred design approaches to co-design and co-disseminate targeted messages to improve the COVID-19 vaccine uptake among hesitant healthcare workers and eligible adults in Nigeria. Through her work as consultant for International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC) at Johns Hopkins
School of Public Health, she has successfully coordinated, managed and implemented research projects funded by Gavi, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF), etc. in Nigeria. Chisom has written and contributed to over 18 academic peer-reviewed articles, grey literature and practice-related reports. In recognition of her expertise, she has been nominated to serve in several advisory roles; some of which includes but are not limited to Nigeria Immunization Technical Advisory Group Secretariat and Human Papilloma Virus Working Group, amongst others.
35. Onyinye Anene-Nzelu (Head, Mini-Grids, ENGIE Energy Access)
Onyinye is the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) Sub-Saharan African Region Young Energy Professional, 2020. She is YALI Power Africa, Young Women in African Power Alumnus and the first female Certified Energy Manager (CEM) in Nigeria. She is
a versatile professional with 9+ years of experience in ICT consulting and Energy Management. She is currently the Head of Mini-Grids at Engie Energy Access Nigeria, where she is charged with building a high performing team that will electrify rural communities, stimulate demand and build a profitable business. She is knowledgeable in Renewable Energy Systems, Energy Management, Power Utility Management, Energy Market Tariff Modelling and Power System planning. She is adept at conceptualizing and implementing innovative policies and systems that improve business efficiency. A training facilitator for the Energy Training Center, she has delivered training in energy systems. Onyinye volunteers with AWEDI Networks a not for profit focused on developing women across the energy value chain.
36. Rahila Thomas (Country Director, Energy Markets and Regulatory Consultants, EMRC)
She is a consultant with over 15 years of experience in the power sector and is presently the Country Director of Energy Market and Regulatory Consultants formerly AF Mercados EMI, Nigeria. Rahila established the Nigerian subsidiary for AF Mercados EMI and generated sales of over US$4m in 2 years. She assisted in the acquisition of two State-owned Distribution Companies and concession of one Hydroelectric Power Company in the Nigerian privatization programme.
She joined the Presidential Task Force on Power in 2011 as Technical Adviser providing regulatory and transaction support to BPE Electric Power Team on the implementation of the Power Sector Reform Programme. She assisted in the establishment of the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company (NBET) Plc, and the process that led to securing the commitment of the World Bank to provide a Partial Risk Guarantee (PRG) to support the PPAs to be signed by NBET.
37. Oluwadamilola Olatunji (Senior Content Associate, BellaNaija)
As a Senior Content Associate, Damilola oversees BellaNaija’s editorial strategy to ensure that the needs of each audience are met, and also collaborates with a cross-functional team of creatives to create engaging, informative, and entertaining content.
38. Adesola Arogundade (Media Partnerships Specialist, Sports and Entertainment, West Africa, TikTok)
Adesola is an experienced Content Enthusiast with a demonstrated history of working in the digital media industry. She is skilled in Storytelling, Social Media Management, Communication, Project Management, Editing, and Journalism. She is currently the Media Partnerships Specialist, Sports and Entertainment, West Africa at TikTok.
39. Busola Tejumola (Executive Head of Content & West Africa Channels, Multichoice Nigeria Limited)
As the Executive Head, Content & West Africa Channels, Busola drives the end to end development and execution of content strategy for Multichoice Nigeria including the Africa Magic and Akwaaba Group Channels, strongly contributing to the growth and bottom-line of the business, re-inforcing Multichoice’s position as Africa’s most loved storyteller. As a senior female executive, she has taken the initiative to mentor other women in the organisation through the MultiChoice Women’s Forum (MWF) – a platform that grooms women to leadership and executive positions through mentorship, deep learning, secondments and sponsorship. Its aim is to build an inclusive environment that advances all women across MultiChoice. She also extends this mentorship to university and secondary school women with the hope that they will remain focused and pursue rewarding careers.
40. Chinyelu Chikwendu (Managing Director, Vatebra Tech Hub)
Chinyelu is a transformational business leader with experience in strategy, analytics, corporate finance, budgeting, financial modelling, due diligence, innovation management and business transformation. She currently leads the Group Strategy function for Vatebra Limited, a Pan –African software company with offices in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Uganda.
She also doubles as the Director of Operations in Vatebra Tech Hub, a subsidiary company set up in partnership with the Bank of Industry of Nigeria. In her private time, she serves on the Board of GEPCare Foundation, a Not-For-Profit organization that creates awareness on trafficking in women and children; and empowers young girls with skills to earn a decent living.
41. Fatimah Adelodun (Information Security Manager, Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc)
Fatimah is a seasoned technology strategist with over 10 years of progressive experience in designing and implementing large-scale projects worth millions of dollars, facilitating technology transformation, digital transformation, business process improvements/optimization etc. She has diverse hands-on exposure in cybersecurity with demonstrated success in creating and executing projects with emerging and established technologies. She is also the founder of Shelovescyber on Instagram, a platform she uses to share cybersecurity tips, tech news and career advice.
42. Adora Nwodo (Software Engineer, Microsoft)
Adora Nwodo is a Software Engineer working in Lagos, Nigeria. With a First Class Computer Science degree from the University of Lagos, Adora has a strong Software Engineering background. She enjoys building innovative technology on the cloud. In 2018, she created a blog called AdoraHack where she publishes articles on Software development. AdoraHack also has a YouTube channel where she puts out tech video content. Adora is extremely passionate about the developer community. She is the co-
founder of unStack Africa and a VP at the VRAR Association Nigeria. She also contributes to open source, speaks at conferences worldwide and mentors developers whenever possible.
