Our Advisory Board
African Agribusiness Alliance offers programs designed to empower the African Agribusiness industry while improving economic growth.
African Agribusiness Alliance offers programs designed to empower the African Agribusiness industry while improving economic growth.
Chairman
Danju is Professor, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Accounting and Finance, Cyprus International University, Haspolat, Nicosia, North Cyprus, Via Mersin 10, Turkey.
He was formerly the Managing Director/CEO of Bank of Agriculture in Nigeria. Prior to this, he was the Senior Adviser and later Acting Executive Director at the Board of the African Development Bank.
Prof. Danju is an reputable academician who has taught both undergraduate and postgraduate students at Universities in Nigeria, England, Cyprus and Kazakhstan. He was a faculty member at Cambridge Executive Leadership Program at Judge Business School, Cambridge University, UK; an Associate Professor and ExxonMobil Chair, KIMEP University, Almaty, Kazakhstan and Adjunct Professor, MBA Program, Kainar University, Almaty, Kazakhstan. He has worked as a Development Banker in Tunisia, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
Prof Danju has abiding concern for the growth and development of the less privileged, especially in Africa. He is fascinated by how international finance and trade could be used to foster sustainable economic growth, gender equality and poverty reduction across the globe but especially in Africa. He is a member of the Executive Board of Nigerian Agribusiness Group. Prof. Danju obtained a BSc degree in economics from Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria, PhD in economics from the University of Bradford, U.K. and attended certification courses at the International Monetary Fund Institute and the African Development Institute.
Ms Patience Chindong is the Co-Founder and Managing Director at EuroAfri Link. She is a passionate and committed Communication and ProjectManagement Specialist trained in Cameroon and Netherlands. She obtained a Master’s Degree at WUR in Applied Communication Science, with aminor in Food Technology and Food Law in International Settings.
She has work to improve the livelihoods of underprivileged communities and assisting prospective African agribusinesses and students to develop skills and linkages with prospective European investors and educational
institutions. From her work experiences in the private sector and non-governmental organisations, she has developed better marketing &
communication, project management, facilitation and negotiation competencies, allowing her to better foster increased productivity, people
empowerment, trade and skills development that would benefit both Africans and Europeans in a sustainable manner. Realizing that adequate and
timely information on opportunities is key in profitable decision-making but often lacked by African agribusinesses, her passion is to drive this
area by making relevant information available to African agribusinesses and students. She believes being a member of the Advisory Board at AAA
would further give her the opportunity to broaden her scope while also offering her best to make African Agribusiness work for the whole
development of African food safety and food security.
Mr. Ali is the CEO of Kipochi, a Pan-African Fintech company that enables the financial ecosystem to utilize digital technologies towards enhancing efficiency, bring innovative financial solutions to the unbanked across the continent and create awareness towards the transformative nature of Financial Technologies. He is a Co-Founder and Partner at Demo Ventures, an early stage, smart capital fund, currently raising its inaugural fund, focused on digital innovation and digital transformation in selected sectors in Africa. We leverage our proprietary Pan African deal to catalyze investment intoearly stage, high growth potential startups in Africa. Ali is also the Principal, AHK & Associates, a Digital Transformation Consultancy focused on enabling clients leverage Digital Technologies to achieve Transformational Change in their organizations. He is also an investor and mentor to startups the Demo Ventures Franchise. He was the founding CEO of Wunderman (Kenya), a Global Digital top ten Agency, where he successfully implemented the Balanced Scorecard, a management tool for translating strategy into action. He also serves on the Board of Longhorn Publishers, the leading publishing house in East & Central Africa where he is instrumental in defining the Digital Strategy for the company; Law Africa, a leading Law Publisher in East Africa and Alive & Kicking, a social Enterprise with operations in 3 African countries and Tourism Promotion Fund, a government agency tasked to fund and promote tourism. His board experience also includes a six-year term as board member at the Kenya Network Information Centre, the .ke Registry between 2006-2012.
Donna Rosa is the Chief Entrepreneurship Officer of EFour Enterprises LLC. She is an experienced expert on business development and entrepreneurship who specializes in providing personalized, professional business development services specifically for entrepreneurs in developing countries and emerging economies. Donna is an international business development Consultant and the founder and immediate past President of the United Nations Association of USA. She was Entrepreneur Coach and small business expert at the Agribusiness Academy. Donna was global sustainability Ambassador for North America at Symrise. She did her Bachelor degree in Food Nutrition Science at the University of Rhode Island and Masters in Business Administration at the University of Connecticut. Donna sits on the Board of Public-Private Alliance.
