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Nkyinkym Class

CEO, Sterling Bank Plc.

Abubakar Suleiman
Director of Programmes for the Anglican Diocese of Accra

Akua Ofori-Boateng
Principal Architect, Incept Architectural Consult

Cecil Abbey
Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank

Christabel Dadzie

CEO, Sterling Bank Plc.

Abubakar Suleiman

Abubakar Suleiman is an economist and a banker with over 20 years of experience in consulting and financial services. Known for his strategic leadership and innovative approach, he has been instrumental in transforming Sterling Bank into a forward-thinking financial institution that emphasizes sustainable banking practices and technological innovation.

He joined Sterling Bank in 2003 and has held multiple key positions, including Chief Financial Officer, Executive Director of Finance and Strategy Officer and Executive sponsor of its non-interest banking business (now known as The Alternative Bank). His vast experience spans various aspects of banking, including treasury, finance, risk management, and strategy development, which have been critical in driving Sterling Bank’s growth and expansion.

Under his leadership, Sterling Bank has championed its HEART initiative, which focuses on critical sectors: Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Transportation. This approach reflects his commitment to using banking as a tool for social impact and sustainable development. Additionally, he has led the bank in embracing digital transformation, enabling Sterling Bank to provide tech-driven, customer-centric solutions that cater to the needs of a diverse clientele.

Abubakar Suleiman is an alumnus of the University of Abuja, where he earned a degree in Economics. He also holds a Master’s degree in Major Program Management from the University of Oxford. Throughout his career, Suleiman has remained an advocate for innovation, financial inclusion, and corporate responsibility, making him a respected leader in Nigeria’s banking industry.

He currently serves on the Governing Councils of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and Teach For Nigeria (TFN), the Advisory Boards of Lagos Business School (LBS) and Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan Atlantic University, and the boards of trustees of Miva University and Hillside University of Science and Technology.

Abubakar is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Director of Programmes for the Anglican Diocese of Accra

Akua Ofori-Boateng

Reverend Akua Ofori-Boateng is a Priest with the Anglican Diocese of Accra. As the Director of Programmes for the Diocese, she is responsible for the development and the execution of the diocesan strategy with a focus on the diocesan pillars of Equipping Church Agents, Deepening Spirituality, Growth, Financial Sustainability, and Social Impact.

Before becoming an Anglican Priest, she worked as a Researcher with Proctor & Gamble (USA), and as a Design Engineer with Cummins Inc. (USA). She returned to Ghana to serve as the General Manager for the Bulk Oil Storage & Transportation Company (BOST).

Following a successful 20-year corporate career, she responded to a calling to serve the Anglican Church, leveraging her expertise to drive impactful ministry and community development.

Reverend Akua holds a Bachelor of Science degree (B.Sc.) in Physics, a Master of Science degree (M.Sc.) in Mechanical Engineering, a Master of Business Administration degree (MBA), and a Master of Arts degree (MA) in Theology.

She currently serves as a Commissioner on Ghana’s Electoral Commission and as a Board Member of the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II (OOTII) Foundation.

Reverend Akua’s venture; the Aequitas Experience (https://aequitasfoundation.org) is a transformative 12-week program structured to provide participants with comprehensive training to build and improve their professional, personal, and social skills. This program includes practical work experience with partner institutions, allowing participants to apply what they have learned in real-world settings.

Reverend Akua is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Principal Architect, Incept Architectural Consult

Cecil Abbey

Cecil Anertey Abbey is a distinguished architect and principal of Incept Architectural Consult, an award-winning firm based in Ghana. With over two decades of experience, Cecil’s design philosophy is centred around facilitating clients’ visions and meticulously translating them into reality through the firm’s mantra to “create inspiring spaces that simultaneously provide function and shelter in ways that touch the spirit and leave the earth a better place.”

He obtained a degree in Design from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, where he was awarded the Ghana Institute of Architects award for the best student portfolio and the Mark Nikkoi Memorial Award. He furthered his studies with a Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture, after which he established Incept Architectural Consult in 2011 (IAC) . As an active member of the Ghana Institute of Architects (GIA), he has represented the institute in advising the government on various local and international projects and delivered a keynote speech on the future of architecture in Ghana, during the Institutes 60th anniversary.

Over the years, Incept has grown from a one-man practice to a multidisciplinary talented consultancy firm that has provided stellar transformative services on various notable projects in residential, corporate, urban and impact projects such as the DTI Institute, Jade Court Apartments, Toyota Head Office, NYU town Hall, MainOne Data Centre, and Glenshire Hills Luxury Estates. The firm has inspired the formation of other related companies within the real estate sector that are affiliated to the firm’s practice and support its holistic service delivery.