43. Bukola Akomolafe (Country Manager, Travel Start)
Bukola is the Country Manager of Travelstart Nigeria, Africa’s largest online travel agency. She is responsible for setting the strategic direction for the market. Prior to this role, Bukky served as Travelstart’s Commercial Manager for close to three years. She was responsible for local brand strategy, managing the performance of online & offline marketing channels, business development and innovation. Most notably, she managed the sponsorship of the Nigerian Skeleton & Bobsled team at the Winter Olympics in 2018, organized “Based on Logistics” sale where for three days, customers were able to get a 25% discount on all domestic flights because of the elections postponement as well as spearheaded partnership campaigns with Uber, Genesis Cinemas and more. Bukola has more than a decade of marketing experience; she has worked for Ogilvy & Mather, JP Morgan Chase & Co and Flytime Promotions. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration from George Washington University. She later attended the Yale School of Management for her master. Bukola has received numerous awards including being named one of Nigeria’s 100 Most Inspiring Women by Leading Ladies Africa in 2019, 2019 recipient of the Future Awards Africa Prize in Professional Service.
44. Caroline Ijogun (VP Brand, Marketing and Communications, Kuda Bank)
Caroline Toluwani Ijogun leads brand and marketing as SVP in Kuda bank, Nigeria’s leading mobile-first challenger bank. In 2014, she became the Regional Marketing Manager, West Africa for Philips, a Dutch health-tech company. After two years at Philips, Caroline moved to lead the marketing teams at ColdStone Creamery and Dominos Pizza as Marketing Director. The move expanded her professional experience which up to now, had included stints in the financial sector with Guaranty Trust Bank (GT Bank), health-tech with Philips, and now in food and beverages. She strengthened her administrative experience with a 9 month supervision of Seahorse Food & Beverages Company as General Manager, a role which saw her leading not just the marketing team this time, but the entire company.
45. Anurika Azubuike (Consultant- Africa Regional Communications, International Finance Corporation)
Anurika has two decades of hands-on experience covering strategy, marketing, communications, growth partnerships and business management, for start-ups, medium-sized firms, Fortune 1000 companies, and multilateral institutions, across diverse industries – technology, financial services, consumer goods, manufacturing, and media.
She has a thorough understanding of the African market dynamics, specifically sub-Saharan Africa, as it pertains to buying cultures with a proven track record of creating and delivering innovative & transformational approaches for firms and institutions to attain sustainable, profitable results. As a Business Leader, she is adept at building high performing teams – working with local and remote teams across different countries globally – and providing systems for rapid growth. She is deeply passionate about leveraging technology to drive business innovation. She holds an MBA from the University of Leicester, the UK, and other professional qualifications and training in Leadership, Innovation, Marketing, Communications and Strategy.
46. Oluwakemi Olajide (West Africa Lead, The uMunthu Fund, Alitheia Capital)
Oluwakemi is an experienced finance professional with a demonstrated history of working in the banking and private equity industry. She has demonstrated expertise in emerging markets across a range of sectors including FinTech, Technology, Non-Bank Financial Services, Oil & Gas, and Manufacturing. She is also an active member of the Global Shapers Community – born from the World Economic Forum, where she Co-leads the Education and Employment Team.
47. Jumoke Olaniyan (Divisional Head, Market Architecture, FMDQ Securities Exchange Ltd)
Jumoke is an astute and seasoned financial and capital markets executive with fifteen years of strategic and focused leadership in market architecture design, product development and trading systems/Infrastructure design, regulatory advocacy and
stakeholder engagements. She believes one of her superpowers is her stakeholder engagement prowess, as she loves every opportunity to sensitize and educate stakeholders on new product offerings and bespoke financial and capital market solutions that can help their businesses stay profitable.
48. Chukwudumebi Uyoyou-Agha (Group Head, Energy & Power, Fidelity Bank PLC)
Chukwudumebi has over 10 years of experience in helping business leaders in the Oil & Gas, Telecommunications, Hospitality and Manufacturing sectors drive profitable growth, optimize performance and make critical decisions in finance and investments.
She is a multiple award-winning results-oriented professional and thought leader recognized for leadership, dependability, versatility and strong attention to detail in both domestic and international markets.
49. Ugonnaya Osi (Deputy Vice President, United Capital PLC)
Ugonnaya is a highly experienced investment banking sales manager with over 15 years of experience in Asset Management and Securities trading. She is currently the Deputy Vice President, United Capital Plc.
50. Mobola Dele-Ojo (Chief Risk & Compliance Officer, ABSA Bank Nigeria)
Mobola is a chartered accountant and risk management professional with experience in the financial industry spanning Market & Liquidity risk management, Treasury & Balance sheet management, Credit & Financial Analysis, Portfolio management, Financial risk management and Operational resilience with over 10 years of experience. She is currently the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer, Absa Group.
51. Abiola Adediran (Group CFO, Coronation Group)
Abiola is an innovative and dynamic change leader, having over thirteen years of seasoned financial experience with exposure in both local and international financial markets. Her diverse experience in providing core business strategy, auditing, financial management, corporate valuation, and investment management services has provided her with the ability to provide unique and authentic perspectives to support various facets of the business. Currently, she serves as the Group Chief Financial Officer of Coronation Group, a leading investment management group in Africa with investments in banking, oil & gas, real estate, financial technology and private equity.
52. Victoria Abiola Ajayi (Deputy CFO, TVC Communications)
Victoria currently serves as the Deputy Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of TVC Communications. She is a seasoned executive with over 15 years of strong financial management experience garnered from an assortment of roles held in treasury, management & financial accounting, project finance as well as financial planning & investment, locally and internationally.
