Speakers
Keynotes
Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe
Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Motsepe Foundation
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman: African Fashion International
Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe is a qualified medical doctor, she once worked as a general practitioner and opened up one of Johannesburg’s first women’s health clinics. She currently heads the Motsepe Family Foundation and sits on the board of numerous organizations. Having grown up in the township of Soweto, South Africa, she is deeply passionate about education as a tool to eradicate poverty as well as empower women and youth.
She worked for 20 years as a medical doctor before establishing African Fashion International (AFI) in 2008 a company she established to harness the talent and skills in the creative industry on the African continent. The company has to date propelled many African designers in the global market place. She is Co-Founder and Vice Chairperson of the Motsepe Foundation, a family foundation which supports marginalised communities to pursue their aspirations and lift themselves out of extreme poverty. Dr Moloi-Motsepe and her husband Mr Patrice Motsepe are the first couple from the African continent to join the Warren Buffet/Bill and Melinda Gates Giving Pledge Initiative.
She believes that women’s economic empowerment is a prerequisite for sustainable development and should be at the centre of all the development frameworks .A strong advocate for holistic and multi-sectoral approaches to empowering women and girls by considering all aspects of their socio-economic challenges, as progress in one area is usually inadequate to fully empower women.
She has created a special Women Economic Development Unit within the family Foundation to focus solely on areas that are fundamental to women’s equality and improving their well-being. The Unit implements gender responsive budgeting and planning initiatives, development of women co-operatives and women resource book.
She serves on various panels and boards including the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council, Women Leadership Board at the Harvard Kennedy School, International Women’s Forum of South Africa, Synergos Institute, Endeavour and St John’s College in Johannesburg, SA. She is also a member of International Women’s Forum of South Africa and is passionate about education, mentorship and promoting entrepreneurship for personal growth and the broader economic success of communities and countries. She was named one of the top 100 influential people on the continent by the New African Women Magazine. She and her husband live in Johannesburg with their three sons.
Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze
President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Kanayo F. Nwanze is President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), which is dedicated to ensuring that agriculture is a central part of the international development agenda, and that governments recognize the concerns of smallholder farmers and other poor rural people. He has been a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Food Security since 2010. He was previously Director-General of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Africa Rice Center for a decade, where he was instrumental in introducing and promoting New Rice for Africa, or NERICA, a high-yield, drought- and pest-resistant variety developed specifically for the African landscape.
Nwanze graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and has a Doctorate in Agricultural Entomology from Kansas State University. He has also received honorary degrees from McGill University, Canada, and the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, as well as numerous honours and awards from governments, and national and international institutions. He has published extensively, is a member of several scientific associations and has served on various executive boards.
Dr. Mostafa Terrab
President & CEO, OCP Group
Dr. Mostafa Terrab was appointed Director General of the Office Chérifien des Phosphates in February 2006, and Chairman and CEO of OCP in June 2008. Dr. Terrab’s career has spanned the public, private and university sectors and a range of expert fields. Since 1992, Dr. Terrab was Chargé de Mission in the Royal Cabinet and served as an advisor in the Royal Cabinet, during which time he also served as secretary general to the Executive Secretariat of the Economic Summit for the Middle East and North Africa.
Prior to joining the Group, Dr. Terrab served as lead regulatory specialist in the Global Information and Communications Department of the
World Bank, heading the World Bank’s “Information for Development” programme, from 2002 to 2006. He was the first director general of Morocco’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency, which he served from 1998 to 2002. He serves as a Director of Banque Centrale Populaire SA. He serves as a Director of Institut français des relations internationales. He served as a Director of Prayon S.A.
From September 1986 to August 1989, he was an Assistant Professor in MIT and at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, in the Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1990 to 1992. Mr. Terrab received the Frederick C. Hennie III Award for his outstanding contribution to the teaching programme of the MIT Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.
Dr. Terrab obtained a diploma in Engineering from l’École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées of Paris in 1979, a masters degree in Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1982 and a PhD in Operational Research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1990.
Welcome Address, Cambridge-Africa Programme, University of Cambridge
Professor David Dunne, Director, Cambridge-Africa Programme
David is a Professor of Parasitology at the Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge. For 30 years, David’ group carried out field-based research on human schistosomiasis and other human parasitic diseases in endemic rural areas in Africa. This research was conducted in long-term partnership with colleagues in Uganda, Kenya and Mali, and more recently through collaborations in Ghana, Gabon, and Tanzania.
David is currently the Director of the Cambridge-Africa Programme (which he initiated in 2008) at the University of Cambridge. Cambridge-Africa is a key strand of the University’s official international strategy, and through David’s leadership, the Programme is making the University of Cambridge’s globally-renowned expertise, resources and influence readily available to support and partner African research institutions towards international competitiveness and self-sustenance. This is being achieved through a range of research collaboration and capacity building initiatives that focus on supporting African priorities. David is also now the Director of the Wellcome Trust-Cambridge Centre for Global Health Research (WT-CCGHR: http://wt-globalhealth.cam.ac.uk/), a key Centre that has evolved out of the Cambridge-Africa Programme, with a focus on supporting African health research.
