Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli
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Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli (; born 22 March 1975) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, an expert on African agriculture and nutrition, philanthropy, and social innovation. She has over 25 years of international development experience and is a recognized serial entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and consultant. Through her work in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, she has led the design and execution of high-impact initiatives focused on policy, strategy, organizational design, ecosystem solutions, and growth.


Early life

Ndidi Okonkwo was born on March 22, 1975, at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital in
Enugu, Nigeria Enugu ( ; ) is the capital city of Enugu State in Nigeria. It is located in southeastern part of Nigeria. The city had a population of 820,000 according to the 2022 Nigerian census. The name ''Enugu'' is derived from the two Igbo words ''Énú ...
to a Nigerian professor of Pharmacology—Paul Obuekwe Okonkwo and an American professor of History—Rina Okonkwo. Her father, who is from Awka, Anambra and her mother who is originally from New York, met at
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
in 1965. Her parents were educators by profession. They taught and mentored students with the goal of improving the Nigerian Education System. In an interview with the
National Mirror The ''National Mirror'' is a daily newspaper published in Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Af ...
Nwuneli explains, “I was born the third of five children. My parents ...xposed my siblings and I to the concept of patriotism and service from very young ages....during the dark years of the late
General Sani Abacha Sani Abacha (20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998) was a Nigerian military officer and politician who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful c ...
years, when many professors fled outside the country, my parents stuck it out, going for many months without salaries. Even with these challenges, holidays in our home were devoted to giving to others; trips to orphanages and other charity organizations formed a critical part of our socialization".


Education background

She grew up in Enugu, where she attended primary school at University Primary School. She attended secondary school at the
Federal Government College Enugu The Federal Government College, Enugu (FGCE), locally known as Fedi, is a secondary or high school in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. The school was created by the Nigerian government in 1973 as one of the federally funded "Unity schools" to bring t ...
from 1986 to 1991. From 1991 to 1992, she completed a bridging program, combining her final year of high school and freshmen year of college at the Clarkson School in
Potsdam, New York Potsdam ( moh, Tsi tewate’nehtararénies) is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The town population was 14,901 at the 2020 census. The ZIP Code is 13676. When SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University are in session, the popul ...
.


Education

Nwuneli attended The
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania ( ; also known as Wharton Business School, the Wharton School, Penn Wharton, and Wharton) is the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, a private Ivy League research university in P ...
in 1992, where she concentrated in
strategic management In the field of management, strategic management involves the formulation and implementation of the major goals and initiatives taken by an organization's managers on behalf of stakeholders, based on consideration of Resource management, resour ...
and multinational management. She is a recipient of the Albert A. Berg Scholarship and was also selected to become a member of the
Friars A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders founded in the twelfth or thirteenth century; the term distinguishes the mendicants' itinerant apostolic character, exercised broadly under the jurisdiction of a superior general, from the o ...
and the
Onyx Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The c ...
Senior Societies for her outstanding leadership efforts. In addition, she was the president of the Penn African Students Association, and a member of several societies including the Penn Gospel Choir and the Black Students Union. She was also an intern at Mitchell & Titus and
Arthur Andersen Arthur Andersen was an American accounting firm based in Chicago that provided auditing, tax advising, consulting and other professional services to large corporations. By 2001, it had become one of the world's largest multinational corporat ...
. In May 1995, at 20 years old, Nwuneli graduated
magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...
with a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...
in Economics. By 1997, she was enrolled at Harvard Business School (HBS). While there, she received both the Harvey Fellowship and the
National Black MBA Association {{advert, date=May 2014 The National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) is a non‐profit organization founded in 1970 at the University of Chicago, dedicated to the enhancement and development of educational and economic empowerment for African Americ ...
Graduate Scholarship, both recognizing her academic accomplishments. Her extracurricular activities at Harvard include founding and Co-chairing the Annual African Business Conference; Vice President of Faculty and Student Affairs for the Africa Business Club; International Liaison for the African American Student Union; and Publicity Chair for the Christian Association. She graduated with her MBA at 24 in 1999.