Victoria is a gender equality proponent #SDG5 and an advocate for women’s leadership. Her passion to see women rise to the uppermost echelons of their career and in every sphere of life led to the establishment of ACCA Women’s Network Nigeria (ACCA WNN) where she is actively involved in encouraging, engaging, and equipping women to develop their capacity for executive and strategic leadership. She is also an ardent promoter of financial inclusion and financial literacy.
53. Samira Nwaturuocha (CRO, AXA Mansard)
Samira is a successful leader on risk and resilience governance and controls, accomplished in all areas of risk using a holistic approach for policy development, implementation and training in financial, credit, insurance and operational risk management and operational resilience (business continuity, and crisis management). She is currently the Chief Risk Officer at AXA Mansard.
54. Ajayi Oludolapo O (Consumer & Market Insights Lead (FMCG)
An introvert at heart with a love for the stage and microphone is how she describes herself. Through her public speaking, voice-over and writing skills, she is carving a niche for herself by delivering value to her employer and clients. Over the past 8 years, Her career has advanced across roles in Digital Advertising and Consumer, Market Insights. In her current role leading Consumer & Market Insights for a multinational FMCG business, Isbe has taken responsibility for performance and growth by focusing on actionable, transformational insights. Using her analytical skills to drive business growth is a daily win for her and the company. her prior experience in managing the Digital Advertising strategy and campaign execution of key brands in the FMCG and Banking industry has contributed greatly to her results. She has grown a keen interest in Corporate Communications & Sustainability and actively seeking as well as taking advantage of opportunities aligned with this. This includes the Harvard Business Online Course in Sustainable Business Strategy which she completed in 2021. After this, she had the opportunity to take on additional work responsibilities as the Communication Planning Associate for the rollout of a Mergers and Acquisition learning platform where she drove the communications strategy and designed materials, including comprehensive training guides. Outside my corporate life, she is deeply involved in my church where she currently serves as an Associate Pastor, leading teams and various departments in the operational effectiveness of the organization. She is passionate about helping people grow and in her capacity mentor young ladies as well.
55. Toyosi Odukoya (Head of Business Intelligence, Mastercard Foundation)
Toyosi is an experienced Strategy, Innovation, Analytics & Digital Transformation Senior Business Leader with expertise in applying insights & analytics in ensuring an organization’s competitive advantage and vision are fully harnessed for growth and
impact. She has worked in virtual, multi-cultural environments across global borders and leading regional teams. Her experience spans various industries and roles in the Telecommunications, FMCG and Development sectors. She is passionate about women and young people, ensuring they have the right support to maximize their potential and be the best they can be. She volunteers her time by mentoring women at WIMBIZ and Leading Ladies Africa.
56. Chioma Afe (Group Head, Retail Marketing and Analytics, Access Bank)
Chioma is a motivated, proactive, strategic thinker, leader and digitally driven brand advocate. She is a successful marketing communication professional with a total of 23 years of experience spanning FMCG, Consulting (Andersen), direct marketing,
telecommunications, broadcast media/content marketing and financial services. Her work experience spans brand management of various global brands including coca-cola and Airtel, among others, with deliverables that included design, development and
execution of equity building and volume driving strategies, as well as collaborating with the creative and entertainment industry.
She is passionate about brands, marketing communications, retail products marketing, digital and data-driven marketing, leading to the current role as the Group Head, Group Retail Marketing and Analytics at Access Bank following the role as Divisional Head, Corporate Communications at Diamond Bank.
57. Tomi Aluko (Head, Corporate Communications and Marketing, Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS)
She is an experienced brand consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the Banking industry skilled in Corporate Communications, Market Research, Management, Business Development, and Marketing Strategy.
58 Adesuwa Ifedi (Senior VP, Heifer Africa)
Adesuwa Ifedi serves as Africa Senior Vice President for Heifer International where she works to catalyse ground-up innovation that will transform the way smallholder farmers and farming communities live and do business and thereby contribute to ending hunger and poverty in Africa. Adesuwa has also developed partnerships that have pulled together millions of dollars from the public and private sector to support transformational programs at scale in underserved communities in Africa. She also initiated and led the largest technology-enabled education transformation program in Nigeria which is currently serving over 800,000 at-risk children in public schools.
59. Ndifreke Okwuegbunam (Director, Programs & Grants, Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation)
Ndifreke is a meticulous and forward-thinking programs director with an excellent record in strategic financial management, corporate social responsibilities, SDGs implementation, program initiatives design with an end-to-end implementation plan in a Non-profit organization’s budget. She has a proven track record in consistently and effectively designing and managing programs from ideation to implementation, that enhance the organization’s purpose and profitability. She is currently the Director, Programs and Grant at Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation.
60. Abisola Atitebi (Associate Director, PwC)
A seasoned accountant and administrator, she is the director in charge of Finance and Operations. She has worked with various international organisations including PriceWaterHouse Coopers, Barclays Bank UK, Ernst & Young UK. She is on the board
of directors of The Pediatric Center.
61. Enene Ejembi (Head of Strategic Communications & Knowledge Management, DAI)
With 19 years’ progressive experience working initially in Banking & Finance, then International Development, Enene leads the DAI Knowledge Management & Communications unit in Nigeria. Her role is to design strategy and lead implementation of a knowledge management, learning and communications portfolio. She provides leadership, manages the performance and development of direct reports, and participates as a member of the Nigeria leadership team coordinating cross-functional strategic projects that help the company continuously evolve, improve and excel. She is currently the Senior Manager, Strategic Communications & Knowledge Management at DAI.
