Mrs. Agatha Nnaji

Founder & Head of Dewdrop Centre

Agatha is a Social Entrepreneur and Founder/CEO of Dewdrop Foundation, non-governmental, non-profit organization since 2003, with head office in Abuja, Nigeria.

She is an Ashoka Fellow, and a seasoned hospitality and leisure specialist. As a foundation member of the Sheraton Hotel Group in Nigeria, she played the leading role in defining service delivery standards in the hospitality sector in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria for several years.

Has over 20 years Hotels experience with the National Airline and Starwood Hotels Group in Atlanta, Georgia, (USA), and as the Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, oversight responsibilities for the three Sheraton Hotels in the West African sub-region. She is an accredited FORUM Inc, USA trainer, and Starwood Group Inc. certified trainer in various sales and marketing courses for the Sheraton Hotels in Africa, Middle East, Europe (EAME region), and USA.

A member of the ITT Sheraton 1995 Golden Team award winners for Africa/Middle-East division, Agatha has won several awards for her contributions to the development of the leisure and hospitality industry in Nigeria.

She is a dynamic manager, and human resource developer with excellent organizational and training skills, versatile communication, and IT competence.

Agatha also serves as the Managing Director of Geometric Power Ltd., Nigeria’s pioneer indigenous power development company.

Prof. Bart Nnaji

Chairman, Board of Trustees & Advisory Board

Professor Bart Nnaji is Chairman/CEO, Geometric Power Limited (GP), Nigeria’s pioneer private-sector power project developer/investor. One of GP’s projects, the Aba IPP is an integrated power-solution model for Nigeria’s power industry.

He was a Distinguished Professor of Engineering at University of Massachusetts, the “William Kepler Whiteford” Professor of Engineering at University of Pittsburgh, and spearheaded the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Center of excellence for e-Design.

He served Nigeria as Minister of Science and Technology; Special Adviser to the President on Power, Chairman, Presidential Task Force on Power; and Minister of Power.

He published over 100 technical articles, 5 books including the 1994 world best text book prize for Manufacturing Engineering, titled “Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Engineering”.

His merit awards include Commander, Order of Niger (CON) by Nigeria’s President; Nigeria’s highest intellectual merit award, NNOM, U.S. Secretary of State’s Distinguished Public Service Award; Distinguished Scientist Award by World Bank-IMF Africa Group; the ARCO Excellence in Science & Technology Award; Baker Distinguished Research Award (the highest research award given by the IIE), amongst others.

Professor Nnaji has a Ph.D, Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech USA; Postdoctoral Certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics from MIT, USA.

Mrs. Regina Amadi-Njoku

Member, Advisory Board

Regina Amadi-Njoku is an experienced gender, labor and development specialist.

Founder/CEO of Other Half Women Empowerment Initiative (OH), a Leadership and Management NGO that addresses gender equality and empowerment, with a special focus on the impact of culture on women’s rights and participation in all spheres of development.

Her global presence spans across several senior decision-making positions in national and international institutions in Africa, Europe and the United States.

These include the UN Assistant Secretary General (ASG) of the International Labor Organization (ILO); the ILO Regional Director for Africa; Regional Program Director of Anglophone West Africa for UNIFEM; Vice-President for Africa at the Mayatech Corporation in Maryland, USA; and Project Coordinator at the Economic Development Institute (EDI) of the World Bank, amongst others. She also lectured at the University of Maryland and Howard University in Washington D.C. in linguistics and African studies.

She serves on several Boards, including Coca-Cola Africa Advisory Board (1992-1996) and is a recipient of multiple awards. Ms. Amadi-Njoku is fully bilingual in English and French.

Rev. Fr. G. Nzamujo

Member, Advisory Board

A Nigerian-born American Dominican Catholic Priest and University Professor of high repute, with doctorate degrees in electronics, microbiology, and development science.

Founder of the renowned Songhai Centre, Porto Novo, Benin Republic, an innovative and integrated agro-based interventionist institution, headquartered in Port Novo, Benin Republic and in 15 African countries.

Songhai was recognized as a Regional Centre of Excellence for Africa by the United Nations in 2008. Fr. Godfrey Nzamujo was meritoriously accorded the rank of “Grand Officer of the Order of Benin Republic” in 2013.

Mrs. Jessie Wamuo

Member, Advisory Board

Mrs. Jessie Wamuo is a highly experienced London-based Community Health Professional Specialist in Health and Social Care within District Nursing and Health Visiting.

She has special interest in Teaching, and has over 28 years of teaching experience in the UK as a lecturer/practice educator in the sector.

She graduated as a Lecturer/practice Educator at Surrey University, Guildford and South Bank University, London in the 1980s.

She is currently the company Director of Omeronye Ltd., in London with focus on Health Promotion in the community.

Mrs. Uzo Uzoeghe PhD

Member, Advisory Board

Managing Director, Image Brokers, Abuja

Mrs. Chichi Aniagolu-Okoye PhD

Member, Advisory Board

Country Director at Girl Effect Nigeria – ‎Girl Hub.

A multiple award winning Development Sociologist with over 21 years’ experience in building Civil Society Organizations’ (CSOs) capacity, training, good governance, budget reform, migration, networking, HIV/AIDS, project design and management, monitoring and evaluation, public policy and gender mainstreaming. Former, Director, Canadian International Development Agency Program Support Unit in Nigeria.

Former Deputy Program Director of the Supporting to Reforming Institutions Program (SRIP) a 57million Euros European Union Project, which supports actions for improved governance and poverty reduction in six states in Nigeria through budget reform and accountability.

Also former Country Director for Ashoka Innovators for the Public’s Representative for West Africa.

Was also a Consultant to UNIFEM, European Union, Action Aid, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), UNIFEM, UNESCO amongst others.

Also a former lecturer at the University of Limerick in Ireland, and the University College Cork .

Dr. (Mrs) Ogugua Osita-Ogbu

Member, Advisory Board

A US trained Consultant. Physician/Geriatrician, currently serving as the Acting Director of Clinical Services at the National Hospital Abuja.

She is also a medical expert in stroke.

Mrs. Tosan Chukwueke

Member, Advisory Board

Executive Director, Protea Hotel Abuja and Cachez Turnkey Projects Ltd, Abuja, a highly reputable indigenous company that specializes in the turnkey development of luxury homes, estates, and hotels, which offer iconic designs of utmost quality.

Cachez Group has been at the fore front of the Nigerian Luxury real estate market, and hotel properties particularly in Abuja for more than a decade, bringing luxury living experience and top quality hospitality services to its teaming clients.

Over the years, Cachez Group has grown to include property management, project management, facility management and consultancy services on property development, investment and best use of real estate property to its portfolio.

Mrs. Odinaka Lagi

Member, Advisory Board

A champion of Human Rights, with a Master of Arts degree in Human Rights.

She serves as the Senior Program Officer for NULAI-Nigeria, Secretary-Global Alliance for Justice Education Steering Committee, Open Society Justice Initiative (OSJI) Human Rights Fellow and an Equitas Alumni.

Mr. Alphonsus Alhassan

Member, Advisory Board

Owner and Managing Partner of Superior Options Limited.
A dedicated professional and veteran in hospitality management, with expertise in management, marketing, sales and customer service training and development. Renowned for his high values, staunch integrity, being detail oriented and firm commitment to high service delivery standards.

A certified Sales & Marketing Trainer of the Starwood USA Hotel Group, owners of Sheraton Hotel Abuja. Currently organizes a Marketing Academy that aims at bridging classroom theory with on the job professional practice of marketing and customer service delivery.

His company also recruits, trains and sets up operational systems and standards for companies. To date they have set up, trained and consulted for over 50 companies in Nigeria and still counting.

He served as Director of Sales & Marketing, Abuja Sheraton Hotel & Towers; Deputy General Manager, Genesis Foods Nigeria Limited (in charge of Hotels, Catering, Business Development); Chief Operating Officer, Doxa Digital Nigeria Limited.

 

DDI Resource Persons – 2016

Mrs. Oby Nwosu

A highly experienced matron and specialized in community nursing. She obtained her Masters’ degree from the UK and has been the trainer for Dewdrop Foundation’s pilot childcare training classes since 2011.

Mrs. Idia Akanbi

An experienced, UK trained Human Resources Management and Training expert. In high demand within the industry for her customer-centric focus and excellent training skills.

Ms. Anne Okigbo

A seasoned International Development and Health Specialist with The World Bank for over 26 years.

Very passionate about justice and rights, as well as the well-being of women and children.

A highly reputable Team Leader and Advocate for high service delivery standards and improved quality of health services.

Mrs. Dayo Benjamin-Laniyi

Enterprise Communicator/ Media Entrepreneur at DBL/DOXA

Mrs. Rhoda Bello

A foremost Nigerian Educationist and the renowned pioneer Principal of Lady Ibiam Ecumenical College, Enugu Nigeria.

Mrs. Bello is recognized and highly regarded in the industry for her contributions in defining the standards of formal and vocational education in Nigeria.

Mrs. Osen Ogunbameru

A highly experienced educationist.

Very passionate about human capacity development, justice and rights, as well as the well-being of women, children and youths

Mrs. Blessing Egwu

A highly experienced, licensed Master of Social Work in New York, USA. A multi-talented, multiple awards winning Accredited & Certified Social Worker in NY, USA.

Mrs Egwu is a member of the National Association of Social Workers, N.A.S.W, USA. She is also the Founder, (NSWA) Nigeria Social Worker’s Association New York, USA.

She retired from the Rural Electricity Agency in Abuja, Nigeria in 2015 and has been making enormous contribution of her time and other resources, to support the Foundation’s activities.

 

Barr. Chinwe Okwuonu

Barrister-at-law. Provides legal services, training and secretarial support to the organization.

Mrs. Ankia Swart-Geldart

A highly accomplished General Manager of flagship and 4-star hotels, serving international corporate and leisure markets, and over 20 years working with the largest hotel group in Africa (Protea Hotels).

Has received global recognition for her passion in customer service and positive, result-oriented approach in engaging customers. Currently working as a Consultant at Protea Hotel Abuja.