A few days back, Nigeria in Diaspora Commission hosted the National Diaspora Day 2023 in Abuja. It was a huge success. During the event the Diaspora Merit Award was given out. There were presentations of Award Certificates & Plaques in the area of Education, Finance & Economics, Politics, Information Communication and Technology (ICT), Leadership Development, Medicine/Healthcare, Automobile, Philanthropy & Sports.
Below are the profiles of the awardees.
OHAMMED, (GCON).
Amina Mohammed is a quintessential Nigerian diplomat who is serving as the 5th Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. She was Nigerian Minister of Environment from 2015 to 2018 and was a player in the Post-2015 Development Agenda process.
She is a colossus in the political and advocacy space who has advocated and implemented policy changes that have improved the lives of those suffering the effects of poverty.
Amina Jane Mohammed is a self-made woman who paved her own way to leadership. The daughter of a veterinarian father and a nurse mother, Mohammed raised money from her community in Nigeria to study hospitality in Italy. When she returned to Nigeria she worked in architecture for years, before leaving the private sector.
She then went on to work for 3 Nigerian presidents and presided over a 5% national reduction in HIV infections and a 32% reduction in maternal mortality. As Nigeria’s Minister of Environment from 2015 to 2016, she steered the country’s climate action efforts, working to protect the environment and conserve resources for sustainable development.
Prior to this , when Mohammed took the role of Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in 2012, she took up an absolutely integral role in the creation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. She is was honoured as the Diaspora Icon 2023.
NGOZI OKONJO IWEALA
She is a Nigerian economist who is serving as the 7th Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2021 till date. She is the 1st woman and the 1st African to head the WTO. Okonjo-Iweala arrived in the US in 1973 to study at Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude with an AB in Economics in 1976. She earned a master’s degree in city planning in 1978 and her PhD in regional economics and development in 1981 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr Okonjo-Iweala has shown exemplary leadership consistently and has added value to various industries and organizations all over the world. She was one time Nigeria’s Minister of Finance as well as Coordinating Minister of the Economy. She is our Diaspora icon 2023.
PROFESSOR AUGUSTINE ESOGBUE
Professor Emeritus Augustine Esogbue is an alumnus of the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Technology. His research interests include dynamic programming, fuzzy sets, decision making and control in a fuzzy environment, and operations research with applications to socio-technical systems such as health care, water resource management and disaster control planning.
Prof was the world’s first black student, to earn a Ph.D in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (obtained from the University of Southern California). Now Emeritus, at the prestigious Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Esogbue is a celebrated systems engineer, as well as a revered philanthropist and mentor of black youth.
He was founding faculty advisor to the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter, at Georgia Tech, and General Counsellor from 1989 to 2014—when NSBE named him “Advisor Emeritus”. The Delta State indigene, achieved fame as the pioneer nonwhite member of NASA’s Safety Panel, after the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia’s inflight disintegration, in 2003. What whetted NASA’s interest, was Esogbue’s global acclaim, in fields such as “fuzzy mathematics,” “intelligent controls” and “safety engineering”. He received the Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
PROFESSOR GEOFFREY OKOGBAA
Professor Geoffrey Okogbaa is an internationally recognized Researcher, Administrator and Engineering Consultant. He studied BSISE (Hons) Industrial Engineering 1975-1977, MSIE Industrial Engineering 1978-1979 at the Ohio State University, Ohio, PhD Mech. and Industrial Engineering, 1980-1983 at the University of Cincinnati.
He was the pioneer and past Vice Chancellor of Federal University Wukari from February, 2021-February 2016 and currently serves as Vice Chancellor Designate of the proposed Clinton University of Nigeria. Prof Geoffrey Okogbaa has contributed hugely towards Educational/Academic in Nigeria. As a pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Wukari, during his tenure, he made sterling performance in the following areas: Establishment of Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science. Establishment of Faculty of Humanity, Management and Social Sciences. Establishment of Faculty of Pure and Applied Sciences, among other achievements as well as other International Outreach Activities. He was a Diaspora Merit Awardee 2023.
AHMED MUSA
Ahmed Musa is a Nigerian professional footballer and most capped player in the history of Nigerian football with 104 appearances for the Eagles since his debut in 2011 against Guinea in Conakry. As a football star, he is changing the narratives about the art of giving and philanthropy in Nigeria. He built a MULTI-MILLION naira SPORTS COMPLEX CENTRE in Kaduna State with WORLD-CLASS training facilities such as football pitches, tennis court, an Olympics swimming pool, a hall for indoor sports, restaurant, car lots and offices which created a lot of employment opportunities to the Nigerian teeming youths.