Dr. Chauhan is the Director of Indigram Group, comprising Indigram Labs Foundation ILF, Indian Society of Agribusiness Professional ISAP, Indian Agribusiness Systems Pvt Ltd. Before joining Indigram Group he was CEO and Director of International Agriculture Consulting Group (IACG). He has a long history with Agriculture and Agribusiness sector with over 20 years’ experience in the agricultural sector. He has a technical background in Agriculture, Food Technology, Agribusiness Management, having worked in academics, consulting, sales and business development in various Multinational and leading national companies at Senior management positions. Dr Chauhan has also worked with UNDP in Africa as Agribusiness Management professional. He has participated at various International and National Conferences as keynote Speaker, Chairperson, Panelist, and Subject Matter Specialist. He is also advisory board member of Global Bio Ag Linkages, United States and working group member of National level Committee of Agri Startups, ICFA. He has PhD in Management, MBA in Agribusiness Management, MSc in Food Technology and BSc in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry. He is an alumni of G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar harbinger of green revolution in India. Published Research paper in various peer reviewed International Journals for work undertaken in Ethiopia and India.
Dr Maigari is the Director General of Nigeria Agribusiness Group, an organized private sector platform working to grow Nigeria’s agricultural economy, creating jobs and lifting millions out of poverty. The group’s investments cut across the entire value chain from input to output markets, export markets, equipment and consumer foods manufacturing. Dr Maigari has extensive public and private sector experience. He served as Commissioner for Agriculture and Forestry, Kaduna State, Nigeria. He is a member of National Action Committee, Africa Continental Free Trade Zone (ACFTA) and Chairman Nigeria Advisory Board, Agricultural Policy and Research in Africa (APRA). He was the CEO of AgriBiz Initiative Ltd and Managing Partner, Farm Technology Transfer Centre, Kaduna. Dr Maigari studied Veterinary Medicine at the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and attended various executive development programs in Agribusiness, entrepreneurship and public policy at Business School Netherlands, Harvard Business School and Lee Kwan Yew Institute for public policy, Singapore respectively.
Ms Gladys H. Morales is the Chief Executive Officer at GHMG STRATEGIES SRL, a management consulting firm specializing in digital transformation, partnerships and resource mobilization (fundraising and advocacy). She is a S\senior innovation consultant with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and previously partnerships and resource mobilization consultant for Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Rome, Italy. She has over 20 years of experience working as an independent international consultant for multilateral development banks and development agencies with a demonstrated history of work in digital transformation, strategic partnerships, project management, knowledge sharing and resource mobilization. She is Principal Adviser on Digital Transformation and Innovation to the AVSI Foundation. Ms Morales is also the main international contributor to the Global Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth Portal in China and is a contributor to the World Bank's blog "East Asia and Pacific on the Rise." She is a member of the U.K. Institute of Fundraising with specialized training on “Strategies and Planning for Major Donors” and a member of the United Nations Innovation Network. Ms Morales has lived and worked in Indonesia, Italy, the Philippines, the USA, and most countries in Latin America. She is a highly skilled networker with a global network of contacts. She’s fluent in Spanish, English and Italian and has an intermediate level of French. She has been recognized twice with the Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) award, the highest recognition of the Rotary International. She obtained Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service and International Economics from Georgetown University, USA and Master of Arts in Development Economics and International Cooperation from University of Rome, Tor Vergata. She also attended Executive Program in Digital Business in Columbia Business School, Columbia University, New York, USA.
Mr. Adeniyi is an Israeli-trained agribusiness developer and value chain expert with network in Kenya, Netherlands, South Africa, Ghana, Botswana, Dubai and Malaysia. A renowned agriculturist, development coach, value chain analyst, trade facilitator, export strategist, capacity builder, author and teacher. His unrivalled experience in the industry has earned him many awards and honours from both the public and private agricultural sectors. He partners with noteworthy agricultural research institutes worldwide. Mr. Sola has diligently harnessed opportunities in the industry and has on many occasions given insightful perspectives and strategies to drive progress in Africa’s agricultural sphere. He has planted over 200 varieties of crops and has exporting license to European countries. He is an Advisory Board Member, African Society of Agribusiness Professionals, Fellow and Council Member, Institute of Agribusiness Management of Nigeria and member, International Food and Agribusiness Management Association. He was awarded the Patron of the Farmers Association of Nigeria (Lagos Branch) for his unquantifiable contributions to the industry. Ambassador is the founder of GoGreen Africa Initiative and the Lead strategist of G-CAP (Green City Agribusiness Promotional Programme). As the pioneer of Hass Avocado production in Nigeria, he was recently appointed as the Executive Director of the Avocado Society of Nigeria. He is the Director of Membership and Engagement, Institute of Agribusiness Management. As a consultant, Mr. Sola has handled different multi-million projects for both the government and private companies with exceptional outcomes. Mr. Sola is happily married to his Queen, Fola with two kids.