He holds a masters of business administration in strategy from the China Europe International Business School and is one of a small number of African business leaders selected to participate in the prestigious Stanford Seed Transformation programme, after which he served as president of his cohort.

An avid sportsman, Cecil serves on the Ghana Basketball Association (GBBA). He has coached youth teams to silver medallist position in the Accra under-17 tournament and was a member of the gold medal team of the inter-University Games of 2000. His teamwork and coaching principles have seamlessly integrated into his professional life, inspiring excellence within his firm and the next generation of architects.

He is the founder of PICTURES foundation and seeks to” Purposefully Inspire Children Through Unique Recycled Elements and Spaces”.

Cecil is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim),

 

 

Senior Social Protection Specialist, World Bank

Christabel Dadzie

Christabel E. Dadzie is an international development specialist with extensive experience working on economic development across Africa, in Latin America and South Asia, leading projects in education, gender, agriculture, trade, social protection and youth employment.

She is currently a Senior Social Protection Specialist at the World Bank Group, leading the Ethiopia Productive Safety Nets Program, its largest social protection program in Africa. Prior to moving to Ethiopia, she managed the Ghana and The Gambia portfolios to promote social inclusion, youth employment, and ending extreme poverty. Additionally, she has supported social protection and jobs programming in Liberia in Sierra Leone.

Before joining the World Bank, she worked with other multilateral development organisations including the United Nations and USAID.

Upon returning to Ghana from the United States in 2010, she identified the need to promote Brain Gain among young African professionals by supporting the returnee transition. She therefore founded Ahaspora Professionals Network (www.ahaspora.com), an pan-Africa Diaspora organisation which supports African professionals who have lived or studied abroad and return home. Starting with 12 people in 2011, Ahaspora currently has over 3000 members, connecting home and abroad both professionally and socially. Ahaspora also hosts a flagship mentoring program for high school students across Ghana as its give-back initiative which has reached over 1000 students to date.

Christabel serves on non-profit organisation boards providing advisory in government and youth development.  She is an honorary member of the Women’s Advisory Board of The College of Wooster in Ohio, where she earned a Bachelors’ Degree in International Relations; she also has a Masters’ Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University in USA.

Christabel is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Abubakar Suleiman
Akua Ofori-Boateng
Cecil Anertey Abbey
Christabel Dadzie
Founder & CEO, Design & Technology Institute

Constance Swaniker
Executive Chairman and Chief Transformation Officer, Nyaho Healthcare Limited

Elikem Tamaklo
CEO, 200MillionTrees Initiative

Ibraheem Dooba
Independent Artist

Ibrahim Mahama

Founder & CEO, Design & Technology Institute

Constance Swaniker

Constance Elizabeth Swaniker is a master craftsperson, entrepreneur, and educationist. Her key passions are skills development and job creation for the youth, and in particular females. She coined and conceptualized the practice of “Precision Quality,” a curriculum aimed at enhancing technical education and training to meet industry requirements. It combines practice and theory needed to improve the teaching of TVET.

She had her pre-university education in The Gambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Ghana where she obtained an undergraduate degree in Fine Art from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in 1999. She is a Stanford Seed Fellow. She chairs the Sector Skills Body of Ghana’s Commission for TVET on which she is a Board Member.

Constance Swaniker set up her construction firm, Accents & Art (AnA) in 2000. She has trained numerous university students and craftsmen and women in the informal sector. She established the Design & Technology Institute (DTI) in 2016 to bridge the academia-industry divide. DTI, an accredited private TVET institution, runs three courses in Metal Fabrication, Design Innovation, and Entrepreneurship and has won recognition and funding from the Mastercard Foundation and SIFA/AUDA.

She has exhibited her works in Africa (Ghana, Nigeria) and Europe (Paris) and won numerous local and international awards. She is a dedicated mother of 2 who aspires to leave a positive mark on society and inspire the youth to live their dreams no matter the challenges. Her work can be found in a wide range of upscale homes, offices, and diplomatic missions both home and abroad.

Constance is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Executive Chairman and Chief Transformation Officer, Nyaho Healthcare Limited

Elikem Tamaklo

Dr. Elikem Tamaklo is the Executive Chairman and Chief Transformation Officer of Nyaho Healthcare Limited, where he leads the strategic vision and transformative initiatives for one of Ghana’s foremost healthcare providers. Since assuming this role in January 2024, Dr. Tamaklo has focused on digital transformation and expanding healthcare access, innovating to meet the evolving needs of patients and healthcare systems across Ghana.