62. Itoro Adediran (Manager, KPMG)
Itoro is currently a Tax Manager with KPMG Professional Services. She is a team leader and expert in providing tax and regulatory services to companies in the Oil and Gas Industry. In the last couple of years, she has acquired significant experience in Taxation and Business Development. Itoro has collaborated with a multi-disciplinary team of middle and senior management personnel within her organization and third party establishments in the Oil and Gas Industry (both Upstream and Downstream). Her involvement in various tax engagements has guided leading business enterprises in Nigeria and the sub-region in devising a highly competitive business model for tax efficiency and effectiveness. She has leveraged my superlative skills set in advising companies on the best possible way for attaining optimum tax and financial results.
63. Hansatu Adegbite (Executive Director, WIMBIZ)
Hansatu is a self-motivated individual with over 25 years of volunteer experience in associations, NGOs and faith-based organisations that provide capacity building and development opportunities for children, youth and women. Hansatu is guided by her personal mission statement which is to positively inspire, impact and invest in lives. She is an alumnus of Harvard Business School with an Action Learning Masters in Business Administration from Business School Netherlands (BSN) and serves as a
member of the BSN Governing Board of its alumni. Hansatu is also a graduate of Business Administration from the University of Abuja where she served as the first female president of the Nigerian Universities Association of Management and Business
Students (NUAMBS). She has gained a Certificate in Entrepreneurship Management from the Enterprise Development Center (EDC) in Lagos and is a life member of the EDC alumni association. She finished her secondary school education from the first
girls military school in West Africa, the Air Force Girls Military School in Jos and further served as the pioneer National Chairperson of its alumni. Hansatu is a United Kingdom certified trainer and Associated Stress Consultant (ASC) in Life Coaching. She has over 20 years of professional experience in banking, entrepreneurship and team building consulting. Hansatu’s corporate work experience started in commercial banking at the United Bank for Africa Plc, an administrator and at ICDL Nigeria. She was also a training partner with Business School Netherlands International and a training associate with Howes Consulting Group. Her entrepreneurship experience has been in team building consulting and events management. In addition to these, her true passion has always been in volunteering in the social sector and has over 25 years volunteer experience in professional associations, NGOs and faith-based organisations that are gender focused and provide development opportunities for children and youth. She has been awarded for her service in various leadership capacities and sits on 3 social sector Boards. She currently serves as the Executive Director of Women in Management, Business and Public Service WIMBIZ in Lagos.
64. Serah Makka-Ugbabe (Executive Director for Engagement and Mobilisation, The ONE Campaign)
Serah Makka-Ugbabe is ONE’s Executive Director, Engagement and Mobilisation. She leads ONE’s work on global campaigning and digital strategy as well as the coordination, growth, and engagement of ONE’s diverse and global supporter base. Prior to this role, Serah was ONE’s Nigeria Country Director where she led the team to achieve success in the flagship Make Naija Stronger campaign resulting in an annual Federal fund for basic healthcare provision. Before joining ONE, Serah worked in Afghanistan, the United States and Nigeria in the education sector, as a strategy and evaluation consultant and advising the Nigerian government. Her involvement in people-powered campaigns began in Nigeria with the Occupy Nigeria movement, BringBackOurGirls and the EndSars movement. As a 2018 Archbishop Desmond Fellow, she focuses on amplifying citizen voices for better governance. Serah holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of North Florida and a master’s degree in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
65 Kike Soyode Ojewale (Senior Associate, ACAS Law)
Kikelola Soyode Ojewale is a Senior Counsel in the law firm of ACAS-Law in the Corporate and Commercial Law department.
Kike’s focus is on intellectual property, particularly trademarks, patents, copyright, industrial designs and trade secrets as they relate to multinationals, small and medium-sized enterprises and creatives. She advises clients on the exclusivity of brands, protection and enforcement of trademarks, brand endorsements and all matters relating to television, music, fashion, sports, cinema, advertising, theatre and film. She is also experienced in structuring, negotiating and drafting intellectual property
licensing, merchandising, franchising and publishing agreements and transactions. She is passionate about breaking barriers and changing the norm in her field of expertise.
66. Imomoemi Ibisiki (Company Secretary/Legal Advisory to the board of directors, Heritage Bank)
Imomoemi Ibisiki is the company secretary/legal adviser to the Board of Directors of Heritage Bank Plc. Prior to her appointment as Company Secretary/Legal Adviser, she had served as Divisional Head, Human Capital Management Division where she was responsible for the strategic management and development of the Human Capital of the Bank for 2 years. Prior to becoming the Divisional Head of Human Capital Management, she was Divisional Head of the Legal Services Division in Heritage Bank Plc for about 5years, from the post official commencement of the business of the Bank in the year 2012. As a pioneer Legal Adviser of the Bank, she formed a bespoke legal team that provided tailor-made legal advisory services to the Board and management of Heritage Bank.
67. Ifeyinwa Nasiah Okoye (Senior Magistrate)
Ifeyinwa is a Senior Magistrate in the Anambra State Judiciary. She initially studied sociology and instead of proceeding to NYSC, she went back to bag her law degree. Her desire to study law was because of her long-nursed dream to be a voice for
physically challenged persons like herself and society’s downtrodden. She is also the first physically challenged person to be sworn into the bench of the Anambra State Judiciary.
68. Osose Aziba (Commercial Counsel (Anglophone Markets), BAT)
Osose is an experienced in-house Counsel currently working in a multinational with a demonstrated educational and career track record as an in-house counsel in the Consumer Goods and Financial Services sectors. While working as an in-house counsel in the financial services sector, she advised private trust formation and management, private equity as well as administration of estates.
