Celebrating Ndi-Igbo

Amarachi Attamah is an award-winning Chant Performance Artist, Performance Poet, Broadcaster, Festival Manager, Creative Entrepreneur and a strong passionate voice in the sustainability of the Igbo language. She has a Master’s in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria and trained as a festival manager with the British Council. She is also the founder of the ỌJA Cultural Development Initiative, organisers of the annual ỌJA Cultural Festival. Amarachi is the Executive Director of Nwadioramma Concept and the Enugu State Vice Chairperson of Association of Nigerian Authors and has spoken about IGBO culture and language advocacy on platforms including TEDx, British Council Creative Hustle and at many schools.  She has also performed in numerous virtual events through the Pandemic including Igbo Conference organised in the UK, Abuja Literary Festival, Nigeria, Global Poetry Festival organised by Shared_Studio and Divercities poetry connect by Planet Word Museum, both of US base...

  Chinenye Ezeudu is an actress best known for her role as Vivienne “Viv” Odesanya’ in Netflix’s hit series “Sex Education,” alongside Asa Butterfield, Gillian Anderson, Emma Mackey and Ncuti Gatwa.  The actor recently wrapped production on Netflix’s film adaptation of “School for Good and Evil” with Kerry Washington and Charlize Theron. Based on the series of fantasy novels by Soman Chainani and directed by Paul Feig, the story is set in a school which trains students to become fairytale heroes and villains. The film is due in 2022. Ezeudu’s credits also include another Netflix series, “Harlan Coben’s The Stranger.” Emerging star Chinenye has also joined the cast of Young Films’ “Silent Roar,” alongside Louis McCartney (“Grounding”), Ella Lily Hyland (“Intruder”) and Mark Lockyer (“Holby City”). The film, a contemporary tale of adolescence and surfing set on a Scottish Hebridean island, is being produced by Chris Young (“”The Inbetweeners Movie”) and is written and directed b...

  NneNne Iwuji-Eme is a British diplomat. In March 2018, she was appointed to be the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Mozambique and took up her post in July 2018 in succession to Joanna Kuenssberg. She is the first black woman to represent the United Kingdom as a high commissioner. NneNne was born in Truro, Cornwall, England, to parents who worked for the United Nations. She was educated at St Felix School, a boarding school in Southwold, Suffolk, from 1990 to 1995. She studied economics at the University of Manchester, and has one son. Iwuji-Eme joined the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in 1999 as an economic advisor. In 2002, she moved to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) as Head of Africa, Middle East and Transition Economies in its Economic Policy Department. Prior to her appointment to her current post as High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Mozambique she was the UK's First Secretary in Brazil. Sources: GOV.UK, Wiki....

  Dr. Umeh is the MD/CEO of Century Power Generation and a Director of Nestoil Plc – both subsidiaries of the Obijackson Group of companies. He joined the Group in February, 2011 from General Electric Aviation, in Cincinnati Ohio, USA, and brings years of seasoned engineering, manufacturing, program management and managerial experience. While at GE's Global Research Center in Niskayuna New York (2001 - 2007), he was responsible for the development of several technologies used to increase efficiency and reduce emissions on land-based and aviation gas turbine engines, in addition to modifying fuels for advanced aeronautical engines. Eloka holds several Engineering degrees, including a BEng in Electronics Engineering from the University of Nigeria, a BSc in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, and an MSc and Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York.  Dr. Umeh is a philanthropist and volunteers his...

  Okechukwu Nzelu is a Manchester-based writer. In 2015 he was the recipient of a Northern Writers' Award from New Writing North. In 2020 his debut novel, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney , won a Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Betty Trask Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, and the Polari First Book Prize. In 2021, it was selected for the Kingston University Big Read.  He is a regular contributor to Kinfolk magazine. His second novel, Here Again Now, will be published by Dialogue Books/Little,Brown in March 2022.  He is a Lecturer in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. Sources: Hachette, Nzelu.org

  Jennifer Nwankwo Ph.D. is the founder and CEO @ 1910 Genetics. 1910 Genetics is a biotechnology company integrating AI, computation and biological automation to accelerate the design of small molecule and protein therapeutics. Their mission is to decrease the timeline and cost of drug development, while improving the success rate of bring innovative medicines to patients in need. They have two drug discovery engines - ELVIS™ and ROSALYND™ - that enable the design of both small molecule and protein therapeutics, an unmatched capability in the AI drug discovery space. Our therapeutic area-agnostic, end-to-end technology powers the full length of early drug discovery - from novel hit discovery to hit to lead, and lead optimization. They are currently applying their technology to drug discovery programs in several areas including, but not limited to, neuroscience, infectious disease, immunology and oncology. They are fortunate to have closed Series A and Seed funding from awesome inv...