Furthermore, David is an Extraordinary Fellow at King’s College (http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/) in Cambridge, where he actively engages all members of the College to support and participate in Africa-related activities.
Plenary on Education
Professor Julius Amioba Okojie, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Federal Ministry of Education, Nigeria
Professor Julius Amioba Okojie, earned his PhD in Forestry Resource Management from the University of Ibadan. A few years later he proceeded to Yale University, USA for his Master’s Degree in Forestry. In 1978 he joined the University of Ibadan as Lecturer II and was promoted Senior Lecturer in 1983. He rose to the rank of Professor of Forestry Resource Management in 1990.
Professor Okojie was appointed Vice-Chancellor, University of Agriculture Abeokuta in 1996, a position he held until 2001. He joined the National Universities Commission in August 2002. While in the Commission, he chaired the Standing Committee on Private Universities (SCOPU). It is to his credit that a large number of private universities established between 2002 and 2005 received the Federal Government’s approval during his tenure as Chairman, SCOPU.
Professor Okojie has held many administrative positions at national and international levels. Professor Julius A. Okojie is currently the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, a position he has held since August, 2006. Professor Okojie is married to Erelu (Mrs.) Oluremi Okojie, Principal, St Louis Grammar School, Ibadan. They are blessed with many children.
Dr Ángel Gurría-Quintana, International Officer (EU15, Africa and Latin America), Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Cambridge
Ángel joined the International Strategy Office in February 2012. He is responsible for coordinating the University's engagement with higher education and research institutions in EU15 countries (bilateral), Africa, and Latin America. In his role as International Officer, he supports the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International) and the Head of the ISO by providing regular briefings and helping to coordinate high-level visits. He also assists the University's academic community in its efforts to establish and strengthen partnerships in the geographical area within his remit.
Before joining the International Strategy team, he was a freelance journalist writing for various publications including the Financial Times, and a speechwriter for the CEO of Santander UK. Ángel continues to write for various newspapers and magazines, and is a literary translator from Spanish and Portuguese. In 2013 he edited and translated the book of short stories, Other Carnivals: New Stories from Brazil (Full Circle Editions). He is co-curator of FlipSide literary festival, in Suffolk. Ángel studied International Relations at El Colegio de México, in Mexico City, before arriving in Cambridge to study for an MPhil (Historical Studies) and a PhD (History) at Emmanuel College.
Dr. Benon Kigozi, Senior Staff, Makerere University, President, Uganda Society for Musical Arts Education (USMAE), Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE)
Dr. Kigozi is a Senior Staff member at the Department of Performing Arts and Film, Makerere University, having previously served as Head of Music at Africa University in Zimbabwe. He is President of the Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE), President of the Uganda Society for Musical Arts Education (USMAE), and Chair for Music In Africa Foundation on Education and Content. He is an elected member of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) Board, member of the National Association for Study and Performance of African American Music (NASPAAM) and member of the Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA). An ISME member since 2002, he has participated in its Conferences as presenter, founding member of ISME Young Professionals Focus Group, New Professionals Forum and Advocacy Committee. He is member of the ISME National Affiliates.
Kigozi serves on various editorial boards and publishes extensively. His current research is in ICT in music education. As jazz pianist, he has performed in twelve countries.
Njoki Wamai, Gates Scholar, Kenyan PhD student at the Politics and International Studies department (POLIS): Her research focus is on the tensions between international and local practices of transitional justice in three Kenyan counties. At Cambridge, Njoki is the founding president of the Cambridge Eastern African Society (CamEAS), co-founder of the African Society of Cambridge University (ASCU) and the Black Cantabs project which aims to curate the achievements of black Cambridge alumni. She is an alumnus of the Africa Leadership Centre (ALC) based at King's College London and the University of Nairobi. ALC is a leading Pan-African centre that trains and mentors the next generation of transformative African scholars and leaders in the field of peace, security and development in Africa. Before starting her PhD, Njoki worked in the peace and governance non-profit sector in Kenya as a programme associate at Kenya Human Rights Commission and consultant researcher at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Njoki Wamai holds a BSc from the University of Nairobi and a Graduate Diploma in Gender and Development (Distinction) from the same University.
Research interests include transitional justice politics, critical theory, peace and security in Africa, politics of Africa, African feminisms and development of political thought from Africa.
Women in Leadership
Olajumoke Adenowo, Founder, AD Consulting & Awesome Treasures
OLAJUMOKE ADENOWO is a multiple Award winning Architect. She has been called the “Face of Architecture” in Nigeria. She was featured on CNN African Voices, and profiled on CNN as Africa’s Starchitect, and has been featured in the world’s leading Architectural Publications such as America’s Architectural Record Magazine.
Admitted to the University of Ife to study Architecture at the age 14, she graduated at 19 with a BSc. (Hons) and subsequently with a record breaking distinction in Masters of Science (MSc) in Architecture.
