Advisory Board

Members

Oduenyi Okonkwo

Ms. Okonkwo is a development practitioner with over 10 years of experience in project management ranging from design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Her professional interests are in public policy analysis, political economy, institutional reform and public finance. Ms. Okonkwo has direct and relevant experience working on a variety of international and local development projects funded by DFID, USAID and the EU.

She has worked on critical engagements and understands the specific challenges that must be overcome to ensure successful project outcomes. Ms. Okonkwo worked as an Associate with African Access a developing consulting firm based in Abuja. She has also served as Grants Administrator/Manager at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs where she oversaw a portfolio of USAID and DFID funded projects.

After which she was engaged by the Coalitions for Change which is a DFID funded project to work as Technical adviser to the Constitutional Reforms Dialogue Mechanism – a coalition made up of professional groups and civil society organizations such as the Nigeria Bar Association, Nigeria Labour Congress, National Union of Journalists, Joint National Association of People Living with Disabilities and the Gender and Constitutional Reform Network.

Ms. Okonkwo currently works as an independent development consultant serving a broad of range of clients including government agencies, bi-lateral and multi-lateral development organizations. Ms. Okonkwo holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and Extension from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri in Imo state. She has also acquired the following globally recognized certifications: An Executive Masters certificate in Project Management and a Certificate in Participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation from Wageningen International, Netherlands

Mrs. Akaego Okoye

Mrs. Akaego Okoye, Director, Membership, Corporate Council on Africa, Washington DC

Akaego serves as CCA’s Director of Member Relations providing membership services to the organization’s member companies.

Before taking on the membership role, Akaego served as head of Legal and Corporate Affairs at EAN Aviation, a business aviation company which operates the first full service FBO and jet maintenance facility in Lagos, Nigeria. In helping to build the business, she served in various capacities including client relationship management, business development, event and conference management, and all legal aspects of the business.

Akaego obtained an LLB in Law from the University of Kent and LLM in International Commercial Law from University College London and is qualified to practice law in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.

Judy Melifonwu

Judy Melifonwu is an experienced Government Relations Executive, Certified Project Manager, and Socialpreneur with over 9 years experience in both the private and public sector for global organizations.

Judy has led teams on projects which have shaped policies and regulatory demands to meet with the needs of socio-economic development.

Currently working as the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Nigeria for Diageo. Judy is responsible for leading Diageo’s drive to develop government strategies and provide high level government stakeholder management initiatives.

Prior to this Judy was Head of Government Relations International Business Machines (IBM), Central &West Africa where she was responsible for the Strateg…
[2:25 pm, 11/11/2020] My Official MTN line: JUDY MELIFONWU
Professional Biography

Judy Melifonwu is an experienced Government Relations Executive, Certified Project Manager, and Socialpreneur with over 9 years experience in both the private and public sector for global organizations.

Judy has led teams on projects which have shaped policies and regulatory demands to meet with the needs of socio-economic development.

Currently working as the Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Nigeria for Diageo. Judy is responsible for leading Diageo’s drive to develop government strategies and provide high level government stakeholder management initiatives.

Prior to this Judy was Head of Government Relations International Business Machines (IBM), Central &West Africa where she was responsible for the Strategic Development & Management of Government Stakeholder activities at federal and state level across Central and West Africa some of the countries include Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gabon, Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Zambia, Malawi,

Judy is a 2017 Mandela Washington Fellow /Fulbright Scholarship Alumni

Anuli Ola Olaniyi

Anuli Ola-Olaniyi is a CIPD certified Human Resource Professional and a qualified Prince 2 Practitioner in Project Management. Her qualifications were obtained in the United Kingdom where she studied and lived until her recent return to Nigeria. She has gained international working experiences for over a decade while working with London Stock Exchange, Barclays and Thomson Reuters as well as locally in Nigeria, working for Film house Limited and other notable companies. She has effectively recruited employees and delivered cutting edge training that has elevated people both in their professional and personal life. Anuli is a Deputy Managing Director of HM Ltd, An Executive Director of DV Solutions and plays a consultancy role to many female owned and run businesses.