Her work on documentation and legal processes enabled a private equity firm to shortlist potential SME portfolio companies in the USD165 million World Bank assisted Growth and Employment (GEM) Equity Window Scheme for SMEs to access equity
finance in Nigeria. She also advised and reviewed processes and documentation necessary for submission to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the registration of the ₦10 billion CBO Private Equity and Investment Management Fund.
She has served in different capacities as an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association-Section on Business Law (SBL). Osose was the sole recipient of the SBL Star Award in 2019, she was appointed by the National Executive Committee of the NBA as Secretary of the Governing Council of the Corporate Counsel Forum of the NBA in 2021.
69. Lande Atere (Group Head Operations and Services, First Bank Nigeria)
Recognised as a global female emerging leader by the US State Department/Fortune Global Women’s programme, Lande is a self-starter and goal-driven professional with significant exposure and expertise in Leadership & Talent Development, Value
Creation, Ideas Origination, Design Thinking, Customer Experience Management, Change Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Human Capital Development, Regulatory Relationship Management and Project Management & Implementation.
She is passionate about helping people reach for the skies. Nothing gives her more pleasure than seeing her mentees growing, improving and being recognised for their value and exceptional deeds. She believes very strongly that everyone can be exceptional talent under the right circumstances.
70. Ijeoma Taylaur (Executive Director, Alpha African Advisory Limited)
Ijeoma is Executive Director at Alpha African Advisory Limited (‘AAA’). She is dynamic and performance-oriented finance professional with a career spanning over 21 years with a strong track record of delivering results and providing innovative solutions to financial challenges in multinationals. Ijeoma’s experience includes financial audit, financial advisory, business advisory, financial management, business process reviews, and private equity fund management.
At AAA, Ijeoma leads the gateway services providing a range of market entry assistance services. She also plays a lead role in the origination and execution of the financial and business advisory mandates. Prior to joining Alpha African Advisory, Ijeoma spent over 10 years with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) at their Lagos and London offices where she was responsible for the integrated audit of major players in the upstream, downstream and services sectors of the oil and gas industry. Ijeoma holds a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (‘FCA’). She has also received extensive training in Auditing, Consulting, Risk Management, and various team management programs. Ijeoma sits on the Boards of Alpha African Advisory Limited and Superior Games Limited. She also serves as Alternate Director on the Board of Dorman Long
Engineering.
71. Mosun Layode (ED, African Philanthropy Foundation)
Mosun Layode is a development professional with two decades of experience in international development and nonprofit leadership. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the African Philanthropy Forum (APF) where she works
extensively across Africa with established and emerging philanthropists who are committed to the sustainable and inclusive development of Africa. Mosun was instrumental to the establishment of APF as an independent entity in Africa, increasing its reach and impact in the philanthropic community, as well as growing its brand and membership base. Prior to this, she served as the Executive Director of WIMBIZ and LEAP Africa, leading nonprofits in Nigeria. Passionate about the interplay of social issues and business, Mosun founded Social Runway, a nonprofit organization that supports social innovators. She has also served as an independent development consultant for nonprofit organisations. Mosun currently sits on nonprofit boards, is an alumna of the United States International Visitors Leadership Program and was identified by Forbes as one of the black women to watch in philanthropy. Mosun studied Urban and Regional Planning at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria, and obtained an MSc. in Environmental Resources Management from Lagos State University. She has an MBA from Lagos Business School and benefited from Executive Programs offered by the IESE Business School, Barcelona, and Harvard Business School.
72. Teju Fola-Alade (People & Culture Leader, MANO)
Teju is a Human Resource Practitioner & Business Operations Leader with more than a decade of experience in tech startups. Her divergent experiences cut across core business operations & human resource functions which include partnering with
leadership to establish and continuously improve business operations, organization culture and employee experience.
She is a Certified Human Resource Management Professional, a member of the Chartered Management Institute, UK and she has a certificate in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the UK alongside several local and international certificates.
73. Seun Adaramola (Marketing Director, Visa West Africa)
Seun Adaramola is a seasoned marketing and business leader. She is an experienced professional with a wealth of experience in strategy, marketing, brand building, creative storytelling, business development and general management. She has worked across
multiple industries and countries building strong brands and driving profitability for firms. Seun has led so many marketing and business initiatives that have delivered over 200% revenue growth. She has managed major global and regional sponsorship assets (FIFA World Cup, AFCON, etc.) to grow brands and deliver key business objectives. She is passionate about the role she can play as a leader in helping the next generation of marketers excel. Outside the world of marketing, she serves as a career and self-development coach/mentor supporting people to navigate their career path, making the right career decisions and guidance on how to fully harness their skills and potential.
74. Osemhen Okenyi (Global Supply Chain Strategy, Shell)
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75. Inyang Osazuwa (Senior Manager Employee Experience, MTN Nigeria)
She is responsible for enhancing Employee Experience in MTN Nigeria leveraging key employee touch-points and moments that matter opportunities across the employee experience journeys. She graduated from the University of Lagos with a Master’s Degree from the University of Wales in Management Consultancy. She has worked with MTN Nigeria for over 15 years in different capacities such as HR Services Supervisor, Attraction and Recruitment Manager, and now she oversees the Internal Consultancy Unit – Organisation Effectiveness within the same organization. She volunteers as a Member Of The Board Of Advisors, Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR).