As a chartered architect, she worked with leading Nigerian firms and had the privilege of designing the Federal Ministry of Finance, Abuja. She later started her own multiple award winning Architecture and Interior Architecture firm, AD Consulting with just 400USD in 1994 and has held the position of Principal Partner till date. AD has won several international awards for its designs and is the only Nigerian architectural firm recommended by the British Chamber of Commerce for architectural services in Nigeria.
In 1999, she founded Awesome Treasures Foundation to raise Transformational Leaders, its summits and other initiatives have attracted well over 50,000 attendees. She hosts her own syndicated radio program Voice of Change on Leadership. She is an author of several books including the much lauded “Lifespring the Mothers’ Prayer Manual” and her most recent work “Designed for Marriage”. She writes a popular column on interiors in Thisday Style and is also a lyricist. Olajumoke is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators- 2015 ACIArb (UK) and a Member African Leadership Network. She is married to Olukorede and they are blessed with two sons.
Fadumo Qasim Dayib, Presidential Candidate, Somalia
Fadumo’s story of determination, courage and triumph in the face of adversity had inspired thousands. As a teenager with less than 5 years of primary and secondary school education, Fadumo persuaded her way onto one of the last planes leaving Mogadishu, Somalia when civil war erupted in the early 90’s. She led her siblings to settle in Finland and has never looked back.
In September 2014, she declared her ambitions to run for the Presidency of Somalia in the country’s first democratically-held election since 1967. While she calls herself a dreamer, history has show that important political and social change often begins with a dream and a vision for change. The path she has chosen has always been wrought with risk and danger. But her survival as a woman who like many others in Somalia endured displacement, genital mutilation and poverty – give her the confidence to soldier on in pursuit of her vision for a peaceful and prosperous Somalia.
Fadumo has been instigating social change and cultivating the skills to turn her vision for Somalia into action for decades. She has pioneered human rights activism in Africa with over 12 years experience as a healthcare practitioner focused on public health and prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in Somalia, Kenya, Liberia, Fiji and Finland. Further, her development experience within the UN and the Finnish public sector is extensive on issues of democracy, reproductive health, women’s and girls rights, inclusion and empowerment in all spheres of society.
She is a 2015 Mason Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School at Harvard University where she received her Masters in Public Administration and a PhD fellow at the University of Helsinki researching Women, Peace, and Security Issues in the Horn of Africa within the framework of UNSCR 1325. She is a 2013 recipient of the prestigious Kone Foundation Scholarship, and was awarded Feminist of the Year by the Feminist Association Union in 2014.
Viola Llewellyn, CEO, Ovamba Solutions
VIOLA LLEWELLYN serves as the Chief Operations Officer of Ovamba Solutions, Inc. Ovamba is Africa’s first “Market Place Funder” Fintech company created to fund African SME businesses. Ms. Llewellyn oversees the execution of strategy, daily operations, marketing and new business development for Ovamba. She was instrumental in building a $50MM fund for a Washington DC based insurance management divisions.
She served as an Executive Assistant and Manager of Secondary Life Capital LLC. Ms. Llewellyn has over ten years experience supervising administrative support staff, supporting executives, and managing offices. Ms. Llewellyn has worked with companies such as Unisys Corporation, IBM, KPMG Consulting, BearingPoint, Rothschild’s, and and Preston Gates Ellis and Rouvelas Meeds, a successful Washington lobbying firm. Ms. Llewellyn was educated in Great Britain at Reading College of Technology. She is originally from Cameroon. She was born, raised and educated in the U.K. and lives between Cameroon and the USA.
Leila Ben Hassen, General Manager, IC Publications
Narratives & Arts
Donald Molosi, Multi-award winning actor & Writer 
Donald Molosi is a multi award winning actor and writer, from Mahalapye, Botswana. Some of his Broadway credits include Damn Yankees (2004) and Motswana: Africa, Dream Again (2012), while some of his Hollywood include Green Zone (2007) with Academy-Award winner Matt Damon and Breakfast in Hollywood (2006) with Paul Boocock of Law and Order fame. Molosi is also a singer and songwriter. Molosi is privately a language historian and he speaks Setswana, Swahili, French and English Fluently. He is conversational in Zulu and Ndebele, and understands Kalanga. During his stints in Tamilnadu India as a summer teacher of theatre for children with disabilities, Molosi also picked up some Tamil and Hindi.Molosi is featured in A United Kingdom, opposite Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee David Oyelowo and Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike. The film depicts the marriage of Prince Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams in the 1940s and the uniting of the people of Botswana. He holds an MA in performance Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, a graduate Diploma in Classical Acting from the London Academy Of Music & Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and a BA in Political Sience and Theatre from Williams College.
Destiny Ekaragha, Filmmaker, Director & WriterJJ Bola, Writer, Poet & Educator 
A Kinshasa born, London raised writer, poet, educator and workshop facilitator. London and UK based, but also international; Paris, Brussels, Boston, most recently San Franciso and Oakland, where he won the Oakland Poetry Slam. He performs regularly at shows and festivals such as Tongue Fu, Vocals & Verses, Chill Pill, the Round House, Ventnor Fringe, as well as Universities and other public institutions.