A similar facility known as AHMED MUSA SPORT CENTRE was built in Kano to train more youths in various sporting activities just as he also sponsored 100 students in Kano to get university degrees. Ahmed Musa also distributed a whopping sum of #100 million to widows in Jos, Plateau State as a cash flow to run businesses of different kinds in order to improve their living standards. Ahmed Musa is second to none compared to his contemporaries and his name is currently the tune of many young aspiring Nigerians beyond the football constituency for his OUTSTANDING SACRIFICES and CONTRIBUTIONS towards LIFTING HUNDREDS if not thousands out of poverty. Skipper of the Super Eagles of Nigeria is a philanthropist who is using his FAME to IMPACT on the LIVES of ORDINARY PEOPLE in Nigeria positively. The young Ahmed Musa is today an INSPIRATION to many having SUCCEEDED in his football career. He was a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
KUNLE ADEYANJU
Kunle Adeyanju, the Lion Heart, had his university education at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. He commenced his working career as a Management Trainee with British American Tobacco where he later progressed into roles, with his last position as Marketing Manager. In 2004, Kunle took up the position of Head of Marketing, Oando Gas & Power (Gaslink) up till 2006, where he led the team for the development and expansion of the Greater Lagos Industrial Area, Natural Gas Pipeline Network.
In early 2006, he proceeded to join Royal Dutch Shell as Commercial Manager and later progressed into various roles, some of which are, Dedicated Contract Lead, Strategic Project Lead, and Strategic & Tactical Contract Lead. In 2019, Lionheart furthered his career outside Shell to setup Pelicans D.N.O – Venture Capital, where he currently occupies the role of Chief Operating Officer.
He is widely travelled and has visited over 70 countries around the world, he holds an MBA degree, an M.A Degree in Peace & Strategic Studies in view, and he is also a PhD student in Business Administration with specialization in Social Entrepreneurism at the University of Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Kunle has received over 75 awards and recognition for selfless service, exceptional leadership, and courage. The latest award conferred on Kunle was the Rotary International Impact Award for Africa, an award open to all Rotarians in the 54 nations of Africa.
Kunle loves adventure and his hobbies are Reading, Swimming, Cycling, Motorbiking & Mountain Climbing: He has sky dived, Bungee jumped, Jet ski on Indian Ocean, cycled Lagos – Ghana – Lagos, and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro the highest peak in Africa twice.
Kunle is a prolific public speaker and an accomplished author. Some of his Publications from Kunle are: Great Thinkers, Winner Mindset, #LondonToLagos – The journey of a Lion Heart, & West African Road Trip – The Dairy of a Lion Heart. All available on Apple Books, Amazon, Google Books, and major bookstores around the world.
In April 2022, Kunle embarked on a Trans – Sahara Motorbike Adventure: LONDON-TO-LAGOS to raise awareness and fund towards ending Polio in our world. Kunle also runs a charity foundation: THE LIONHEART focused on education, Health, environment, and community development. He is a Diaspora Merit Awardee 2023.
PROFESSOR ROTIMI JAIYESIMI
Professor Rotimi Jaiyesimi, a 1978 medical graduate of the University of Ibadan, was the first Nigerian to be appointed a Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the UK in 1994. He is currently the Group Associate Medical Director for Patient Safety & Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Mid and South Essex University Hospitals, UK. He is a Visiting Professor of Law, University of Ibadan. He is a UK National Patient Safety Specialist, a Global Health Expert and a National and International Speaker at scientific meetings. He was a tenured Visiting Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sunderland, UK and facilitated cooperation between the Universities of Ibadan and Sunderland. He served the UK medical regulatory body, the General Medical Council Fitness to Practice panels for 13 years, one of the few longest serving member.
He co-authored Nigeria’s National Policy on Gender and Health; contributed to Nigeria’s National Diaspora Policy, 2021, that led to the realisation of NiDCOM; Contributed to Nigeria’s National Guidelines for Home-based care for patients with COVID-19; The Convenor of the UK-Nigeria Covid19 Response Consortium that made contributions to the Infection Prevention and Control policy of the Presidential Task Force on Covid19.