76. Temitope Oluwatosin (Asst. Company Secretary/Legal & Compliance Manager -Africa PZ Cussons)
Temitope is an award-winning lawyer with over 10 years of experience as a legal counsel and corporate governance professional in the Finance and FMCG sectors. She contributes her skills and knowledge to solving issues that are of global concern as a member of the ICC – Working Committee on Trade and MSMES, Readers’ Committee of the Mandela Washington Fellowship and Policy & Advocacy Coordinator II at Awedi. Temitope is a mentee of WISCAR who also provides mentorship to young girls. She has trained young girls in high schools under the auspices of WISCAR’s Grow and Learn Initiative, a mentoring initiative targeted at High school female students.
77. Tinu Phillips Odufuye (Head of Sales & Marketing, Commercio Partners Asset Management)
Tinu Philips Odufuye is a wealth manager, multidisciplinary speaker, personal development trainer and leadership coach. She is a member of The John Maxwell Team with over 9 years of cognate experience in banking and Asset management with one of Africa’s biggest financial institutions. Tinu is the brain behind the Entrepreneurs Hangout With Tinu Philips, an annual business workshop where visionary entrepreneurs meet industry experts who expose them to global investment opportunities, business accounting models, sustainability and growth. Her maxim “I am a solution” coupled with her passion to help people become
their better selves every day has translated into several transformation stories and testimonies. She also founded “Ladies Breaking Boundaries” (LBB), a network of women without walls ready to change the narratives by becoming leaders in the marketplace. LBB network has created and directly improved about 250 thriving businesses.
78. Mary Ero (Principal Communications Consultant, CinqAvril Productions)
Mary has worked in Media and Communications for almost two decades, beginning with orthodox Journalism and TV Production, and gradually veering into Marketing Communications, (experiential) Event Logistics, and Digital Content Creation. In her spare time, she pours herself into her personal project which is a social venture that helps young women living with HIV to navigate life.
79. Olufunke Isichie (Head Established Markets, Stanbic IBTC Bank)
Olufunke is an ambidextrous management expert with footprints in Customer Experience Design and Implementation, Relationship Management, Retail Banking, Wealth Management, Sales, and Banking Operations. She is also a Certified John
Maxwell Trainer, Speaker and Coach.
80. Ifeoma Finnih (Senior Vice President, FBNQuest Merchant Bank Limited)
Ifeoma is an investment banker and Senior Vice President within the debt solutions unit at FBNQuest Merchant Bank. She has over ten years of banking experience, the last seven of which have been dedicated primarily towards financial advisory, structuring and closing of project finance deals worth over 6Billion USD across sectors such as oil and gas, infrastructure and telecommunications. She has led deal teams to execute projects across the aforementioned sectors and has garnered a range of skills including project due diligence, financial analysis, fund sourcing, syndications, project management, loan credit and documentation review and facility agency services. Prior to FBNQuest, she worked on real estate and construction projects and managed client relationships as a relationship Manager in the Corporate Banking department of Fidelity Bank. Ifeoma holds an MSc in Economics and Finance from Warwick Business School, UK and a BA in Economics and Management (First Class) from the University of Ghana, Legion.
81. Onyeche Tifase (Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Nigeria)
Onyeche Tifase is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Nigeria, a position she assumed in 2014. She is the first Nigerian to hold that position. She has been featured on several media Platforms. Onyeche Tifase is an experienced
engineering professional with extensive experience in the power and consulting industries. She graduated with a degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from the University of Nottingham and completed her Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cambridge. She is an avid supporter of local content development initiatives and participates
actively in key programs focused on the mentoring and development of the Nigerian youth. As part of her contributions to the growth and development of Nigeria, she sits on the board of a few organizations that aim to foster the growth and development of the country. She is the president of the Nigerian German Chamber of Commerce(NGCC), Vice-chair for Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and a board member of Private Sector Advisory Group Nigeria.
82. Iyiola Oyefeso (Group Head, Legal Services, AA&R Investment Group)
Iyiola is an award-winning General Counsel and Company Secretary with over 13 years of proven experience in providing efficient legal, contractual, company secretarial and regulatory compliance support to companies across various industries including oil and gas, logistics, agribusiness and telecommunications industries. She assists organisations to reduce their legal, regulatory and contractual risk exposures through the effective review of legal documents, development of an effective compliance program and contract management system, passionate representation of the company’s interests, diligent analysis of legal issues and effective provision of solutions to complex legal issues.
83. Toju Grage (Principal Consultant HillsBorough Consulting)
She is a Senior Communications professional with over 15 years’ experience providing strategic counsel and support to businesses and corporate leaders on matters encompassing Public Relations, Internal/Employee Communications and Change Management, Social and Digital Media Amplification, and Analyst Relations. She is a Resourceful leader with broad consumer and B2B experience spanning both senior consultancy and in-house roles in a variety of industry sectors, successful at developing the vision, direction and strategies required to manage corporate brands, employee engagements and customer relationships. Her focus has largely cut across Sub-Saharan Africa impacting diverse markets and multicultural environments. She has excellent proven business acumen as well as extensive experience managing substantial budgets.
84. Toyin Arowolo (ICT Manager, African Reinsurance Corporation)
Toyin is a business leader, software development technical lead and project manager with over 20 years of cross-functional experience turning raw data into business insights, value and actionable knowledge. She has spearheaded and developed the delivery of various complex systems and applications by leveraging her expertise in software development, data management and strategy, systems analysis, database design, application testing, conversion, installation and support. She is also a PRINCE2-certified Project Manager, a certified Oracle Associate and holds an MBA and PGD operational research from the African Leadership University Kigali Rwanda (where she got the award for doing business in Africa course) and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland respectively. She also sits on the Boards of PAWEN, a non-profit organization that addresses gender inequality by empowering African women and Baby Grubz, a social enterprise that produces affordable nutrient-dense foods and toddler snacks for the African child.