Añuli believes women are strategizing to become empowered and rule the world alongside men. She founded HEIR Women Development, an enterprise created to support young women in capacity and skills building in career. She hosts the Hire ME Boot camp and CV Clinic, a skills building platform.

She is a speaker, facilitator and blogger. Añuli is also a mother and wife.

Tee Nwozo

Tee Nwozo is a human resources executive with over 20 years of experience. She has designed, implemented, and led strategic programs and initiatives to attract, develop, and engage talent for different businesses and organizations across the globe. As a Gallup-Certified Strengths coach, Tee has also worked in the capacity of an executive and career coach.

Tee is the founder of the blog, “It’s a Matter of People,” which provides practical tips, examples, and advice to professionals that are looking to position themselves with purpose and have an edge in their respective fields or careers. She also views this blog as an intersection between a career advice blog and a blog that offers advice on how business leaders and HR practitioners can align their people strategy with overall organizational success.

Tee has an undergraduate degree in Women’s Studies from University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from Georgetown University, and is currently pursuing a PhD from Howard University. She is a mom, a wife, a lover of Afrobeats, and a resident of Maryland.

Screenshot_2021-03-04 Ngozi Njemanze - G

Ngozichukwu Njemanze

Ngozi Njemanze is a Senior Manager at the Central Bank of Nigeria. She served as the
Special Assistant on Policy to two former Ministers responsible for Aviation and Youth
and Sports Development. She is a senior counsel with wide-ranging international
experience in the financial services industry working with the World Bank in
Washington, DC.

With Over eighteen (18) years post-call work experience, she has been involved in
several high value strategic projects across several sectors. In her current role, she
champions enhanced Corporate Governance best practices in banks and other financial
institutions and the efficient supervision of regulatory compliance in the financial sector.
As a Harvard Chayes Fellow, she acquired very early in her career, an investigative and
analytical aptitude for combating economic and financial crimes with special focus on
the role of financial institutions in anti-money laundering and public-sector corruption.
Ms. Njemanze is a professional of high ethical standards and is proficient in providing
board-level policy and regulatory advisory services. She is a compliance enthusiast
highly skilled in strategic communication and corporate secretarial oversight. Her
greatest strengths is her critical thinking and application of strong analytical skills to the
most complex issues.

With an effervescent personality, she has a natural ability to develop good and trusting
networks with people and to manage multidisciplinary teams. She demonstrates
commitment, passion and excellence in all assignments. She is ardent about building
capacities in boardroom and women empowerment. Her key passion is mentorship.

Adaora Ndukwe-Ugwu

Adaora Ndukwe-Ugwu is a public finance and governance expert with over 18year’s experience in both the public and private sectors where she worked in private wealth management, treasury, risk, finance, corporate governance and public policy.

She currently leads the Treasury team at the Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board, an agency under the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, where she oversees treasury, tax, audit and financial reporting activities. In addition to providing strategic policy advice to the Board on financial regulation and governance related issues, her experience has seen her lead the implementation of significant public sector finance and technology reforms, focused on using technology to strengthen financial accounting systems and improving transparency. She has been nominated to advise on high-level Government policy review committees, including the Nigeria’s Petroleum Industry Governance Bill and the Niger Gas Policy.

While in the private sector, she built and managed an impressive portfolio of HNIs providing private banking, wealth management and financial advisory services.

Adaora earned an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School, where she was awarded the Eric Yankah Award for outstanding contribution to the Harvard Kennedy School. She also has a M.Sc. in Analysis and Design of Management Information Systems from the London School of Economics.

She is an AILA Fellow with the Centre for strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington D.C; a Fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). She serves as Advisory Board of the Women Leadership Institute. She remains an advocate for advancing women’s financial inclusion, political participation and educating the girl child.