  Paola Ogechi Egonu is an Italian volleyball player. She plays for Imoco Volley and is part of the Italy women's national volleyball team. She participated at the 2018 Montreux Volley Masters, 2018 FIVB Volleyball World Championship, and 2018 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League. At club level she played for Club Italia in 2015. She was selected to play the Italian League All-Star game in 2017. In 2017 she moved to AGIL Novara. Ogechi was awarded the prize for Woman of the Year 2019 by D - la Repubblica delle donne, a weekly magazine of la Repubblica. Paola was one of the flagbearers of the Olympic Flag at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. She was born at Cittadella, in Veneto, to Nigerian parents. Her father, Ambrose, is Igbo from Imo State and her mother, Eunice, from Benin City. Sources: Sources: Wikipedia, Tokyo 2020

  Barthélémy Chinenyeze is a French volleyball player, member of the France men's national volleyball team and Italian club Volley Callipo. He joined the French national team in 2017 and participated at the 2017 European Championship and the 2017 World Grand Champions Cup. He was a gold medalist of 2017 World League. Sources: Wikipedia, French Olympic Team, Tokyo 2020

  Chiaka Sylvia Ogbogu is an American volleyball player. She plays for Eczacıbaşı VitrA and the United States women's volleyball team. She participated in the 2018 Pan American Cup and the 2018 and 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League. She played for University of Texas at Austin. At club level, she started her professional career for Il Bisonte Firenze. She is currently playing for the Turkish club Eczacıbaşı VitrA On June 7, 2021, US National Team head coach Karch Kiraly announced she would be part of the 12-player Olympic roster for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Sources: Wikipedia, US Olympics

    Adaku Ufere is an experienced international oil and gas lawyer with over a decade of legal experience. She has extensive experience in the energy sector, including oil and gas, and is an expert on the legal and commercial aspects of international contracts, international corporate frameworks, contractual management clauses, and key contract risks. She is currently the Acting Chief of Party at the USAID & Power Africa West Africa Energy Program at Deloitte. Before her current role Adaku was an energy practice leader at the Centurion Law Group, where she managed legal teams across Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Cameroon, Mauritius, South Sudan, and South Africa.   Adaku is a member of several professional bodies and associations, in addition to being a certified Chartered Arbitrator and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is also a member of the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators, Nigerian Bar Association, the Women in African Pow...

  Grounded by a belief that "talent is universal and opportunity is not", Chi Achebe is an investor & venture catalyst that is committed to investing in underestimated and resilient founders & creators that are building human-centered, community-driven, and market-based solutions. She currently works at Citi, where she has managed financial models, enhanced fund performance tracking processes, and facilitated investments. Prior to Citi, at Omidyar Network, Chi built a pipeline of over 200 ESG investment opportunities/climate finance funds, managed proptech and geospatial investments, and assisted with the spin out of the Property Rights group. At Astia Angels, a global angel fund that invests in women-led companies, she analyzed & managed consumer/ fintech/medtech investments, one of which (nVision Medical) was acquired for $258 million dollars. Chi holds a BA with distinction from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia Business School, where she ...

  Professor Francis Chinegwundoh MBE is a renowned consultant urologist based in London, who specialises in treating prostate cancer, benign prostate enlargement, erectile dysfunction, and a wide variety of other urological conditions. In addition to treating patients, he is a widely published researcher, lecturer, and professor, actively involved in teaching and also involved in charity work as Chairman of the charity Cancer Black Care and a trustee of Tackle prostate cancer. He was recognised with an MBE in 2013 for services to the NHS. Since qualifying in medicine in 1984 from the University of London, Professor Chinegwundoh has accrued a wealth of experience and expertise. He obtained a Master of Surgery degree in 1994 and more recently a Master of Medical Law in 2010. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and Edinburgh as well as a Fellow of the European Board of Urology. He established and runs the regional prostate low dose brachytherapy service at Barts...

  Dr Ebere Okereke is a public health physician with over 25 years’ experience practice in many countries and expertise in epidemiology and communicable disease control. She is also a Fellow of the UK faculty of public health and has been nominated as a role model for women in academic medicine by the British Medical Association. Ebere is currently a Senior Technical Adviser at Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Prior to her current role, she led the Public Health England's project to strengthen capabilities for compliance with International Health Regulations in low- and middle-income countries. She has a particular interest in capacity development and training Ebere holds a Bachelor of Surgery and medicine degree from the university of Nigeria, Nsukka. She holds a postgraduate diploma in tropical medicine from the Liverpool school of tropical medicine as well as an MSc in public health from Newcastle university.  She also undertook a postgraduate professional course...