From 2015 to 2023, Dr. Tamaklo served as Managing Director of Nyaho Healthcare, where he led the organization’s digital transformation and oversaw its growth from a single facility to a multi-site network. Under his leadership, Nyaho achieved pioneering accreditations, becoming the only private hospital in Ghana accredited by the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons to train Family Physicians. In 2020, Nyaho further distinguished itself by becoming the first private healthcare provider accredited by the FDA and HEFRA to test, manage, and treat COVID-19, underscoring its essential role in Ghana’s healthcare response.

Dr. Tamaklo also established the Healthcare Forum under the Nyaho Dove Foundation, an annual platform that brings together key healthcare stakeholders—including leaders from the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, regulatory agencies, and both private and public sectors—to advance patient safety and healthcare quality.

He is an active member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO). Additionally, he served as the Founding President of the Ghana Chapter of the Stanford Seed Transformation Alumni Network. His contributions have been recognized with several awards, including the Ghana Entrepreneurs Awards’ Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016 and the AABLA Young Business Leader of the Year in 2018, in partnership with CNBC Africa.

He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from St. George’s Hospital Medical School and a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. He has furthered his expertise with executive programs at Stanford Seed, Cornell University, London Business School, and Harvard Business School.

Dr Tamaklo is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

CEO, 200MillionTrees Initiative

Ibraheem Dooba

Dr. Ibraheem Dooba is the CEO of 200MillionTrees, tackling Nigeria’s deforestation, droughts, and related climate challenges.

As an IT expert, he holds six degrees in psychology, journalism, business management, business administration, and a PhD from the University of Technology Petronas.

Additionally, he completed Stanford University’s Advanced Cybersecurity Program.

Ibraheem has worked across five sectors—agriculture, finance, journalism, education, and government—within both public and private entities. His notable roles include Special Adviser on ICT to the Governor of Niger State, Chief Press Secretary, Director General, and Central Bank focal officer. He founded Mentor10 Software Engineering to empower Nigerian youth in tech.

His accomplishments include:

– Designing PETRONAS’ Plant Risk Inspection software to manage billions of dollars’ worth of assets

– Being named Northern Nigeria’s “Intellectual of the Year”

– Leading the tree-planting movement in Northern Nigeria

In the third quarter of 2024 alone, He partnered with Emirs and other traditional rulers to plant 800,000 Leucaena trees. This initiative aims to amend soil for farmers, mitigate flooding, and provide fodder for cattle herders.

Dr. Ibraheem is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Independent Artist

Ibrahim Mahama

Concerned with value, global commerce and the detritus of colonialism, artist Ibrahim Mahama is known for large-scale installations made from materials with particular significance to Ghana’s past and present.

Mahama earned a BFA in Painting from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana in 2010; and in 2013, earned an MFA in Painting and Sculpture from the same institution. Mahama is best known for his large-scale works made from jute sacks. Made in Southeast Asia before being imported to Ghana, jute sacks are used in markets and to transport goods such as food, charcoal, and coal.

To Mahama, the sacks represent a complex system of global exchange, and a freedom of movement afforded to goods over people. Often, he works with collaborators to stitch tattered sacks together to create enormous patchwork quilts, which are draped over buildings including theatres, museums, and apartments.

In 2015, Mahama gained international attention when he used jute sacks to encase public structures in Athens for documenta 14, and a long outdoor corridor in the Arsenale complex at the Venice Biennale.

Ibrahim is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Constance Swaniker
Elikem Tamaklo
Ibraheem Dooba
Ibrahim Mahama
Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Jumoke Oduwole MFR
Founding Partner, Ventures Platform

Kola Aina
Country Head, Sierra Leone at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Mariama Anthony-Williams
Managing Partner, Gawani Africa

Martin Eigbike

Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Republic of Nigeria

Jumoke Oduwole MFR

Dr. Jumoke Oduwole MFR, is the Honourable Minister of Trade and Investment in the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Prior to her current role, she served as the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and Investment (OVP) from October 2023 to October 2024. Under the Buhari Administration, she served first as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment, and subsequently as the Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business from November 2015 to May 2023. Dr. Oduwole and her team at the PEBEC Secretariat successfully delivered over 200 verifiable reforms across various arms and levels of government.

During her time in public service, Dr Oduwole has worked on various specialised reform committees in the federal government such as AfCFTA implementation Committee and the Tax Policy Reform Committee, and played a key role in the conceptualization and establishment of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations (NOTN). She Chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.

Recognized as one of Nigeria’s leading reformers, she was awarded the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in May 2023 for her contributions to national development. In 2024, the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) awarded her a “Hall of Fame” honour for her decade-long work on Nigeria’s business climate reforms.