JJ Bola has successfully published two books of poetry Elevate and Daughter of the Sun (ebook). Hos third, and latest, is his most comprehensive poetry collective WORD, which was launched to a sold out crowd, during Refugee Week on the 18th of June 2015 at Dalston Roof Park. JJ Bola’s work is centred on a narrative of empowerment, humanisation, healing of trauma as well as discovery of self through art, literature, and poetry. Creating the increasingly population adage, ‘hype your writers like you do you rappers’, he believes that the true purpose of poetry (art) is to expose the reality of this world and how to, most importantly, survive it.
Muna Onuzo, President, Foundation for Women in Film and Television, Business Etiquette and Start-Up Coach
Muna Onuzo is an award winning financial literacy advocate for women, an internationally certified corporate etiquette, business strategist, communication and business image consultant. She is a business and financial literacy coach and an entrepreneur with keen interest in helping and mentoring start-ups. Her expertise has seen her speak to over 8,000 businessmen and women on entrepreneurship, branding, and communication strategy across several states in Nigeria and in the United Kingdom. Muna is the founder of Gazelle Academy Vocational Centre. Muna sits on the board of several organisation including the Youth CEO’s Business Forum – a Forbes supported Africa platform. Muna is the President of the Foundation for Women in Film and Television – an international NGO spread over 40 countries and comprising of over 10,000 members.
Anas Aremeyaw Anas, Investigative Journalist
Anas Aremeyaw Anas is an undercover journalist, attorney and private detective working in Ghana and across the African continent. In disguise, he finds his way into asylums, brothels, prisons, orphanages and villages, where he methodically gathers evidence for hard-hitting stories -- then presents the evidence to authorities to see criminals prosecuted. In his latest investigative work, Anas went undercover for two years to expose a total of 34 judges engaged in corruption-related activities. These judges and over 105 judicial staff were caught on camera receiving bribes to influence judgment in Ghana’s courts. To this, Kofi Annan - former UN Secretary-General – said, “Sometimes it takes a spark, just a spark, and I think Anas has provided that spark for the whole edifice to blow up.”
In President Barack Obama's 2009 policy address in Ghana, he singled out Anas and commended him as "a courageous journalist who risked his life to report the truth.” Prior to that, his work on human trafficking won him the US State Department Hero Award in 2008. In 2009,he exposed a human trafficking ring operating in the West African sub-region. The result was a story titled, “Chinese Sex Mafia”, which led to three human traffickers receiving a 41-year jail sentence and seven Chinese girls rescued from forced prostitution. Later in the same year, his investigation in a Ghanaian psychiatric hospital led to a widespread awareness of mental health issues in Ghana and the passage of the 2012 Ghana Mental Health Act.
Anas currently works as a lead reporter on Africa Investigates, a documentary series on Al Jazeera which empowers African journalist to investigate and tell their own stories. Under the Africa Investigates project, Anas has so far produced over eight (8) award-winning investigative documentaries across the continent. He is best known for his works in anti-corruption and human rights, for which he has won countless national and international awards.
Agriculture / Extractives
Tarik Choho, Managing Director, S.A OCP & CEO of OCP Africa
Mr. Tarik Choho has been Managing Director at S.A OCP since September 26, 2015. Mr. Choho served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of S.A OCP from 2015 to September 26, 2015. Mr. Choho joined OCP in 2015. He has 26 years of experience. He served as Chief Commercial Officer of Areva SA and served as its Member of Executive Management Board. He started his career in 1989 at Sofregaz (Subsidiary of Gaz de France) Managed Several Business Units at AREVA, in USA and France. He served as Deputy General Director of Areva SA since March 27, 2013. He served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Sales at AREVA. Mr. Choho began his career with the Gaz de France group where he held successive positions in project management in the fields of storage and transportation of natural gas. In 1996, he joined AREVA and was relocated to the U.S. where he held various positions as project manager for the construction of nuclear facilities at the Hanford site (7 years) and in North Carolina (3 years).
From 2006 to 2008, he was Deputy to the Senior Executive Vice President of the Logistics Business Unit. In 2008, he joined the fuel sector as head of design and sales. In 2010, he took over the direction of Mining and Front-End sales division. In 2011, he joined the International Commercial Organization (ICO) as Executive Vice President, responsible for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In November 2012, he was also appointed to lead 'Major Offers and New Builds'. Mr. Choho obtained an engineer degree from Ecole Polytechnique de Paris and Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Techniques Avancées (ENSTA Paris Tech), an advanced diploma (DEA) from Université Paris Dauphine, and an Executive MBA from INSEAD.