Career

Nwuneli's career began in her junior year at The University of Pennsylvania when she held a Summer Business Analyst position with
McKinsey & Company McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm founded in 1926 by University of Chicago professor James O. McKinsey, that offers professional services to corporations, governments, and other organizations. McKinsey is the oldest and ...
in New York. In 1995, she was offered a full-time position at McKinsey as a
Business Analyst A business analyst (BA) is a person who processes, interprets and documents business processes, products, services and software through analysis of data. The role of a business analyst is to ensure business efficiency increases through their know ...
working out of
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
. She also worked for McKinsey in their office in
Johannesburg, South Africa Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...
. Her work with McKinsey in 1997 led to the management and training of police officers across 25 South African Police Service Stations, as well as an increase in criminal convictions and a reduction in crime rates. In 1998, she accepted a position as the Lead Consultant with a non-profit founded by Professor Michael Porter called The Center for Middle East Competitive Strategy. She consulted with
Palestinian Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
and
Israeli Israeli may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the State of Israel * Israelis, citizens or permanent residents of the State of Israel * Modern Hebrew, a language * ''Israeli'' (newspaper), published from 2006 to 2008 * Guni Israeli ...
businesses and made recommendations for decreasing transaction costs and increasing trade across the region.


Work in Nigeria

In 1999, Nwuneli worked as the Lead Consultant for
The Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an American private foundation with the stated goal of advancing human welfare. Created in 1936 by Edsel Ford and his father Henry Ford, it was originally funded by a US$25,000 gift from Edsel Ford. By 1947, after the death ...
on a project focusing on Nigeria's largest microcredit institutions, COWAN and FADU. That year, she rejoined McKinsey and served on client service teams, consulting for consumer goods companies and large American retailers. In 2000, she resigned from her position at McKinsey and returned to Nigeria to serve as the executive director for the FATE Foundation (founded by Nigerian Businessman,
Fola Adeola Tajudeen Afolabi Adeola is a Nigerian businessman and investor. He is the Founder of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank Plc.)., a member of the Commission for Africa, as well as founder and chairman of the FATE Foundation. Education Adeola completed h ...
). In an interview with HBS African America Alumni Association about engaging female entrepreneurs, she explains: "Nigeria has some of the most entrepreneurial people in the world but access to financing, networks, and growth remain a challenge .. believe empowering women to start and grow their businesses is critical to Nigeria's development, but educating women is the real silver bullet." In 2002, Nwuneli founded two nonprofits, LEAP (Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability, Professionalism) Africa and Ndu Ike Akunuba (NIA), Igbo words which translate in English to Life, Strength, and Wealth. NIA's focus is on female empowerment—inspiring university students in Southeastern Nigeria to live full and meaningful lives. LEAP Africa is a youth-focused leadership development nonprofit organization. LEAP provides training on leadership, ethics and civics. As the founder of the organization, she has been invited to speak at the UN Commission for Social Development, the
World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
and the
Clinton Global Initiative The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was es ...
. LEAP has worked in partnership with the Ford Foundation, Citi Foundation,
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
,
United States Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...
, UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
ALI ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
(Aspen Institute's Africa Leadership Initiative),
Nokia Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications industry, telecommunications, technology company, information technology, and consumer electronics corporatio ...
, and the International Youth Foundation. Nwuneli served as LEAP Africa's founder and chief executive officer from 2002 to 2007 and is still an active Board Member in the organization.


Entrepreneurial pursuits

In 2010, Nwuneli and her husband Mezuo Nwuneli, Co-Founded Sahel Capital Partners and Advisory Limited and AACE Foods. In 2016, Sahel Capital separated its management consulting and private equity businesses, and Sahel Capital Agribusiness Managers Ltd. was established. In 2018, Sahel Capital Partners & Advisory Limited changed its name to Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited to fully embrace its mandate as a consulting company, and its focus on the agriculture and nutrition landscapes. AACE's work in promoting nutrition, supporting smallholder farmers, and displacing imports have been recognized by the Africa Diaspora Marketplace, IAP, and AECF. Both firms have served as catalysts in the Nigerian and West African agribusiness landscape. In 2020, Nwuneli founded, and is the chair of a digital knowledge, financing, and data hub which is enabling agribusiness entrepreneurs in 34 African countries to scale. Ndidi's goal is to turn West Africa's food to its new gold by engaging the agricultural landscape and building its ecosystem


Governance and boards

Nwuneli is on the Board of LEAP Africa, AACE Foods, Fairfax Africa Fund,
Godrej Group Godrej Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, which is managed and largely owned by the Godrej family. It was founded by Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej in 1897, and operates in sectors including ...
, DSM Sustainability Advisory Board, AGRA, GAIN - Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, and Nigerian Breweries Plc. Previously, she participated in the World Economic Forum as a committee member on the Global Agenda Council on New Models of Leadership from 2011 to 2014. In 2019, an American Philanthropic organization,
Rockefeller Foundation The Rockefeller Foundation is an American private foundation and philanthropic medical research and arts funding organization based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The second-oldest major philanthropic institution in America, after the Carneg ...
appointed Nwuneli to its board. In 2021, Mrs Ndidi Nwuneli was appointed on the Board of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.


Awards and recognition

* Alumni Achievement Award fro
Harvard Business School
2021 *Named amongst Schwab Foundation's Social Innovators, 2020 *Honoree of the
Global Fund for Women The Global Fund for Women is a non-profit foundation funding women's human rights initiatives. It was founded in 1987 by New Zealander Anne Firth Murray, and co-founded by Frances Kissling and Laura Lederer to fund women's initiatives around th ...
during their 25th Anniversary Celebration in San Francisco, 2013 * Winner of the Harvard Business School Nigeria Business Club 2013 Leading Social Entrepreneur Award *
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
: 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa, 2011 * Excellence Award from Anambra State, 2011 * Selected for Harvard Business School's Africa Business Club's Excellence Award, 2007 * Selected as Young Manager of the Year by
THISDAY ''This Day'' is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State. Founded by Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman & Editor-i ...
Newspapers (Nigeria's leading newspaper), 2005 *Received a National Honor – Member of the Federal Republic – from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on December 16, 2004 * Selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, Davos; 2004 * Selected as a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum,
Davos, Switzerland , neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Bergün/Bravuogn, Klosters-Serneus, Langwies, S-chanf, Susch , twintowns = } Davos (, ; or ; rm, ; archaic it, Tavate) is an Alpine resort town and a municipality in the Prättigau/Davos Reg ...
; 2002


Author and research

*Author, Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses (routledge.com), 2021 *Author, Social Innovation In Africa: A practical guide for scaling impact - 1s (routledge.com), 2016 *Author, ''Working for God in the Marketplace'', 2005


Publications

* Author, Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses, 2021 *Author, Social Innovation in Africa; 2016 *Editor, Passing the Baton, LEAP Africa; 2011 *Lead Author, Building a Culture of Ethics: A Practical Guide for African Leaders in the Public, Private and Nonprofits Sectors, LEAP Africa; 2009 *Editor, Rage for Change: A Practical Guide for African youth who Desire to Make a Difference, LEAP Africa; 2008 *Editor/Co-Author, Get on Board: A Practical Guide to Establishing & Sustaining High-Impact Boards of Directors, Farafina; 2007 *Lead Author, Defying the Odds: Case Studies of Nigerian Companies that have Survived Generations, LEAP Africa, 2006 *Articles on leadership, management and ethics: Under the Tree of Talking (Funded by the
British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lan ...
), Journal of Convergence,
Farafina Farafina is a music and dance group from Burkina Faso, established in 1978. The eight-member group is Burkina Faso's best known musical group, and one of Africa's most internationally prominent musical groups. History The group was founded ...
,
Business Day A business day means any day except any Saturday, any Sunday, or any day which is a legal holiday or any day on which banking institutions are authorized or required by law or other governmental action to close. The definition of a business day ...
,
the Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
and Business in Africa Magazine; 2003-2007


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nwuneli, Ndidi Okonkwo Harvard Business School alumni McKinsey & Company Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania alumni 1975 births Nigerian expatriates in the United States Living people People from Enugu Social entrepreneurs Nigerian nonprofit businesspeople Nigerian women company founders Nigerian people of American descent Nigerian management consultants Members of the Order of the Federal Republic Federal Government College Enugu alumni