A policy entrepreneur of some repute, she was appointed as a Senior fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Centre for Business and Government (M-RCBG), Harvard Kennedy School, and as a Governance Advisor to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab in 2022, for her innovation in governance.
She previously served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria, and she has worked in investment and corporate banking at FCMB and GTBank.

Since 2015, Dr Oduwole has been on loan to the Federal Government of Nigeria from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Nigeria, where she teaches and researches International Economic Law. Jumoke holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, an LL.M from Cambridge University, UK and a JSM and JSD from Stanford Law School USA, and is called to the Nigerian Bar.

Dr. Jumoke is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Founding Partner, Ventures Platform

Kola Aina

Kola is an experienced investor, insightful non-executive director, and company chair who is passionate about supporting the growth of startups. He is the Founding Partner at the Pan-African early-stage VC fund, Ventures Platform Fund.

He has a proven track record of success with investments in over 100 companies across Africa, India, and the US. This includes payment companies like Paystack and healthcare companies like MDaaS. Kola was also the founder and former CEO of Emerging Platforms, a leading enterprise software provider in West Africa. He has established extensive networks in the private sector, development partners, financiers, governments, and regulators.

With vast experience in Africa’s most significant economic market, Kola is an entrepreneur, technology operator, and venture capital investor. He brings expertise across various sectors, including venture capital, technology, media, agriculture, infrastructure, publishing, and real estate. Additionally, he has a strong interest in the arts.

Kola actively participates in mentoring programs such as XL Africa, the World Bank Accelerator, and Google Launchpad Accelerator. He serves on the boards of multiple organizations, including ARM Financial Advisers and Iron Global Markets. Until recently, he served as Chairman of the board of governors for the Lagos Angel Network. He was also appointed to the board of Enhancing Financial Innovation & Access Limited by Guarantee (EFInA) and the Lagos State Research and Innovation Council (LASRIC.)

As an avid art patron, Kola chairs the advisory board of the Yemisi Shyllon Art Museum and is a member of the Africa Acquisitions Committee (AAC) at the Tate Museum. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) and a fellow of the Aspen Institute USA (ALIWA) as well as the African Leadership Institute (Tutu Fellowship.)

Kola holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Business Administration with a specialization in Finance. He has furthered his education at prestigious institutions such as Berkeley, Harvard, and the Lagos Business School.

With a passion for mentoring and advising young entrepreneurs who are creating solutions for underserved markets, Kola has been invited to speak at numerous local and international events on topics like technology, entrepreneurship, social change, and more. Notably, he gave a TED talk at TEDxEuston on the topic “Who will own our future unicorns?” and spoke at Techcrunch Startup Battlefield Africa 2019.

Kola has received multiple awards and has been featured in various lists, recognizing his contributions to the African tech industry and beyond. In his free time, he enjoys writing on his blog and Twitter about topics he is passionate about, reading books, and spending time with his family.

Kola is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Country Head, Sierra Leone at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

Mariama Anthony-Williams

Mariama Anthony-Williams is a chartered accountant with over 23 years grounded career experience in Finance and Accounting, Strategic Planning and Budgeting, Project Management, Grant making, Audit and Assurance Services, and Management consulting services amongst others. Mariama is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) UK, holds an Executive MBA degree from the University of Malta and is a PRINCE2 Registered Practitioner.

She is currently the Country Director of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Sierra Leone. In this role, she is a Policy, strategy, and delivery adviser to the President. She has worked as an advisor with Oxford Policy Management, DAI and British Council on several Foreign and Common Wealth Development Office (FCDO) funded projects. She has years of experience working with civil servants and political leaders in Africa and Europe. She has worked in various capacities as Results Oriented Monitoring (ROM) expert and as an embedded adviser in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to support EU-Funded medium-term budget and strategic planning, procurement and other reforms at national and local government levels. She has also served as an external adviser to various Security and Justice Sector Reform Projects over the last 10 year. Other organisations she has served in are; EU projects Support Unit, University of Malta, Justice Sector Coordination Office (JSCO), Poverty Alleviation Strategy Coordinating Office (PASCO), and KPMG

In addition to working mostly with Public sector organization, Mariama believes in and has supported civil society and demand side accountability work in various countries. She served on the Advisory Board of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa for 7 years and was the Vice Chair of the Board. She was also a member of the Audit Committee of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Sierra Leone. Mariama currently serves on the Board of Governors of Prince of Wales School and 200 Million Trees.