Nike Tinubu, Managing Director & CEO, Eagleson & Nito Concepts
Nike Tinubu is an agro processor, specialising in commercial cassava farming. She has managed over the 10 years, the production and distribution of high Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) in South West Nigeria and has also been involved in ‘hands-on’ training of hundreds of local farmers, effectively doubling their produce yields per hectare. She is currently undertaking a project in Oyo State which targets cassava cultivation on 1,000-8,000 hectares of arable land, focusing on adopting the ‘nucleus’ out grower model and processing into HQCF, thus promoting the twin goals of increasing backward integration to improve domestic value addition and eradication of hunger. Ms. Tinubu was the Lagos State Government Consultant on cassava for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. She is the Managing Director of Eagleson & Nito Concepts Ltd., the Management Company and producer of HQCF at Eko Cassava Factory. She is the chairperson of the Industrial Cassava Stakeholders Association of Nigeria.
Caroline Ngonze, Programme Specialist at UNDP, ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme
Caroline is a Programme Specialist at UNDP Brussels working on an ACP-EU Development Minerals Programme. This three-year €13.1 million capacity building program initiated by the African, Caribbean, Pacific (ACP) Group of States, the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme aims to build the profile, and improve the management, of Neglected Development Minerals by building the capacity of key stakeholders in the sector. Neglected Development Minerals consist of industrial minerals; construction materials; dimension stones; and semi-precious stones.
Prior to joining UNDP, Caroline has previously worked at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) leading research and policy analysis on the situation of women in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in Ghana, Guinea (Conakry), Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia. She has extensive experience covering program design, implementation, policy and planning spanning 11 years in both development and humanitarian settings, with 8 years’ international experience acquired in the United Nations in policy research, analysis, and evidence-based policy advocacy. This has seen her work in Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda with a large cross-section of stakeholders including medium and senior level policy makers in government, parliamentarians, the African Union Commission, regional economic commissions (RECs), development planners, diplomatic missions, academia, civil society organizations, as well as other UN agencies to deliver as one.
Imad Mesdoua, Political Analyst, Africa Matters Limited
Imad Mesdoua is an Algerian political analyst. He currently works as a Client Manager at Africa Matters Limited (AML) where he specialises in the Maghreb and West Africa. Imad monitors political, business, and security risks in these regions. He regularly provides on-air analyses as a guest commentator for the BBC, Al Jazeera and France 24. Imad has also been interviewed on current affairs in the Financial Times, Newsweek, Reuters, Bloomberg, and the AFP.
Imad previously worked as a freelance political consultant in the MENA region, advising political officials, electoral candidates and international organisations, on policy, public relations strategy and political communication. Imad has appeared as an expert witness before several parliamentary hearings and regularly attends conferences as a speaker. He holds a master's degree in International Public Policy from the University College London (UCL) and is fluent in Arabic, French, English and Spanish.
Business and Development
Madji Sock, Partner, Dalberg Dakar office
Madji Sock is based in the Dakar office. She has more than 14 years of experience implementing and managing projects in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the United States. Madji has supported a number of development projects and organizational transformation initiatives in sectors as varied as agriculture, health, information and communication technologies, economic development, and many others.
Madji’s recent engagements have included serving on the functional review of the president’s office in a West African nation, assessing private financing needs in the health sector in Cameroon, supporting the organizational transformation of a Belgian technical assistance fund in Senegal, and the review of an organization responsible for the development of agricultural infrastructure in a region of Burkina Faso. Prior to Dalberg, Madji worked for Deloitte Touche Tomatsu in Washington D.C., where she managed a project to promote black economic empowerment in South Africa’s agricultural sector and served on one of the world’s largest corruption investigations in Indonesia. Madji holds an MBA in International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and is a Certified Fraud Examiner.
Albert Kobina Essien
Mr. Albert Kobina Essien served as the Group Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated from March 12, 2014 to June 30, 2015, and served as its Head of Corporate & Investment Bank until July 2014. Mr. Essien served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated from January 1, 2012 to March 12, 2014. He served as a Regional Head of WAMZ at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated since October 2005. He was responsible for Ecobank's expansion into East and Southern Africa. He started his banking career in 1986 with the National Investment Bank in Accra, Ghana. He joined Corporate Banking Department of Ecobank Ghana in 1990. He served as Country Risk Manager of Ecobank Ghana since 1997, Deputy Managing Director since 2001, and Managing Director since December 2002.
Mr. Essien has been an Executive Director of Ecobank Group at Ecobank Nigeria Plc since 2005. He serves as a Director of ECOBANK Liberia Limited. He served as Director of Ecobank Ghana Ltd. He served as an Executive Director of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated from 2005 to June 30, 2015. Mr. Essien is also an honorary fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana, and holds a B.A.(Honors) in Economics in 1979 from the University of Ghana. He is an alumnus of the Executive Development Program of INSEAD (France/Singapore).
Johnson Ememandu, Head of Commercial banking, The Access Bank UK Limited
Johnson Ememandu has about 2 decades of continuous Banking experience spanning Retail, Commercial Banking, Operations, Trade Finance and Project Management garnered mainly in UK and Nigerian financial markets.