  Innocent Chizaram Ilo is a writer who lives in Lagos. He was also the youngest-ever writer to be awarded the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. In 2020 he was announced as the regional winner for Africa of the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for his short story “When a Woman Renounces Motherhood.” He was also a 2019 Author of Tomorrow and a Gerald Kraak Award finalist. Innocent has works published and forthcoming in Fireside Magazine, Reckoning, Strange Horizons, Cast of Wonders, Overland Magazine, Cosmic Roots and Eldritch Shores, Brittle Paper, Transcendent 4: The Year's Best Transgender Speculative Fiction, SSDA ID Anthology, and elsewhere.  He is one to watch. Sources: Grantna, Brittle Paper.

  Kosisochukwu 'Kay' Ugwuede is a nonfiction writer, tech journalist and photographer living in Lagos, Nigeria. Whether writing about books, culture, food, politics, religion or travel, Kay's work explores the intimacies of human interaction and questions the intangibles that drive our actions big and small. Her writing has been exhibited in Bamako, Cologne and Dhaka as part of the Invisible Borders Trans-African Photography Organization's road trip projects. She is the author of A Substance of Things Unseen, a travel chapbook published by the Invisible Borders Trans-African Photography Organization. As a tech journalist, Kay covers technology development across Africa paying particular attention to the small way technology is impacting and changing the way we live, work and interact. She is also adept at profiling players in the space in an insightful manner that explores their journey in the industry while providing valuable insights about the broader sectors within w...

  Onyinyechi Zogg is a footballer who plays for FC Zurich and the Super Falcons of Nigeria.  Onyi was born on March 3rd, 1997 in Bern. At the age of 6 she discovered her passion for athletics. She contested IN several competitions in various disciplines (including high jump, hurdles and 60-meter sprint) and was named "Schnäustä Bärner Modi" several times. At the age of 11, she accompanied her colleague “Temi” to soccer training. "Dani", the then FC Bethlehem junior coach, discovered her talent immediately and tried several times to convince her to play football.  For a year she trained in both football and athletics clubs until the effort became too great. Onyi had to make a decision. She decided not against athletics but for football.  Onyi  has been with FC Zurich since 2019 after previous stint at BSC Young Boys, Monroe College, Femina Kickers Worb and FC Bethlehem. Sources: die-11.ch, playmakterstats dot com

  Uche Ofodile is the CEO of MTN Benin. Before then she was formerly the CEO of MTN Liberia. She has over 12 years of experience working in roles which include Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, and Chief Executive Officer. Uche also worked at Vodafone Ghana and was responsible for moving the company to 2nd in from its former position as the number 4 in Ghana’s telecommunications market. She joined Facebook as African regional head for Express wi-fi where she drove the wi-fi initiative further across Africa. Besides Vodafone, Uche has worked in other telcos including, Tigo DRC and MTS First Wireless. She joined MTN Group as the CEO of MTN Liberia in April 2018. Uche has a BA in Political Science from Ramapo College of New Jersey. Sources: ucheofodile dot com, execlibrary dot com, technext dot ng

  Ms. Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu is the CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, a leading African philanthropy committed to empowering African entrepreneurs. Ifeyinwa is focusing on strengthening relationships between the African and the global entrepreneurship ecosystem, empowering African entrepreneurs creating jobs and wealth on the continent. She holds a Post Graduate in Business and Executive Coaching from the Integral African Institute, Cape Town and a Bachelor of Law from University of Wales and Nigerian Law School. Sources: aec.afdb.org, tonyelumelufoundation.org, www.friendsofeurope.org, akzente.giz.de

  Onyeka Nwelue is a filmmaker and author whose book, Hip-Hop is Only for Children won the Creative Non-Fiction Book of the Year at the 2015 Nigerian Writers’ Awards. He adapted his novella Island of Happiness into an Igbo-language film, Agwaetiti Obiụtọ, which won Best Feature Film by a Director at the 2018 Newark International Film Festival and went on to be nominated for Best First Feature Film by a Director and the Ousmane Sembene Award for Best Film in an African Language at the 2018 Africa Movie Academy Awards. Island of Happiness was inspired by true events in Oguta. Nwelue is the founder of La Cave Musik, a record label based in Paris, France. Nwelue studied Sociology and Anthropology at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and earned a scholarship to study Directing at the Prague Film School in Czech Republic. He is currently a visiting assistant professor and Visiting Fellow of African Literature and studies in the English Language Department of the Faculty of Humanities, M...

  Nkechi is a Sports Management Consultant with over 30 Years’ experience and accomplishments in sports management, marketing and administration. Her experience spans a variety of projects especially with start-up operations in Marketing and Communication, Exhibition design and promotion, Event design and management, Media Content development and broadcast (Politics, Music and Sports), Political Media Campaign Management as well as Products Merchandising and Marketing. Nkechi was in charge of the Team Nigeria project (2003-2007) – designed to harness private and public sector funding for the training and participation of Nigeria’s athletes at international multi-sport events such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games and a host of other events. Over the past 30 years, she has also promoted capacity development in sports administration as a key component of sports development and has acted as Consultant on development of bespoke content and projects to gover...