Mariama is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Managing Partner, Gawani Africa

Martin Eigbike

Martin is an experienced strategy and policy advisor and certified program/project manager. He has worked extensively across Africa, advising public institutions, bilateral and multilateral development agencies, international foundations, and private corporations on strategy and execution, public policy reform, and organisational effectiveness. He is currently the Managing Partner at Gawani Africa, a strategy and innovation advisory start-up he founded in 2019. Prior to founding Gawani Africa, he was an Associate Partner and member of the global management team at Dalberg Advisors – and before then, he worked with Accenture playing a key role in the firm’s successful expansion into the public sector in Nigeria and helping build the firm’s internal capabilities in strategy development.

Over the last 5 years, Martin has worked extensively on global research and innovation with a specific focus on strengthening national research capacities of low- and medium-income countries (LMICs) across the world, and particularly in Africa. His work in this domain includes helping to incubate an African coalition for strengthening research and innovation; advising on an initiative to establish a continental research fund for Africa; and helping to implement a mechanism to improve coordination between large global funders of health research for greater synergy in investments in LMIC clinical research capacity strengthening. He currently is a Consultant to the Special Programs for Tropical Diseases Research (TDR) on the UK-led G7 initiative to strengthen global infrastructure for clinical trials towards faster development of vaccines, drugs, and therapeutics during global public health emergencies. Martin has recently started work on developing a tech-enabled platform to help young thinkers and potential innovators in Africa’s higher institutions develop their critical thinking skills and strengthen their research competencies, to improve their readiness to conduct or participate in international standard research. Other interests include public health, nutrition, tech-driven innovation in the public sector, and economic growth strategies and policy execution.

He has recently become involved with the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA) a Pan-African network for social investors aimed at bridging the social investment financing gap on the continent. He also founded LearnHistory Africa, an NGO with a mission to help preserve the connection between African children and Africa’s rich history, by giving children a modern and positive perspective of African history and culture through immersive experiences. Martin has a Bachelors’ degree in Geography and Regional Planning from the University of Benin in Nigeria and a masters’ degree in Information Technology from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He served on the Planning Committee of the annual Nigeria Economic Summit between 2011 and 2016. He has been a certified Project Manager on the PRINCE II methodology since 2006.

Martin is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Constance Swaniker
Kola Aina
Mariama Anthony-Williams
Martin Eigbike
Commissioner of Budget and Planning for Niger State

Mustapha Ndajiwo
Founder, ANO Institute of Arts and Knowledge

Nana Ofori Atta-Ayim
CEO/Medical Director at Wellness Partners Clinic

Nicole Cooper
Principal Lead, Roots2Market

Nwando Ajene

Commissioner of Budget and Planning for Niger State

Mustapha Ndajiwo

Mustapha is the Commissioner of Budget and Planning for Niger State, Nigeria. Prior to his appointment, he was the founder and Executive Director of the African Centre for Tax and Governance (ACTG). As a tax policy expert with about a decade experience with the Federal Inland Revenue Service of Nigeria, his proficiency and skills include conducting audit, taxpayer education and tax policy research and analysis.

Mustapha was Africa’s Regional Coordinator of the United Nations High-Level Panel of Financial Accountability, Transparency, and Integrity (FACTI) Before taking up the role with the UN FACTI Panel, Mustapha served as technical advisor to the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service Nigeria.

Mustapha has worked with the Tax Justice Network and has consulted for the International Centre for Tax and Development (ICTD) UK, Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), Public Service International (PSI) and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) among others. He holds a BSc in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and a Masters in Tax Policy and Tax Administration from the Berlin School of Economics and Law.

He is currently completing a PhD in Commercial Law at the University of Cape Town.

Mustapha is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, a member of the expert group – United Nations office of the Special Adviser on Africa. Mustapha serves on the advisory boards of the Nigerian Tax Research Network, the Journal on financing for development and The Open Foundation Initiative Uganda, among others.

He has published research on different tax policy issues and presented the same at various local and international conferences. He has participated in many high-level tax policy discussions including the sessions of the UN Tax Committee of experts on international cooperation and the high-level policy dialogue of the African Tax Administration Forum.

He has trained African members of parliament, top officials of African revenue authorities, top officials of African ministries of finance, civil society actors and students on different aspects of tax policy and administration. He has broad experience in tackling various issues associated with tax policy and administration from both government and civil society perspectives.

Mustapha is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Founder, ANO Institute of Arts and Knowledge

Nana Ofori Atta-Ayim

Nana Oforiatta Ayim is a Writer, Filmmaker, and Art Historian who lives and works in Accra, Ghana. She is Founder of the ANO Institute of Arts and Knowledge, through which she has pioneered a Pan-African Cultural Encyclopaedia, a Mobile Museums Project, and curated Ghana’s first pavilion at the Venice Biennale. She published her first novel The God Child with Bloomsbury in 2019, and with Penguin in German in 2021.