Johnson is an alumnus of London Business School - Corporate finance programme and a member of Institute of Directors, UK. He holds an MBA (Banking & Finance) and Post Graduate Diploma - Finance from Bayero University Kano. In addition to Bachelors of Science degree in Microbiology from the University of Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Nigeria. He was part of the core team that project led the successful application for Banking license from the FSA to operate a full-fledged subsidiary bank in the UK and was subsequently seconded to The Access Bank UK Limited in 2008 as the pioneer Head of Operations to oversee implementation and operations go-live. His current role involves business development & relationship management where he heads the Commercial Banking SBU.
Prior to joining Access Bank Plc in 2006, he has held various positions in Diamond Bank Plc where he started his Banking career in 1995, serving as Regional head customer services, retail and branch operations. Johnson is an avid reader and a passionate advocate of Financial Inclusiveness, Gender Empowerment, and Children’s Rights
Ahmad Zakari, Chief Operating Officer, GE Nigeria
Ahmad Zakari joined GE in May 2005, and has worked in various countries around the world during his Corporate Audit staff roles. He served as the Executive Audit Manager for the Oil and Gas business, Sub Saharan Africa and MENAT. Prior to his current role, Ahmad led teams in the Oil and Gas Upstream unit driving transformation and business process redesign to integrate $2bn worth of acquisitions. The initiatives improved customer outcomes and business profitability at the critical business unit.
Ahmad also served as the Executive Audit Manager, for Oil & Gas Global Audit Staff. Ahmad oversaw the execution of operational projects, financial reviews, and compliance audits across the $20bn portfolio. Ahmad grew up in New York and Nigeria, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Economics from the State University of New York in Buffalo, New York. Ahmad enjoys reading and travelling, and is married with 2 children.
Religion
Professor Tariq Ramadan, Contemporary Islamic Studies, University of Oxford University (Oriental Institute, St Antony’s College)
Tariq Ramadan is Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies at the Oxford University (Oriental Institute, St Antony’s College) and also teaches at the Oxford Faculty of Theology. He is Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Islamic Studies, (Qatar) and the University of Malaysia Perlis; Senior Research Fellow at Doshisha University (Kyoto, Japan) and Director of the Research Centre of Islamic Legislation and Ethics (CILE) (Doha, Qatar).
He holds an MA in Philosophy and French literature and PhD in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Geneva. In Cairo, Egypt he received one-on-one intensive training in classic Islamic scholarship from Al-Azhar University scholars (ijazat in seven disciplines). Through his writings and lectures Tariq has contributed to the debate on the issues of Muslims in the West and Islamic revival in the Muslim world. He is active at academic and grassroots levels lecturing extensively throughout the world on theology, ethics, social justice, ecology and interfaith as well intercultural dialogue. He is President of the European think tank: European Muslim Network (EMN) in Brussels. He is a member of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.
Rev. Fr. Tyolomun Kinga-Upaa, SJ PhD Islamic Studies, SOAS
Imruh Bakari, Lecturer in Film Studies and Senior Fellow at the University of Winchester
Imruh Bakari is a filmmaker and writer. He studied at Bradford College of Art, and is a graduate of the National Film & Television School, Beaconsfield. He also completed postgraduate studies at Goldsmiths College, University of London. He teaches on the Film Studies and Film Production programmes on modules including ‘Documentary & Non-Fiction Film’, ‘Film Genres’ and ‘Scriptwriting’.
Master of Ceremony
Henry Bonsu is a broadcaster and conference host of Ghanaian-British origin. A graduate of Magdalen College Oxford, he has worked on many current affairs programmes, including BBC Radio 4's Today, BBC London 94.9, and BBC2's Black Britain. Henry has also presented shows on satellite channels Vox Africa, BET International, Press TV, and been an analyst on Sky News, Al Jazeera and Sky News. He started out as a print journalist writing initially for specialist newspapers such as The Voice, and the Caribbean Times, then The Times, Express, Guardian and The Evening Standard. For several years Henry was a major backer and investor in Colourful Radio, the former DAB and satellite station. He is now an international MC, specialising on global economic development with a particular focus on Africa. In the last year he has hosted summits at the UN General Assembly in New York, in Brussels, The Hague, Kigali, Mexico City and in Incheon, Korea. As well as development events, Bonsu facilitates business gatherings like the Cartier Women's Initiative Awards, the African Banker Awards, and the Global African Investment Summit. He is currently a member of the Equality and Diversity Committee of NHS England.
Gallery
http://africatogether.org.uk/previous-events/item/59-africa-together-2016-engendering-an-inclusive-africa.html#sigProId3ee5bc1da2
organisers
The Africa Together Team 2016
Halimatou Hima
Halimatou Hima is from Niger Republic, pursuing her PhD in Development Studies as a Cambridge-Africa Trust scholar.Her research is on trends and patterns that may explain how and why some students from rural areas succeed in furthering their education while others don’t. Halimatou is particularly interested in the intersection of research and public policy with the aim of meaningfully contributing to improving the livelihoods of the most impoverished, particularly women in rural areas. She is a graduate from the United World College and holds a BA from Wellesley College and a Master in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
Nafisa Waziri
Nafisa is a first year PhD student studying Development Studies student from Nigeria. She has a background in Chemistry (BSc) and Environmental Technology (MSc). She has spent the past three years working in the international development field in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Her current research is on the computational simulation of social complexity within the context of national development efforts and the international aid industry.