He donated PPE to health facilities in Lagos, Sagamu and Ijebu-Igbo, and working with the organisation, ‘Doctors for Change’, He presented over 50 COVID-19 webinars to raise awareness among the Nigerian community in the diaspora and in Nigeria.
He is the Chairman of the Leadership Academy of the Medical Association of Nigerians Across Great Britain (MANSAG). He has trained numerous Nigerian and other doctors who now work in various capacities in Nigeria and other countries. He is a mentor and John Maxwell certified coach to medical and non-medical Nigerians across all ages.
He is an author with over 60 scientific papers, co-authored a textbook: Emerging Technologies in Healthcare, October 2021, and with published chapters in Cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, Improving Life Expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria’s Multifaceted Problems and Their Solutions and Contemporary Obstetrics and Gynaecology for Developing Countries. He was a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
JELANI ALIYU, MFR
Jelani Aliyu, MFR, is an International Automotive Designer and currently the Director General of the National Automotive Design and Development Council, Nigeria. He studied at the College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan, United States, and worked with General Motors in both the United States and Germany. He designed a number of successful vehicles for the company, including the Pontiac G6, Chevrolet Silverado and the world acclaimed Chevrolet Volt Electric Car, which is a high-tech Renewable Energy vehicle that has revolutionized the global Automotive Industry.
As the Director General/CEO of the National Automotive Design and Development, he has brought significant development to the Nigerian Automotive Sector: he has driven private investment by automotive companies, reaching over 1 billion US dollars. These companies with a combined production
capacity of over 400,000 units per annum are effectively producing different models and configurations of vehicles in the country: companies including DanGote-Sino Trucks, Innoson, Peugeot, Honda, Lanre Shittu, Mikano/Geely, Toyota, Ford, Hyundai. Over 30,000 Nigerian youth have been empowered by the agency through Mechatronics training. He has led the development of 21 Automotive Training Centres across the nation, three Automotive Testing Laboratories, and two more Service Hubs are underway.
Construction of his agency’s new Research and Development Centre has been completed in Samaru, Zaria, it will be a facility that would further enable the agency to develop two Nigeria specific vehicles that Jelani Aliyu has recently designed. Under his leadership the Council has enabled the start of assembly of Electric Vehicles with the Hyundai Kona EV and the Jet Motors Electric Bus and Van. He has also led the development of three 100% Solar Electric Vehicle Charging Stations, positioned at University of Lagos, Usmanu Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and University of Nigeria, Nsukka Dan Fodio, to expedite technology transfer. These projects have put Nigeria on the global map of nations dedicated to e-mobility and the sustainability of the planet’s environment. He was a Diaspora Merit Awardee 2023.
JOHN GODSON ABRAHAM
John Abraham Godson, a conservative politician, university lecturer, businessman, and former pentecostal preacher, is the FIRST person of African descent elected to public office in Poland. Godson has been particularly active in the process of establishing stronger economic and cultural relations between Poland and African countries. He launched the African Institute, a foundation promoting Polish-African collaboration that organized the Polish-African Economic Forum. He was also involved in designing the governmental “GoAfrica” initiative. The initiative promotes Polish Firms in Africa and strengthens Intergovernmental and diplomatic link between Poland and a number of African states. He has 4 foundation which includes partnership with Lodz with the aim to fight poverty in the city of Lodz, gives scholarship to the youth, a Christain Civil Movement which promotes christain values in the civil life and John Godson Foundation which awards scholarship to brilliant students from poor families. He established a RANCH in his home town Abia State, a 608 HECTARES of FARMLAND where he rears livestock, plant crops and also focus on agro processing, training and consultancy. He was a Diaspora Merit Awardee 2023.
MANNY C. ANIEBONAM
Prof Manny C. Aniebonam is the Founder and National President of the Nigerian IT Professionals in the Americas (NITPA), a U.S-based organization of diverse information Technology practitioners in the Diaspora. He is currently the President and CEO of AFRIHUB LLC, a United States company focusing on corporate intervention on Digital divide issues in institutions with intervention programs including universal mandatory IT training, Train the trainers, and career development programs with special attention to appropriate skills application. AFRIHUB under his leadership has deployed 27 ICT Centres at Nigeria University campuses and trained, certified, mentored over 1.75 million Nigeria University students in various professional and diploma programs. The group has created job opportunities for over 4000 Nigerians. He was celebrated as a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
PHILIP O. OZUAH
Dr Philip O. Ozuah is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Montefiore Medicine, the umbrella organization for Montefiore Health System (MHS), and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Montefiore Medical Center operates as a hospital, providing geriatrics, neurology, cardiology, immunology, oncology, pharmacy, radiology, surgery, urology, and other health care services. Montefiore Medical Center serves patients in the State of New York. The professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology joined Montefiore in 1989, spending close to 25 years before rising atop.
He is described as one with a strong commitment to medical education as well as deep academic medical research expertise, including as a National Institutes of Health-funded investigator and as a professor and the university chair of pediatrics at Einstein.
In these roles, Ozuah expanded access for underserved communities, recruited and cultivated outstanding talent, advanced programs of excellence, fostered innovations in medical education, and improved financial and operational performance by integrating care across a rapidly growing and evolving Montefiore system that sees more than six million patient interactions a year.
Today, the tide of a successful international medical career that is giving back to its roots has reintroduced him to the academic community of University of Ibadan and Nigeria at large. Ozuah accepted to be the Chief Fundraiser for the students’ hostel project being developed at the College. He donated a Whooping sum of $1 million dollars to the building fund hostel project, an individual donation that has perhaps not been seen in several decades of a tertiary education system. He was celebrated as a Diaspora Merit Awardee 2023.
DR OLUYINKA OLUTOYE
Dr Oluyinka Olutoye received his medical degree from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and earned his PhD in anatomy from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA. He completed his residency in general surgery at the Medical College of Virginia Hospital, Virginia Commonwealth University, and his fellowships in pediatric and fetal surgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, USA.
A Nigerian surgeon who led a team of doctors in the surgery that saved a FOETUS from a LIFE THREATENING TUMOR in 2016. The team brought the baby out of the womb at 23 weeks old and removed a large tumor (Sacrococcygeal Teratoma) growing on her tail bone, after which they return the foetus to its mother’s womb to complete the full gestation period of 9 months.
In February 2015, he was one out of three Nigerian medical doctors among a team that successfully separated conjoined twins in a surgery that made the headlines in the American media and the world. The twins, Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata, were successfully separated on February 17 and 18. A surgeon who has made EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS to the ART and SCIENCE of SURGERY, Prof. Oluyinka Olutoye has without a doubt distinguished himself in the medical field. He was celebrated as a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
MR MOBOLAJI LEWIS
Mr Mobolaji Lewis currently works for an international business-to-business information company focusing on the global financial community. He is involved in Information Technology, Programme Management, Change Management, Political Economics and Business to business introduction for over 25 years.
He facilitates the delivery of diverse portfolio of training and client services across the spectrum of business functioning, including Skills Development, Business Strategy planning and Security Services capacity building. He facilitates and participates in various diaspora led initiatives towards Nigerian development. He is a promoter of foreign direct investment by resourcing foreign investors with local knowledge of desired investment destination.
One of his successful Diaspora direct investment into Nigeria is Nurture-All Foods, processing highly nutritious foods (Soykunu, Soykunu Extra and Soyalac) in Kano, Nigeria using locally grown ingredients and exploring how to compliment the use of renewable energy to drive agro processing industry in Nigeria. He was celebrated as a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
OLAWUYI FOLARIN ALAO
Olawuyi Folarin Alao (popularly known as OFAB) is the founder of Olawuyi Folarin Alao Beneficent – OFAB Foundation, an initiative with focus on facilitating well-being for individuals as well as group of persons, and the society at large.
OFAB Foundation has executed stand-alone activities as well as partnered with individuals, groups, organisations, agencies, establishments as well as government at the grassroots, to implement activities that would benefit the community at large; hence the slogan ‘Benefit to Many’.
OFAB Foundation has reached out to many through supports and partnerships, community development and other aspects of humanitarian service. He was celebrated as a Diaspora Merit Awardee 2023.
Dr NGOZI OGBONNA-ERONDU
Dr Ngozi Ogbonna-Erondu is a Pharmacist, Globe Trotter, Philanthropist and Special Adviser to the Former Governor of Abia State, Mr Okezie Ikpeazu on Diaspora Matters and Special Duties. She has continued to use her wealth of experience, international exposure and links to attract developmental programs, Health projects and facilities, renovation of schools etc to Abia State and Nigeria.
A committed and dedicated Nigerian Diaspora from Abia state, she joined forces with state government to ensure that everything that is due to the state, from donor agencies and international organizations get to Abia. Dr Ngozi has continued to drive the progress of Abia Diasporans all over the world. She was celebrated as a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
KING WALE ADESANYA
King Wale Adesanya is the National Chairman of the Nigerian and Canadian Business Network. He has been an Investment and Insurance Executive in Canada for over 30 years. Although Wale Adesanya has lived in Canada for more than 40 years, Nigeria is topmost on his mind. In fact, he feels blessed and proud to be a Nigerian and as such, has attracted over $200 million dollars of investment to Nigeria. King Wale Adesanya is also the President of ADE FINANCIAL GROUP, an Investment and Insurance Brokerage. He is a known philanthropist, whose philanthropic venture saw the founding of the Hearts2Africa.org. As the CEO of the organization, he passionately raises funds for the underprivileged to obtain hearts surgery, a life and death situation. He was celebrated as a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
DR JONATHAN OBAJE
Dr Jonathan Obaje has consistently sponsored yearly Diaspora Cardiovascular Health Screening abd Intervention programs in Nigeria since 2008 in collaboration local hospitals and participation of staff of the Federal Ministry of Health. He is a recipient of a special Commendation Letter from the Federal Government for his dedication and contributions (28 July 2016).
The Diaspora Cardiovascular Health Screening has been carried out in many locations in Nigeria, including; First Bank HQ, Marina NTA HQ, Abuja, Nigerian Police HQ Abuja, The Court of Appeal, Abuja, Workshop on Strengthening the Primary Health Care (PHC) Delivery System, FCT Unified Services, Reddington Hospital, Lagos, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Echo Scan Services Ltd Lagos, among others.
He is the founder and inventor of most of Urah technologies such as the Proprietary Obalin Transdermal drug delivery System and the Biosurfactant process technology. He holds technology patents in the US, Japan and Singapore, and has many research publications and has worked in various research positions in universities and institutes in Nigeria, England, Malaysia and Singapore. Dr Jonathan Obaje is the current vice president of Nigerians in the Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Singapore Chapter. He was celebrated as a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIAN PHYSICIANS IN THE AMERICAS (ANPA)
Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas(ANPA) is a professional body of over 8000 physicians, dentists and allied health professionals of Nigerian birth, ethnicity or empathy.
ANPA can easily pass as the largest Nigerian professional organization in the diaspora with a shared vision of: “A Healthier Nigeria in a Healthier World”. In the 28 years of its life, ANPA has been intentional for Nigeria’s development. … ANPA was the first body to connect the 5 oldest Nigerian Medical Colleges to the Internet. …ANPA has organized and sponsored over 200 free medical and surgical missions to all parts of Nigeria. … ANPA was instrumental to $48 million dollar made available for AIDS treatment in sub-Saharan Africa, and of which Nigeria was a big beneficiary. …ANPA provided expertise to new medical colleges that wanted its input in the formulation of policies and in curriculum development in Nigeria. …ANPA in times of medical emergencies, stood tall, donating equipment to help in the fight against diseases such as the Ebola epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic. …ANPA has been involved in ongoing skills transfer by bringing experts to Nigeria to train local Caregivers.
…ANPA’s medical/surgical missions in Nigeria since its founding, is over $150 Million dollars. …. ANPA’s Diaspora Annual Remittances is over a billion Naira. …ANPA has therefore served as a role-model for Nigerians in the Diaspora . ANPA was celebrated with a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
NIDO UK SOUTH.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organization (NIDO) was formed in 2000-2001 with a vision to harness the tremendous skills, global exposure, competences and knowledge-base of Nigerians resident outside Nigeria with a view to using this as resource capital to promote socio-economic and infrastructural development back home in Nigeria.
The central vision of NIDO UK South chapter is to bring Nigerians living in United Kingdom together and to identify those willing to offer their skills in education, Information and Communication Technology, Health, Economy, science, Administration, Law, Political and Corporate Governance, Management and many others, to assist Nigeria’s national development.
The organisation has continued to deliver the above promises through her various initiatives. One of such initiative is called “A week in and For Nigeria”. The success of 2022 witnessed various homeland development activities such as the delivery of Information Technology – designing Interactive Interfaces with humans as the focus to group of youth who are now empowered with job opportunities as a result.
NIDO UK SOUTH also visited the less privileged homes and organisations such as Osaze Orphanage and Abino Foundations and were supported with cash donations. There were also visits to many MDAs for effective collaborations on how to move the nation forward. It is worthy to note that these activities are self-funded by individuals and resources are centralised to achieve the objectives.
This year a Team of NIDO UK SOUTH are in Nigeria in conjunction with other members of Nigeria in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE) delivering Medical Outreaches, visiting various ministries to identify areas of collaborations for homeland development and delivering various aids in cash and goods to less privileged in the society.
NIDO UK SOUTH ensured that Nigerians stranded in Ukraine were not left alone by complimenting the Federal Government’s rescue efforts through working closely with NIDCOM, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among others. NIDO UK SÒUTH supported Nigerians with over £7000 pounds as temporary relief measures to those who needed it. NIDO UK SOUTH was part of the 2023 International Election Observation teams.
It sets up a situation room to also allow Nigerians in Diaspora worldwide to be part of the election process.
NIDO UK SOUTH is also working in tandem with the Nigerian High Commission in London to provide support to Nigerians and provide the bridge between the mission and Nigerian community for information flow and resolution of difficult situations.
NIDO UK SOUTH was well represented at the 2023 Global African Diaspora Symposium facilitated by NIDCOM in Abuja ensuring that the organisation was part of the brainstorming sessions and how to harness
the diaspora resources and capacìty for Nigeria’s prosperity and Africa as a whole.
NIDO UK SOUTH was celebrated with a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
ZUMUNTA ASSOCIATION USA
Zumunta Association, USA Incorporated, was established in 1991, and is committed to fostering dialogue, promoting social, economic, and political growth, and building a global community centered on peace, social justice, and sustainable development. The association emphasizes the importance of education to advance non-violent conflict resolution and grassroots empowerment.
Through their resolute mission and the vision of its leadership, they have significantly influenced thousands of Nigerian lives in Nigeria and the United States. This has been realized through various initiatives including scholarship awards to over 5,000 (Five Thousand) Nigerian science students and continues to receive at least 20,000 (Ten Thousand) requests annually from all over the country. Zumunta has offered palliative grants of N500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira) each to over 30 non-profits across Nigeria to support the underprivileged in the communities, renovated schools in Kaduna and Nasarawa States, supplied water to communities in Kaduna and Nasarawa States; organized training workshops in Niger and Kano States, fostered cooperation among Diaspora organizations within the United States, and have continued to partner and build a formidable partnership with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) led by Hon. (Dr). Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
Zumunta nurtures leaders who are now serving the Nigerian people in government, including the current Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, His Excellency Engr. Abdullahi Sule and Executive Governor of Zamfara States – His Excellency Governor Dauda Lawal. Zumunta Association USA Inc led by Mr. Bitrus is leading the advocacy for the establishment of a Nigerian consulate in the West Coast of the United States to provide succor to the growing Nigerian population and encourage foreign direct investment and tourism in Nigeria and has so far collected thousands of signatures demonstrating this critical
need from many Nigerians and friends of Nigeria in the United States. We celebrate ZUMUNTA ASSÒCIATION USA INCOPORATED as our Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
NIGERIAN- CANADIAN BUSINESS NETWORK (NCBN).
Nigerian and Canadian Business Network (NCBN) is a Networking group of both Nigerians and Canadians synergizing to provide lucrative opportunities and added value to the bottom line. NCBN symbolizes excellence, inspiration, celebration, and success for all Nigerians and Canadians doing business in both countries. We facilitate meaningful approaches to beneficial networking, embrace new ways of enriching our connections and raises awareness of our members. We are Bridge Builders.
Our mission is to get to know each other in order to provide and receive referrals, leads, share resources among our members, and connect our services, products, knowledge, and experience with potential new customers.
Our mandate is to increase and strengthen the business successes of our members, serve our clients’ best interests with skills and integrity, and encourage professional relationship development in the Nigerian and Canadian communities. NCBN’s focus is the promotion of Bilateral trade between Nigeria and Canada.
Member volunteers support committee initiatives, creating opportunities, and an environment that supports the growth of your personal and professional brand. More than a business card exchange, NCBN encourages members to ‘Succeed in their business.’ The NCBN believes in Paying It Forward with our mentorship program. Respect, Integrity, Collaboration, Development, Mentorship, are the NCBN core values. NCBN was celebrated with the Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
MS LOLA
VISSER-MABOGUNJE
Ms Lola Visser-Mabogunje, a Dutch-Nigerian, is a Development Management Practitioner, with over 30 years experience in International development, public policy strategy, project management and portfolio management.
She has extensive experience in Performance Monitoring and Evaluation. She was a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for the UNDP-Democratic governance for development (DGD) Project in Nigeria; Senior Technical Adviser (Performance Monitoring and Evaluation) to the Honorable Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment, Nigeria; Technical Adviser on Diaspora Matters to the Honorable Minister, Deputy Team Leader and Key Expert Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation for the EU-Support to Federal Governance Reform Programme (SUFEGOR). She’s presently a Consultant, Member States Engagement Framework at the Headquarters of the African Development Bank.
She is a Board Member of the Nigeria Association of Evaluators and a Fellow of the Association. To help bridge the gap in best practices in Nigeria and to bring the untapped resources of the Diaspora forward in contributing to national development, Lola and a group of experts formed the Society for Monitoring and Evaluation, Nigeria (SMEAN), in 2008. She believes that relying on foreigners to help build our national capacities in performance management will not lead to the required sustainable local capacity; therefore, she continues to work with upcoming evaluators to help build their skills and knowledge and enhance evaluation practice in Nigeria.
She is a philanthropist at heart who devotes part of her personal resources to assisting poor and elderly widowers/widows that are sadly often neglected in society. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she mobilised and led a group of Nigerians in the Diaspora to donate personal protective equipment procured in Nigeria to Federal Hospitals/Federal Medical Centers and State Isolation Centers, across the 36 States and FCT.
“Mummy @VisserLola,” as she is fondly called, shares precious time mentoring youths and young women as she sees them as the bedrock of our society. She has a close relationship with young innovators, upcoming farmers, agripreneurs, agricultural researchers, service providers, students in agricultural institutions, and unemployed graduates. She is always ready to listen to them and help find solutions to their problems or link them to those who can assist them.
Ms. Lola Visser-Mabogunje is a foundation member of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Netherlands, a long-standing member of NIDO Europe, and a recipient of many awards.
PROF. MOHAMMED KABIRU FAROUK
Prof. Mohammed K. Farouk was the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of Federal University, Kashere (FUK), Gombe State from 2011 to 2016. He was one of the Vice-Chancellors appointed from the “Diaspora”. He then moved to Florida International University (FIU), in Miami, Florida, USA, where he has been a faculty member since 1991. His research interests cover Global Education, Social Studies Education, Teacher Education, Curriculum Studies, and Comparative Education. He has published widely in these areas, mostly focusing on Nigerian Education, and presented numerous papers and addresses at various local, national, and international conferences, seminars, and workshops.
As the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of FUK, Prof. Farouk laid a strong foundation for the development of the University into a potentially great university in Nigeria. He established four faculties that offered 35 degree programmes. Under his leadership, the first set of 160 students graduated in 2016, one of the few newly established universities to do so on time.
Under his stewardship, a total of 22 degree programmes that were presented for accreditation were accredited by the NUC in 2015. He recruited over 1,000 high caliber staff and superintended over the provision of infrastructure and equipment worth several billions of Naira. He also trained several academic staff on postgraduate fellowships among other accomplishments. Several FUK staff studied for their masters and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University in New Zealand as well as universities in Malaysia, the UK, the Middle East and several Nigerian universities.
Prof. Farouk introduced the concept of “service learning” at FUK in which community service is integrated into the academic programmes and is required of all students. Only a few universities in Nigeria have implemented service learning. He signed Memoranda of Understanding with Florida International University, USA, University of Canterbury, and Lincoln University in New Zealand that covered several areas including research, staff development, faculty and student exchange, ICT, and library development. Prof. Farouk is currently teaching in the African and African Diaspora Programme in the School of International and Public Affairs at FIU. He has mentored several Nigerian postgraduate students. He humbly accepts this award with much appreciation and gratitude. He was also a Diaspora Merit Awardee 2023.
DR AKINWUNMI ADESINA
Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank Group, is often described as “Africa’s Optimist-in-Chief.” He is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa’s transformation.
The former Nigerian Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Adesina was first elected President of the African Development Bank Group on 28 May 2015. He was re-elected in 2020 for a second five-year term with 100% of the votes of shareholders from 81 countries—the first time this has happened in the Bank’s history since 1964.
Dr. Adesina graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics (First Class Honors) from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria, in 1981. He. holds a master’s degree (1985) and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics (1988) from Purdue University, in Lafayette, Indiana in the United States of America, where he was awarded the University’s Outstanding Ph.D. thesis award for that year. Dr. Adesina won the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation Social Science Fellowship in 1988, which helped launch his international career. In 2017, he was conferred with the World Food Prize, also known as the ‘Nobel Prize for Agriculture.” Three years later, he was named the 2019 African of the Year by one million readers of African Leadership Magazine. In October 2017, his alma mater, Purdue University, USA, awarded Dr. Adesina its highest honour, the Order of the Griffin, a rare honour given only to 50 persons since 1893, including to Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.
In 2010, Dr. Adesina was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, as one of 17 world leaders to galvanize international support for the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. In 2019, the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed Dr. Adesina as one of the 23 global leaders to help end hunger and malnutrition. He serves globally as one of the Commissioners for the Global Climate Commission, co-Chaired by Bill Gates and former UN Secretary General Ban Kimoon, to tackle global climate change. Dr. Adesina was named the Forbes Africa Person of the Year 2019.
In recognition of his outstanding leadership, passion and dedication to accelerating African development, he was awarded the highest national honours of Senegal, Cameroon, Madagascar, Togo, Liberia, Niger, and Tunisia respectively. He is a Commander of the Order of Niger (CON), conferred on him for outstanding service and contributions to Nigeria.
A bold reformer, as Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development from 2011 to 2015, Dr. Adesina turned the agriculture sector around within four years. Under his tenure, Nigeria ended 40 years of corruption in the fertilizer sector by developing and implementing an innovative electronic wallet system, which directly provided farmers with subsidized farm inputs at scale using their mobile phones. Within the first four years of its launch, electronic wallet system reached 15 million farmers, dramatically transforming their lives. The e-wallet has been adopted by several countries ever since.
Under his leadership at the African Development Bank Group, the Bank’s High-5 strategy to Light Up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa; and to Improve the Lives of the People of Africa, has impacted close to 400 million people across the continent.
His creative development initiatives include AFAWA, the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa to provide up to $5 billion for women-led businesses in Africa; Desert to Power—a $20 billion program to develop 10,000 megawatts of solar power to provide electricity for 250 million people in eleven countries in the Sahel region, including northern Nigeria; and the Africa Investment Forum—which as the continent’s largest investment marketplace has generated over $142 billion in investment interests into Africa, in less than five years.
Under Dr. Adesina’s leadership, the African Development Bank achieved in 2019 an increase in its general capital from $93 billion to $208 billion, the largest ever in the history of the Bank since its establishment in 1964. Under Dr. Adesina’s leadership as President, the African Development Bank has become a globally acclaimed financial institution. In 2021, the African Development Bank was ranked as the Best Multilateral Financial Institution in the World, by Global Finance, the globally renowned U.S Financial Magazine.
In 2022, the African Development Fund was ranked the second best concessional financial institution in the world by Washington-based Center for Global Development. In 2023, the African Development Bank was ranked as the Most Transparent Financial Institution in the world. He was a Diaspora Merit Award Recipient 2023.
PROF. MOBOLAJI EBENEZE ALUKO
Mobolaji E. Aluko is a professor of Chemical Engineering at Howard University, Washington, DC, and was Chair of its department from 1994-2002. With a BSc degree (1976) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ife (Nigeria; now Obafemi Awolowo University), he also attended Imperial College, University of London; University of California, Santa Barbara; and State University of New York, Buffalo (for graduate and post-doctoral studies).
He has had sabbatical teaching and research stints at various times at the University of Washington, (Seattle; Materials Science Department); the University of Maryland (College Park; Chemical Engineering), and the Ekiti State University (Nigeria; Mechanical Engineering Department). He started teaching at Howard University in August 1984. His research interests are: mathematical modeling, chemical reaction engineering, electronic materials processing, energy systems, information technology and education pedagogy.
He is President/CEO of Alondex Applied Technologies, LLC: one-time Lead Consultant and International Coordinator of the LEAD Program at the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Nigeria; and Principal Academic Consultant and Member of the Board of AfriHUB (Nig.) Ltd., an ICT resource provider for universities in Nigeria. He is an activist and frequent commentator on Nigerian and African affairs.
He was appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State, one of nine new federal universities established by the Federal Government. As Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, FUO, Bayelsa State, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko directed National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, to refund over-payment of salaries running into millions of naira. This was as it also requested the varsity’s Registrar, David Suowari, to refund cumulatively the sum of N130, 692.71 per month in excess of his due salary. He was a Diaspora Merit Awardee 2023.