She has made award winning films for museums such as Tate Modern, LACMA and The New Museum, and lectures a course on History and Theory at the Architectural Association in London. She is the recipient of various awards and honours, having been named one of the Apollo ’40 under 40’; one of 50 African Trailblazers by The Africa Report; a Quartz Africa Innovator in 2017; one of 12 African women making history in 2016 and one of 100 women of 2020 by Okayafrica.

She received the 2015 the Art & Technology Award from LACMA; the 2016 AIR Award, which “seeks to honour and celebrate extraordinary African artists who are committed to producing provocative, innovative and socially-engaging work”; a 2018 Soros Arts Fellowship, was a 2018 Global South Visiting Fellow at Oxford University,  was appointed to the Advisory Council of Oxford University’s Cultural Programme in 2020, was a Principal Investigator on the Action for Restitution to Africa programme, was awarded Woman of The Year Award in Ghana in 2021, and the Dan David Prize, the world’s biggest history prize in 2022.

She is currently Special Advisor to the Ghanaian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture on Museums and Cultural Heritage.

Nana is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

CEO/Medical Director at Wellness Partners Clinic

Nicole Cooper

Dr. Nicole Cooper is a Liberian physician who is U.S. board certified in both Internal Medicine

& Pediatrics and currently practices in Monrovia, Liberia. She is a proud alumna of Baylor College of Medicine and completed her residency and public health training at the University of Miami and Harvard School of Public Health respectively.

Nicole is the founder of the Wellness Partners Health System that includes Wellness Partners Clinic network and the Wellness Partners Foundation, which work together to deliver safe, reliable and convenient general and specialized care to Liberian patients across socioeconomic strata. She is the founding chair of the Healthcare Federation of Liberia (HFL), the umbrella body for private healthcare businesses in Liberia and the local branch of the African Healthcare Federation. As a public health expert operating in the private sector, she continues to collaborate with and provide technical assistance to the Ministry of Health in the areas of COVID-19 preparedness and response, vaccination expansion, private sector engagement, including public private partnerships, and development of policy for Universal Health Coverage.

Dr. Nicole is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Principal Lead, Roots2Market

Nwando Ajene

Nwando Okonkwo Ajene is the principal lead at Roots2Market a social impact advisory firm. She is a business and communications expert with nearly two decades of experience in business management and marketing communications. She has a track record of launching successful media and engagement campaigns across multiple sectors, including technology, finance, health and nutrition, the environment, and social innovation. She has led transformative campaigns for brands and organizations worldwide. Matching her passion for nutrition, youth, and gender, she has most recently served as the Category and Marketing Manager at Nestle, Global Communications Facilitator at Catalyst 2030, and the Head of Communications at the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

In designing and executing strategies and initiatives for social enterprise ecosystems in critical
regions, Nwando strives to boost collective social impact. She is committed to delivering sustainable and efficient solutions to societal challenges through collective action and stakeholder engagement. Nwando has significant experience designing social initiatives to achieve the UN SDGs in the local and global communities. A pragmatic Thought Leader, she contributes to the training and capacity building of young entrepreneurs and marketers; serves as a mentor in multiple youth programs as the founder of Career talks; and has been instrumental in developing several start-ups, serving as a strategic advisor.

She is a valued Board Member of several national and regional organizations. Nwando was recently appointed as a Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing (NIMN). She currently serves as the Vice President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) and is an advisory board member and active volunteer of the Lagos Food Bank.

Nwando is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

 

Mustapha Ndajiwo
Nana Ofori Atta-Ayim
Nicole Cooper
Nwando Ajene
Country Director, MasterCard Foundation, Nigeria

Rosy Fynn
Lawyer & Journalist

Samson Lardy Anyenini
CEO, Junior Achievement Africa (JA Africa)

Simi Nwogugu
Country Manager & Cluster Leader- Emerging Markets, Africa

Temitope Iluyemi

Country Director, MasterCard Foundation, Nigeria

Rosy Fynn

Rosy Fynn is a change leader with a wealth of experience in Telecommunications, International Development, Financial Services, Consulting and Insurance. She has over two decade’s executive level experience in transforming organizations across Africa, the United States and the Caribbean.

Rosy is currently the Country Director, Nigeria at the Mastercard Foundation, where she is overseeing the delivery of the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy to enable upwards of ten million young Nigerian women and men to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. She joined the Mastercard Foundation in 2021 as the Country Head for Ghana and her work at the Foundation resulted in her being honored as a Top 50 Woman of Impact in 2024.