Taskeen Adam
Taskeen Adam is a Chevening Scholar and is doing her MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development at The University of Cambridge. She was the Chairperson of the School Council for Electrical Engineers at the University of Witwatersrand and was an executive member of Engineers Without Borders South Africa, an organisation that focuses on human centred design. Back in South Africa, she founded Solar Powered Learning, an initiative that helps deliver low-cost, energy-efficient educational resources to underprivileged learners. Following this, her current research focuses on educational technologies and teaching practices in Rwanda.
Jolly Dusabe
Miss Dusabe Jolly is an agriculture development expert, currently pursuing a PHD at Cambridge University studying the core drivers to agriculture growth in Rwanda. For the last seven years, she was a Senior Government official in Rwanda, leading multi-donor, rural development projects within the Ministry of Agriculture. During that time she was responsible for development of infrastructure for land husbandry, irrigation and marketing to facilitate sustainable agriculture development in many parts of the country. She was also at the forefront of ensuring community education that was geared towards increase knowledge for farmer organisation, saving, accountability, financial management, marketing and better agricultural techniques for increased productivity and poverty eradication. Ms Dusabe also worked at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture where she was involved in development and distribution of disease free technologies for banana farmers in Uganda. She is an effective leader who strives to achieve excellence. She is passionate about solutions for productivity increased for small scale farmers in Africa. In March 2013 on Women’s day, she was voted by The Guardian as number 21 of Africa’s top women achievers.
Edyth Parker
Edyth Parker is a South African Commonwealth Scholar, pursuing her MPhil in Epidemiology at the University of Cambridge. Her primary research field is the dynamics of infectious disease, driven by her interest to provide evidence in addressing the burden of disease that disproportionately affects sub-Saharan Africa. She is passionate about the central role of the public health sector in maintaining a just and equal society. She holds a BSc in Biotechnology from the University of the Western Cape and a BMedSci Hon. from the University of Cape Town.
Edem Doreen Asimadu
Edem Doreen Asimadu is a Ghanaian, studying for an MPhil in Development Studies. Edem is passionate about African Leadership and development, and envisions a continent that is economically independent; creating inclusive opportunities for all its people. She is a strong believer in Africa's potential and hopes this conference will contribute to the extensive debates and efforts that are shaping policy in Africa.
Muazu Abdul-mu-umin
Muazu Abdul-mu-umin is a third year an undergraduate law student at Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge and has been a course representative for two years. He is also working on his major dissertation entitled “The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has no codified rules on its laws with regards to digital trade: what could be the proposed digital trade's legal position in the future?” Previously, Muazu has worked in her Majesty’s Armed Forces (U.K) as a transport and logistics specialist. He has also worked as an Area Council Chairman and a Managing Director to IBN J Enterprise in Ghana.
Chinedu Ugwu
Chinedu Ugwu is a PhD researcher at the university of Cambridge with interest in infection and immunity. His research is on understanding the interaction of RNA viruses with the immune system. He is also a junior editor for the Early Stage Researchers journal (ESR). Previously, Chinedu obtained a doctor of veterinary medicine degree (DVM) from university of Ibadan and a master of science (MSc) in immunology from university of Oxford. Aside from science, he has avid interest in politics and development in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. He is currently the president of Cambridge university Nigeria student society.
Amir Lebioui
Amir is a PhD candidate at the Centre of Development Studies, University of Cambridge. His research addresses the role of the State in avoiding the resource curse and harnessing natural resources for growth. He is from Algeria, which partly explains his interest in studying the political economy of natural resources and broader African development challenges. Amir also holds an MPhil in Development Studies and a BA in International Relations.
Debbie Onuoha
Debbie is a World History MPhil. student, and the Lt. Charles H. Fiske III Scholar from Harvard University. Her research focuses on the fabrication of African print in the period 1850-1980. She is also very interested in non-fiction filmmaking and will chair the “Narratives” panel. Debbie is Ghanaian-Nigerian and a member of Trinity College.
Toni Oki
Toni is a final year Economics student at the University of Cambridge, Gonville and Caius College. He has a passion for economics, policy and entrepreneurship in Nigeria and other countries across Africa. Toni has worked with McKinsey & Company in London on client projects in the telecoms, financial institutions and social sectors. He has further experience with the Evidence for Policy Design research programme at the Harvard Kennedy School and in the Office of the Chief Economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Toni has also spent time working with a variety of small businesses in Burkina Faso and Sénégal, and remotely on an entrepreneurship programme in Tanzania.
Raymond Chegedua Tangonyire
Raymond Chegedua Tangonyire comes from Ghana. He has had an inter-disciplinary academic life, having pursued different programmes in different universities, currently, a PhD. Candidate in Education, Jesus College, University of Cambridge; MPhil. Educational leadership, Jesus College, University of Cambridge; BPhil. Philosophy, Pontificia Universidad Gregoriana, Rome, Italy; BA. Theology, Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya; BSc. Hons. Agriculture, University of Cape Coast, Ghana; Dip. Tourism and Travel Agency Management, Cambridge Tutorial College, Jersey, Britain. His professional experiences include banking, teaching, consultancy, school management, and charity work. Raymond is a Roman Catholic Priest and has travelled widely across Africa and Europe.
Joy Osegboh
Joy Osegboh is an undergraduate student at Anglia Ruskin University, studying Optometry. She is a photographer, language enthusiast and an ambassador for The Natural Hair Network- she showcases all her creative ventures on her blog - http://msambitieuse.blogspot.co.uk/. Joy is Nigerian, grew up in Nigeria and now lives in the UK.
Josh Platzky Miller
Josh Platzky Miller works on how education is contested by counter-hegemonic political movements in times of social rupture. Having previously studied at the University of Cape Town, Josh is now a PhD candidate in the Centre of Development Studies in Cambridge. This has involved work on a range of topics, including critiques of developmentality, political philosophy of language, digital identities, Black Consciousness, Liberation Theology, and understandings of economic categories and their impact on policies. More broadly, Josh has worked on issues around the digital divide, education and skills-building, self-actualisation and self-expression, and political mobilisation in Brazil, Botswana, and South Africa.
Malachi D. Fortune Apudo-Achola
Malachi D. Fortune Apudo-Achola is PhD Commonwealth Split-site/Cambridge Trust scholar pursuing PhD (Music Education and Technology) at Darwin College. He has a Masters of Music Education and Technology (Kenyatta university, Kenya), and Bachelor of Education in Music (Kenyatta University), Kenya. He is affiliated to Technical University of Kenya, TUK-K, where he started his PhD. His current Doctoral research is entitled, “Supporting higher education music programmes in Kenya: towards a pedagogic framework to transform student learning with technology-mediated learning environments.” Malachi is a Tutorial fellow and assistant lecturer at the Department of Music&Theatre studies, School of Arts and Social Sciences at Maseno University, Kenya. Formerly, a lecturer at Kenyatta University Dept. of Music, Film and Theatre Arts and Kabarak University. He is also a member of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) and International Council of Traditional Music (ICTM), Pan African Society for Musical Arts Educators (PASMAE), Association of Music Educators of East Africa (AMEEA), Kenya Association of Musical Arts Education(KAMAE), Kenya Music Festival Foundation (KMF) and Kenya Schools and Colleges Drama Festival Foundation. Has published in peer reviewed journals in and outside Africa. Malachi is a versatile practitioner, teacher-student, educator, musician, performer, dance choreographer, instrumentalist, actor, deejay and a flexible African contemporary dancer with flare for excellence in his work. He supports a lot of community-based youth empowerment activities in East Africa (see you tube).
Odunlami Mayowa
A Resilient Living Specialist and Green Business analyst from Nigeria. He holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria and he is currently pursuing his Masters of Arts in Intercultural Communications at the Anglia Ruskin University Cambridge. He is the President of the Anglia Ruskin University Nigerian Students Association with a deep passion for youth academic and socio-economic prosperity. Missity is a Creative designer and the Creative Director of his company Missity Expressions that delivers high quality Digital Advertising and Branding services for the past 6 years. He is also a member of the Green Party Cambridge and other "Go Green" advocacy groups Nationwide.
Adannaya Igwe
Adannaya is a final year clinical medical student at Cambridge University, of Nigerian heritage. She is interested in improving access to higher education opportunities for African students, and have previously volunteered for the Africa Gifted Foundation and worked with the International Students Union to highlight some of the problems faced by international students applying to the University.
Dineo Lioma
Dineo is an MPhil in Micro and Nanotechnology Enterprise student at the University of Cambridge. She is South African and studied Materials Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand. Her current research is focused on creating new technologies that will harness ambient energy sources. She aims to find alternative off-grid solutions that will power Africa. Dineo is most passionate about innovation and entrepreneurship and is a fellow of the the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation. The NPO seeks to empower potential future change agents with entrepreneurial and leadership skills so that they may bring about a positive economic, social and political change in Africa.
Grâce Bingoto Mandoko
Grâce Bingoto Mandoko is the David and Elaine Potter Scholar at the university of Cambridge. She is currently pursuing an MPhil in International Relations and Politics. She holds a BA in International Studies and a B. Hons. In International relations and Politics from the University of Johannesburg. She is the former Chairperson of the University of Johannesburg Congolese Society. Her current research is on narratives surrounding violence, death and identity in conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Apart from her passion for issues of conflict and governance in her country, the DRC, Grâce has a strong interest in women and youth empowerment, the energy sector in Africa, political thought and education.