Ms Kathleen A. Charles is a senior finance and investment promotion specialist, working with donors, governments, DFI, banks, local FI and BDS in Africa to stimulate growth of the private sector on the continent. Work in tandem with multi-stakeholder programs and key partners to create an enabling environment for SME to flourish and to access new markets. Conduct field missions in East, West, North and Central Africa to assess competitive advantage for SME business in key economic sectors, including agriculture and mining. Work with financial institutions, NGO, private investors and donors to forge smart partnerships that lead to the design of innovative finance schemes, especially for women, farmers/SME, and young entrepreneurs. Promote dialogue on key socio-economic issues pertaining to African regional integration, SME access to finance, climate smart agriculture and SME empowerment. Help SME/farmers prepare business plans; obtain product certification, and exposure to new markets. Organize and present country case studies, including policy recommendations at workshops sponsored by FAO, UNIDO, CDC, DANIDA and host governments. Kathleen obtained her B.A International Relations, Science and Language from University of California, Davis, California USA and M.A. International Studies Political Science, Economics and Law at the Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales et Developpement, Geneve, Suisse. She also attended a study tour at the Pushkin Institute, Moscow USSR. Kathleen speaks English, French, Spanish, German, Russian and Portuguese.
Mr. Steve Hoda holds a master's degree in Economic Sciences and is Co-Founder and CEO of the Startup AfriCereal Group focusing on Agribusinessvalue chains. AfriCereal Group provides services with technicalequipment for the benefitof players in the cereal and other sectors in the agribusiness industry. He is Co-Founder of the Galaxy des Jeux, a company specializing in the development of games and entertainment centers. Coordinator in Benin of the International Alliance for SDGs based in Geneva. He obtained his Bachelors and Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Abomey Calavi, Benin Republic. Mr. Hoda served in the General Directorate of Economic Affairs of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Benin as Special Assistant to the Director of Economic Promotion. He is the National Coordinator for Benin, International Alliance for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He is bringing on board his several years of public and private sector expertise and experiences to assist AAA achieve its vision.
Ms Ornella Marlene Kuadjovi is Senior Governance analyst with Tony Blair Institute for Global Change attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in Lome, Togo. She is responsible for developing strategies and mechanisms to facilitate smallholders and agribusiness Small and Medium Enterprises access to regional and international markets and the management of investment projects. Prior to this, she worked in the Office of the Head of State as Project Analyst focusing on implementation of priority project at President Delivery Unit. She also worked in the Investment Promotion and Facilitation Unit in the office of the Minister for Digital Economy as an Investment Analyst. Ornella attended the University of Lome Togo for her Bachelor in Economics and Master’s degree in Applied Economics. She obtained a certificate in Practice of Problem Driven Iterative Adaptation Approach from Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education. She is a passionate professional who is enthusiastic about agribusiness and local value addition in Africa. She is fluent in French and has a working knowledge of English.
Thiery is a Partner and Chief Operating Officer KPMG Central Africa. He also heads Financial Services Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa at KPMG France. Prior to this, he was Partner and Head West Africa, Financial Risk Management and a Leader of Regulatory Centre of Excellence. He also worked at Deloitte as Director Treasury and Capital markets FRM financial services as well as Senior Consultant with Price Waterhouse Coopers. He has worked in fast & ever-changing environments in more than 37 different cities and 5 continents and visited 134 cities in 37 countries. Mr. He is a member of boards of Team Building Africa and Children International School. Mbimi obtained his MBA and Master of Financial Management degrees from Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Australia and a Certificate in Fintech from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA.
Mr. Murasira is a global business development expert with a passion for combining traditional indigenous practices with modern technological breakthroughs to (efficiently) optimize business value and maximize socio-economic impact. He is a multi-lingual business developer that focuses on the big picture without losing sight of the details. His ability to view both sides of an issue in a local and a global perspective allows him to develop and integrate solutions that are balanced and beneficial for everyone involved. Mr. Murasira Co-managed business development for the largest digital soil analysis provider in Africa, focusing on West and East Africa (HQ, Netherlands); Co-owns Rwanda's largest digital addressing-as-a service provider (HQ, Sweden); Co-launched and managed commercial operations for Rwanda's largest digital health care provider and Africa's first end-to-end digital health service (HQ, UK); Co-founded Rwanda's largest potato processing firm (HQ, Rwanda). He sits on the board of several organizations and regularly advise African governments, farmers organizations, NGOs, and companies doing business in Africa. He is Business Advisor to the Chairman, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN); a member of Expert Review Committee, Food and Agriculture Benchmark at World Benchmarking Alliance, Amsterdam, Netherlands and Strategic Advisor, Pan-Africa Farmers Organisation (PAFO). He was educated at Swedish Institute of Management and Wageningen University, Netherlands. Mr. Murasira was born and raised in a farming household in rural Rwanda and he enjoys long-distance cycling.
Victoria Madedor is currently the Agribusiness Expert at BOI Investment and Trust Company, a subsidiary of the Bank of Industry Nigeria. She is an experienced Business Development Consultant with a focus on the Agricultural Sector. While Victoria’s previous roles had a leaning towards Information Technology , upon joining BOI-ITC, her passion for the agro-allied sector was re-ignited as she began to work on developing the businesses of SME’s in that sector. She is an advocate for Agribusiness growth in Nigeria and a subject matter Speaker. She currently sits on the Advisory Boards of Umuebe Farms Ltd, Braval Apparel Nig. Ltd, Lexcel Plastics and Products Ltd, Edo Women for Agriculture and Enterprises, and Freeway Farms Nig. Ltd. Victoria is the Initiator of SlumInclusion, an advocacy program aimed at financially including youths that are vulnerable and disadvantaged in Nigeria through Agribusiness schemes with a direct impact on 772 families. Her passion for youth and women development has prompted her to volunteer as mentor for Google Accelerator Launch Pad (2017), Lagos State Government Ready Set Work Program (2017), International Business Accelerator (2018), which has improved the lives of over 82 youths and women. Victoria attended the University of Benin for her Bachelor of Agriculture degree in Agricultural Economics and Extension Services and obtained a Master of Business Administration from the National Open University, Lagos, Nigeria. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Marketing and Innovation at the Metropolitan School of Business, United Kingdom. Victoria has undergone several executive development programs with London Business School (MOOC), Lagos Business School, Metropolitan School Of Business UK, and Centre for Development Innovation, Wageningen UR Netherlands. She is a Fellow Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC), a Senior Member of Chartered Institute of Public Diplomacy and Management, and Fellow Institute of Agribusiness Management Nigeria. She served as resource person for Post-Harvest Loss Alliance for Nutrition (PLAN).
Mr. Johnbosco Birenge is the Technical Adviser on Agriculture and Livelihood Development in the Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda. Prior to this position, he was the National agriculture and sector coordination Expert (IFDC-GIZ Funded Program) in Uganda. Previously he had occupied various technical and managerial positions in the public and private sector where he developed agribusiness and marketing policies. He is a motivated agriculture project manager with a reputable ten (10) years' experience in commercial agriculture and crop production systems, project proposal designing and implementation, performance evaluations and intense USAID proposal evaluations. A huge experience in processing and marketing with focus on agricultural institutions development, smallholder farmer improvements through farmer cooperative management (organizational capacity assessment) and agriculture trade and export as well as agriculture certification systems (Ecocert and Ceres) especially on commercialized crops (marketing) and agriculture financing. He attended University of the Free State for his masters degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development and Bachelors degree in Kyambogo University.
Dr. Babafemi Oyewole is the Managing Director/CEO and Secretary to the Advisory Board of African Agribusiness Alliance. He was formerly the Managing Director/CEO and Secretary to the Governing Board of the African Cashew Alliance (ACA), Accra, Ghana, a USAID funded international alliance for promoting the cashew industry. He has experience in strategic planning and management, banking and finance, private enterprise development and consulting. Dr. Oyewole had also served a six-year term as the Executive Director/CEO of the African Energy Investment Corporation (AEICORP) established by the Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (APPO), developing oil, gas and energy projects in 16 African countries. He was the Assistant Secretary General/Deputy CEO of the West African Bankers Association Secretariat, Freetown, Sierra Leone and General Manager and head of division at Banque Internationale du Bénin, where he implemented corporate transformation and innovation strategy which led to the expansion of business opportunities for the bank. Dr. Oyewole studied at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom, as a Chevening Fellow, for his PhD in Development Finance and Policy, attended University of Lagos, Nigeria for his Masters in economics, specializing in project management, Olabisi Onabanjo University for MBA in Technology, Marketing and Business Strategy. He also obtained Certificate in private enterprise development from the JF Kennedy School, Harvard University in Boston, USA. Dr. Oyewole serves on the Boards of Orabank, Benin, FINADEV Benin, Supreme Microfinance Bank, Lagos, Nigeria and the African Petroleum Institute, Cairo, Egypt. He is a resource person at UNCTAD on natural resources management and local content development. He was a member of the Global Cashew Council (GCC) for the 2015-2016 where he made contributions to the strategic direction of the Council. Dr. Oyewole is a regular speaker at international conferences on the development finance, agribusiness, oil, gas and energy issues in Africa. He enjoys travelling, networking and undertaking research on development issues. He is married with two children. He is bilingual with proficiency in English and professional working knowledge of French languages.
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