Prior to joining the Mastercard Foundation, she was the Chief Executive Officer of BusyInternet, a 4G-LTE internet provider in Ghana. During her time there, she earned the coveted award of Outstanding Telecommunication CEO of the Year at the 2021 Entrepreneurs and Corporate Executive Awards. She has held senior leadership positions in several other organizations including Bharti Airtel, Surfline Communications, and Millicom International Cellular (Tigo). Earlier in her career, she was based in New York, USA and worked with global top-tier firms such as Booz & Company, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, before moving back to Ghana.

Rosy is recognized as part of Ghana’s marketing elite and has been voted as one of West Africa’s top marketing and communications professionals at the Marketing World Awards.

She is passionate about unlocking the potential of African youth and women. She has mentored young people across several organizations including Sponsors for Education Opportunity (SEO) and Emerging Public Leaders. In addition, she is an advocate for women in STEM and was recognized as one of the Top 30 women in STEM by the STEM Woman Project.

Rosy currently serves on the board of various organizations including First National Bank Ghana, SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College (SOS-HGIC) and BikergirlsGH.

She is an Archbishop Desmond Tutu fellow as well as a fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Rosy holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Arts (honors) in Computer Science and Mathematics from Smith College, Massachusetts, USA.

In her spare time, Rosy runs (has completed five competitive half marathons), plays basketball, golf and rides motorbikes.

Rosy is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Lawyer & Journalist

Samson Lardy Anyenini

Is senior partner of A-PARTNERS @ LAW. He was a BBC Correspondent and resigned from Multimedia Group Limited as News Editor at the start of 2013 to focus on law practice with Gaisie Zwennes Hughes & Co. He was called to the Ghana Bar in 2010 and has an LL.M in Alternative Dispute Resolution with practice focus on International Commercial and Investment Arbitration.

He has represented, represents, assisted to advice, numerous clients including a delegation of a dozen MPs and leaders of Ghana’s 6th Parliament, famed corporate entities including NTHC Properties Limited, Multimedia Group Limited, Media Foundation for West Africa, African Origin Travels Limited, Engen Oil Ghana Limited, ACP Estates Limited, Stoubos Limited, and Mechanical Lloyd Company Limited.

He has consulted for and delivered special papers for professional institutions and special organizations including the Judicial Service of Ghana (consultant for new rules for Presidential Election Petition – C.I.99) and the local chapter of global watchdog Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition, CDD-Ghana/CODEO. DW Akademie, Reporters Without Borders, Graphic Communications Group Limited and UNESCO. He has collaborated with the NCCE, the CDD-Ghana and others to promote good governance, and was a major crusader for passage of the Right To Information Law. He serves on a Sub-Committee of the RTI Commission’s Governing Board.

He has been legal counsel for/served/serves on committees/boards of the University of Education – Winneba, Schools of Law and Languages of the University of Ghana – Legon, Chairman of the GFA Normalization Disciplinary C’ttee which worked to restore the beautiful game after Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ #12 expose. He has defended/defends several journalists and is a member of the West Africa Network of Activists and Media Defence Lawyers (WANAMDEL).

In 2019 he was one of two Africans appointed onto the Board of International Lawyers Assisting Workers (ILAW) Network under the auspices of the Solidarity Centre working with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). He is Publicity Secretary of the Ghana Chapter of the African Bar Association – AFBA.

He has since quitting as news editor only hosted the flagship most listened to/watched weekend current affairs/news analysis NEWSFILE program on Joynews Tv/Radio as well as THE LAW, a weekly legal clinic. He was adjudged the GJA Journalist of the Year – 2019, and made the shortlist for the GII (local chapter of global watchdog Transparency International) Integrity Personality of the Year, 2021 (Ghana Integrity Awards).

He has been invited as guest lecturer at law faculties home and abroad including GIMPA, UPSA and Smith College (Northampton, MA).

He is married to Evelyn Gawu Anyenini and they have three children.

Samson is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

 

CEO, Junior Achievement Africa (JA Africa)

Simi Nwogugu

Simi Nwogugu is the CEO of Junior Achievement Africa (JA Africa), which equips young Africans with financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and employability skills for future success. JA Africa is a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, which is the world’s largest youth-serving non-profit economic education organisation. Prior to joining JA Africa, Simi served as the executive director of Junior Achievement (JA) Nigeria, which she brought to Nigeria in 1999, after she served as a volunteer in New York and realized that the entrepreneurial training programs were exactly what the large unemployed youth population in Nigeria needed.

Simi started her career as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs after studying economics and English at Mount Holyoke College, and it was at Goldman that she was introduced to JA New York. After setting up and running JA Nigeria for three years,  she left to pursue an MBA at Harvard Business School, after which she worked at MTV  Networks in Business Development and Corporate Strategy for a few years before  launching HOD Consulting, Inc., a New York-based leadership development firm that  helps major corporations retain and advance high-performing women, particularly  women of color.