85. Thelma Osuhor (Operations Director, Power Services at General Electric)
Thelma is an experienced Power & Energy professional with demonstrated expertise working in the industry across multinational, privately owned and state-owned organisations. She volunteers as an advisory board member with Afro-Tech Girls where she provides advisory, mentorship and support to the organization. Before her current role, she was the Special Adviser (Technical), Hon Minister of Power, Adviser, Privatisation Strategy.
86. Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde (Regional Head of Brand and Reputation at Google)
Jola is a seasoned business leader who is currently serving as Head of the brand and reputation at Google Sub-saharan Africa. She is passionate about technology, entrepreneurship, youth empowerment and education. One of the flagship programs
she leads is Grow with Google, a program initiated by Google Africa in 2017 to help create economic opportunity through free digital skills training. To date, over 5m Africans have benefitted from the program. Jola is also a mentor and advises on various programmes and boards. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Lagos and a Masters in Management and Strategic Information Systems from the University of Barth.
87. Kari Tukur (Vice President of Products at Mastercard Sub-Saharan Africa)
Kari has over 14 years experience successfully managing Retail and Private banking activities across Africa and Europe. She holds a First Class Bachelor’s degree in Business Information Systems from Sheffield Hallam University and an MBA from the
University of Birmingham, UK. Kari has led the product and implementation of Mastercard’s SSA core products, and the customer solutions centre for East and West Africa in the past three years. Prior to Mastercard, she was with Diamond bank, Nigeria, now Access bank, where she served as the Accountable Executive for delivering the bottom-line factor for the $1.5bn
Consumer banking business. She was also responsible for the successful integration of the Retail bank, in the Access / Diamond bank merger. She had previously spent five years at Standard Chartered as head, retail products and digital banking, and also worked at Stanbic IBTC, Santander and other notable institutions. She is on the board of DLM Capital Group.
88. Chinwe Odigboegwu (Legal Director, Guinness Nigeria)
Chinwe Odigboegwu is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Notary Public for Nigeria, Associate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators UK (CIArb), Accredited Mediator of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution, UK (CEDR) and Certified Trainer in Mediation and Negotiation of the Bond University, Australia. Chinwe is a natural teacher, renowned for her ability to communicate with people of various ages, cultures, and educational backgrounds. She creates time to train Mediators and Mediation Advocates as often as possible. An Associate Fellow of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI) as well as a Mentor and an Associate of Women in
Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), Chinwe is very active in leadership, mentoring and societal development. Chinwe recently authored a book on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitration Awards.
89. Enita Okonkwo (Project Manager Infrastructure, (PMI), Bilaad Realty)
Enita has over 12 years of experience in civil engineering and specifically in the field of infrastructure engineering. Her area of expertise is in design, project management, construction, facility management, and quality management. As a seasoned civil engineering professional, the challenges faced in the field of work only spurs her to maximise, utilize her potential, and create opportunities for social and economic benefits. She has worked on mega projects and undertaken training in subject areas such as erosion control, road design, water supply, wastewater management, district development, etc. With a flair for writing and reading, she upscaled her hobby and passion to a business via The Bookmarket NG whose mission is to contribute meaningfully to communities by reducing the literacy gap. She has volunteered and served at various levels in her engineering community including committee members for the 2017 AGM for the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers and received the 2018 chairman’s meritorious award for her contributions to society.
90. Kemi Onadiran (Group Head, Human Resources, NATNUDO FOODS)
Kemi is a human resource and strategic business leader with over a decade of leadership and management experience spanning oil and gas, ICT, fashion, investment banking, management consulting, advertising and manufacturing. Kemi holds a first degree in sociology from Kogi State University and a master’s in managerial psychology from the University of Lagos. She is also an Associate of both the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development. Her aim is to “help organisations improve on their 4Ps: people, performance, productivity and profits while also helping career professionals optimize their performance for career fulfilment”.
Kemi, with this aim in mind, has been instrumental in the conceptualization and execution of several HR transformational projects and initiatives leading to the delivery of business goals and objectives in the different capacities she has worked in. Kemi is the brain behind Careers With Kemi, a career platform on Instagram for young job seekers and professionals. The platform has a niche audience of over 10,000 followers engaging with content covering job opportunities, referrals, career tips and more. Careers With Kemi has helped job seekers secure their dream jobs or get clarity and direction on their various careers. She is also a regular contributor on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Kemi is extremely passionate about bridging the unemployment gap in Nigeria by making young graduates employable, and this is reflected in her book Rookie 101. She has won several awards including Best Transformation Manager in ICT (2013) and LinkedIn Influencer Award (HR/Recruiter category) by Tech Times Africa in 2020.
91. Igazeuma Okoroba (General Manager, Sustainability, Dangote Group)
Igazeuma is an experienced Sustainability Strategy Leader with a track record of remodelling CSR for business sustainability; currently driving cost-effective, continuous improvement processes in Pan Africa. She has held diverse roles in strategy, corporate
governance and international development project management, leading functions in manufacturing, energy, technology, communications and civil society over the past 18 years. Igazeuma is a candid and honest manager; presently managing multidisciplinary and multicultural teams of 14 cement plants across Africa.
She mentors a group of African Women in Cement which aims to inspire women in the manufacturing industry to aspire for strategic roles in the industry. She supports civil society and academia as a volunteer systems manager and academic reviewer.
Her published work explores mechanisms through which social, spatial, and temporal contexts shape corporate outcomes in African societies.
92. Uzoma Uja (Chief compliance officer, Access Bank)
Uzoma has over 20 years of in-house experience as Head of Legal, Corporate Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer. She had a successful spell at Lafarge Cement Wapco Nigeria as assistant company secretary, legal manager where she leads the Wapco legal team in the merger of the Lafarge entities in South Africa and Nigeria to form a $1bn revenue generating company and the sixth-largest entity listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. She also worked for FinBank as part of the team to merge First Atlantic Bank with Inland Bank, NUB International Bank and IMB to form FinBank. Active in a number of social initiatives, Uja is commended by peers for being ‘passionate about the empowerment of the girl child’ and drives a girl empowerment seminar for underprivileged girls in rural eastern Nigeria under the platform of “Purple & Red Stitches”.
93. Ijeoma Mbaneme (Team Lead, Modern Workplace, Reliance Infosystem Limited)
Ijeoma is a Technology leader with over 12 years of progressive experience successfully managing and implementing large scale digital transformation projects for start-ups and large organizations, optimizing IT processes, Process Re-engineering, systems integrations, and Technological Transformations to deliver value to key stakeholders. Her experience working on over 500 projects has provided her with very diverse industry exposure in a wide variety of sectors including Telecommunications, Finance, FMCG, Oil & Gas. She is also passionate about women empowerment and improving the confidence of as many women in tech as possible; her interest includes coaching & mentoring for young women, volunteering, and supporting the work of not-for-profit organizations that drive the development of women and girls in tech.
94. Bodam Taiwo (Premium Spirits Trade Marketing Manager, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company)
Bodam is a sales and marketing professional with almost 15 years of experience in the corporate sector. She is passionate about growth, creativity, innovation and excellence. In addition to her corporate work, she provides coaching, training and mentoring to
women to build the next generation of skilled, multi-influential leaders, and to organizations on Business Ethics, Corporate Etiquette and Leadership. She is passionate about Africa and in a bid to contribute to the 8th SDG of creating a
sustainable economy, she provides training to SMEs across Africa on strategy, marketing and branding.
95. Fiona Ahmed Ahimie (MD of FBNQuest Securities)
As MD of FBNQuest Securities, Fiona Ahmed Ahimie’s roles include developing and driving the strategy of the business with guidance from the board. She is also responsible for business development including building, managing and growing the
business. Others include overseeing and ensuring optimal allocation of resources for profitability, growing market share from existing and prospective clients, maintaining a strong relationship with regulators and industry operators, ensuring adequate
stakeholder engagement and satisfaction, leveraging and working with the board to achieve the corporate goal of the organisation and building, training, mentoring, delegating and fostering a diversified and inclusive team.
96. Sarah Essien (Chief Operating Officer, VerifyMe Nigeria)
Over the course of her career, Essien has established herself as finance, business strategy, and projects specialist. In addition to her wealth of experience in executive positions across diverse industries like Telecommunications and Oil and Gas, Essien
also holds an MSc in Accounting and Financial Management from the University of London. She is passionate about mentoring others and has received invaluable mentoring. She is the co-founder of Advanced Level Youth Empowerment Foundation (ALYEF) an NGO in Nigeria focusing on upskilling and empowering young entrepreneurs and early career entrants into the workforce.
97. Abimbola Odedeyi (Country Head, Nigeria, Unlimint)
Abimbola is a seasoned professional with over 11 years experience in the financial services industry and her expertise cuts across sales, business development, strategic partnerships, key account management, customer service in commercial and retail
banking as well as in the payment space. Odedeyi holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Ibadan and a Master of Business
Administration from Bradford University School of Management. She is an Advisory Board Member of The Green Investment Club (TGIC).
98. Elizabeth Ifeoma Onubogu (Group Company Secretary/Head, Legal Services, Investment One Financial Services Limited)
Elizabeth is a consummate and commercially savvy General Counsel, Governance Professional and Company Secretary, assisting businesses clarify their strategic objectives by implementing structures and processes to help them run efficiently. She
has a decade experience in corporate/commercial law, corporate governance, company secretarial practice, regulatory compliance, project/corporate finance and capital market transactions. In her spare time, she volunteers as a TFN Fellow Mentor at Teach For Nigeria.
99. Mojisola Olawepo (Client Technology Lead, FSI, Microsoft)
Mojisola is a Thought Leader in Technology, Financial, Data and Business Intelligence Strategy with over 12years cross-industry and cross-functional role experience across various industries with a strong record of success in creating the foundation and
platform for Enterprise Data Management in organizations, AI Strategies for Business acceleration, leveraging my top skills in Business Strategy, Analytics, Machine Learning(R, Python), Business Intelligence, Research and Data Visualization. She is passionate about giving back and teaching via various community platforms including hers which she created at @Everything on Data and @WOGEPEEF with over 3600 followers combined. Her lifelong goal is to mentor as many people as possible
towards Data Advancement and Transformation and using current technologies to drive the future of work and relevance.
100. Adeola Agunbiade (Senior Associate, Banwo & Ighodalo)
Adeola is an international arbitration and dispute resolution practitioner with extensive experience advising on resolution of complex commercial disputes in African emerging economies. Over the course of her career, she has regularly engaged as a dispute resolution practitioner in resolution of complex domestic and cross-border disputes covering different industry sectors such as energy and natural resources, infrastructure projects, telecommunications, fast moving consumer goods, internet commerce etc. and diverse subject matters including shareholders’ disputes and shareholders’ minority protection actions, contractual breaches, regulatory infractions, employment disputes etc.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Africa Construction Law (ACL), a pan-African initiative set up by construction law practitioners across Africa and in the diaspora to promote thought leadership in the field of construction law and practice in
Africa.