Simi and her contribution to work-life management in the United States, youth empowerment in Nigeria and her own personal struggles to balance work, family, and social responsibility, are the subject of a Harvard Business School case study titled, An Entrepreneur’s Journey: Simi Nwogugu. After a decade of entrepreneurship, Simi returned to her role as executive director of JAN in 2016, to help the organisation expand its economic empowerment programs to reach one million young people across Nigeria, which was achieved in the first quarter of 2020.

Simi is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Country Manager & Cluster Leader- Emerging Markets, Africa

Temitope Iluyemi

Dr. Temitope Iluyemi, is the Senior Director and Country manager for Emerging markets, Africa region. Dr Temitope, a qualified pharmacist, joined the leading blue chip multinational in 1998. In her current role as Cluster Leader, she leads the business operations in over 40 countries across Africa with end-end business management

In her over 25 years career with P&G, she has distinguished herself with a breadth of leadership roles spanning across commercial and corporate functions (General management, Sales, Market strategy and planning, Supply Network operations, External relations, and Government Relations).

In this timeframe, Mrs. Iluyemi has lived and worked across 3 continents and 6 countries from Africa, North America and the Middle East.

Temitope is a member of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, sits on several international boards & advisory boards. Mrs. Iluyemi is passionate about governance, African integration and is a strong gender parity advocate and passionate about people and national development.

Mrs. Iluyemi is recognized both locally and internationally, including, Top 100 corporate women in Africa & she is a Fellow of the Aspen Global leadership network’s – Africa leadership initiative.(a network of about 3000 distinguished global leaders around the world)

She currently lives with her family in Dubau, UAE.

Temitope is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

 

 

Rosy Fynn
Samson Lardy Anyenini
Simi Nwogugu
Temitope Iluyemi
Head of Investment Banking, Africa Regions and International, Standard Bank Group

Yewande Sadiku
Member Of Parliament, Klottey Korle Constituency, Ghana

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings

Head of Investment Banking, Africa Regions and International, Standard Bank Group

Yewande Sadiku

Yewande Sadiku is currently Head of Investment Banking, Africa Regions and International at Standard Bank Group. She has over 30 years’ experience in investment banking and public service, and a strong track record of high performance and principled leadership. She is a regular speaker on investment facilitation for sustainable development.

Yewande was Executive Secretary/CEO of Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigeria’s national investment promotion agency from November 2016 to September 2021. At NIPC, she worked on institutional reforms aimed at strategic investment promotion and embedding a culture of governance and proactive accountability. Her efforts earned NIPC first place in the 2021 national awards for compliance and transparency, up from 90th position when she assumed office in 2016.

She spent the previous 23 years in banking and was Executive Director for Stanbic IBTC’s Corporate and Investment Banking business. She led a multi-disciplinary team to deliver business opportunities in Nigeria’s complex operating environment while managing key relationships with regulators and leading corporate and multinational clients.

Yewande is an independent non-executive director of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc and a past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Investors’ Protection Fund of Nigerian Exchange Limited.

As Executive Producer of Half of a Yellow Sun (2014), Yewande raised a record amount for the full feature film. She was awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship for International Leadership in May 2010.

Yewande enjoys the outdoors and independent travel. She has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, walked the Camino de Santiago and has dived the Great Barrier Reef.

Yewande is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Member Of Parliament, Klottey Korle Constituency, Ghana

Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings

Mother of three daughters, a passionate environmental activist and a strong advocate of inclusivity and empowerment of especially women and the youth.

Zanetor is a Medical doctor and alumna of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RSCI) with ten years of working experience in General Practice and Family Medicine prior to becoming an MP. She holds a Master’s Degree in Conflict, Peace and Security (EMCPS) from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC).

She is the Honourable Member of Parliament for the Klottey-Korle Constituency, Ghana (Second Term). She is a member of the Committee on Gender, Children and Social Welfare, the Deputy Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Security and Intelligence and a member of Ghana’s National Democratic Congress’s COVID-19 Technical Team. In addition, Dr. Zanetor is an integral part of the group that opened a gym in the House of Parliament and is, furthermore, the Patron of the Agrihouse Foundation’s AGSTUD (Agric Students) Boot Camp. She is currently a member of both the African Parliamentary Union and the Climate Parliament. The Network of Women Legislators in Defence, Security, and Peace (WLID) is co-chaired by Dr. Agyeman-Rawlings.

Zanetor is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa’s 6th class (Nkyinkyim).

Yewande Sadiku
Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings