June 20 – United Nations WORLD REFUGEE
World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees
Joan Agha is a graduate of the University of Benin and University of Lagos, where she obtained her first degree in Business Administration and an MBA in General Management respectively.
Her work experience includes her meritorious service of over 32 years in different renowned institutions; Federal Ministry of Education, Central Bank of Nigeria, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCO) and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) where she worked until she retired in November 2011. She is currently the MD/CEO, Joan Consulting, Director, Joan Agha Life Coaching Academy (JALCA) and Founder and President of Joan Agha Foundation (JAF). Also, she is President of United Nations Association of Nigeria (UNAN).
Over the years, she has undergone Professional, Management and Leadership training such as; Certified Life Coach (Inspired Spirit Coaching Academy, Australia), Leadership Development Forum for Women Executives (Leading Edge Academy, Malaysia), General Management for Specialist (Cranfield School of Management, UK), Consulting Skills (Technique for Change, UK), and Professional Development Programs (Harvard Extension School) amongst other national and international courses.
She is an Accredited Management Trainer, a Certified Management Consultant and a Fellow of The Institute of Management Consultants. She has co-authored an international book titled “In the Spirit of Abundance” with world-class motivational speakers and renowned bestselling authors such as Brian Tracy and Jack Canfield.
She has successfully trained top management staff nationally and internationally on numerous occasions.
She is happily married to Dr. Billy Agha, and they are blessed with children and grandchildren.
She has been involved in conceptualizing and developing economic growth projects for companies and government for national development. She has also been consulting for various companies in the conceptualization, design and execution of turn-key Hotel and Real Estate Development projects in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Benin, Abeokuta, Calabar, Obudu, Afikpo, Ilorin and Monrovia as designer and creative consultant, supervising all Interior Designs, Fittings and Furnishings and Project Management.
She has undergone a few professional courses as follows: Interior Design at the National Design Academy, U.K.; Project Management at the University of Adelaide and; Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), U.K. (in view)
She has successfully completed courses in Developing Future Cities at ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Professional Protocol and Etiquette course at the Charleston School of Protocol and Etiquette, U.S.A.; The World Bank Group course on Financing for Development and was certified as a Development Specialist with Distinction; An Introductory course on Private Equity and Venture Capital at University of Bocconi, Spain; Entrepreneurial Management at Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan-Atlantic University sponsored by the World Bank Group (Women-X Programme).
Her overall entrepreneurial experience span over 15 years commencing as a student in the University of Ibadan while her management experience span over a period of ten years thus acquiring a robust experience in Entrepreneurship, Management, Administration, Finance and other related areas in the private sectors of the economy. She has been responsible for sourcing, managing and training staff for various projects. She is also an expert resource for the Cross River State 30-year Growth and Development Strategy under the auspices of Cross River State Government Planning Commission.
She is the Country Director in Nigeria for The Women Empowerment and Development Platform (TWEDP) an NGO dedicated to the growth and empowerment of women at grassroot level as well as supporting children of poor families in public schools by providing them with resources as well as opportunities for qualitative education. She is one of the Directors of the Cromwell International Foundation for the Needy a social enterprise being set up in the U.K. to cater to children with Special Educational Needs. She is the President of her Women-X cohort comprising 35 other women and initiated the Women-X Alumni community project comprising of over 500 women that participated in the Women-X Programme. She was the Director of Government Affairs of the Women in Hospitality Nigeria (WIHN) Initiative.
Dr. Afanu also provides mentorship and other support to women in business. She was a mentor for the 2017 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme.
Dr. Afanu has presented various papers at local and international seminars and conferences as follows:
Title: Tank Maintenance Protocol, Waste Management and HSE Management Systems and their Relationship to Environment Management, 2012
Title: Lisabi Century City Development (a luxury real estate development comprising of residential, commercial and industrial zones with an 18 hole Golf Course), 2013
Title: Nigeria as an Emerging Market: Investment Hub for Venture Capitalist and Private Equity Funds, 2015
Title: The Path to Agricultural Development and Food Security in sub-Saharan Africa: Case Study Nigeria, 2015
Title: Women Empowerment: Charting the way forward for Financial Inclusion and Economic Growth, July 2016
An application-based paper approved for presentation at the 37th International Business Research Conference in Las Vegas, U.S.A
Title: The challenges of accessing funds by Female Entrepreneurs in Sub Saharan Africa: Shattering the Glass Ceiling, August 2016
A policy driven paper presented to the Edo State Governor at the Edo State Agribusiness Workshop, Benin City – Edo State, Nigeria
Title: Harnessing Resources and Opportunities to Optimise Agribusiness in Edo State, Nigeria; Case Study: Fruit and Vegetables Critical Success Factors, January 2017
Title: Cross River State Economic Development Roadmap/Strategy: Sustainable Development Breakout Session Report, May 2017
Title: Achieving a Greener Environment: Implication on the Economy of OPEC – Case Study of Nigeria, September 2017
Boboye Adeniji, is an international development and business advisory consultant and the Managing Partner of PELSE Consulting, offering management consulting services specifically for SMEs to foster their sustainability, profitability, and scalability.
He is passionate about Youth Development and Transitioning and has a wide experience supporting Youth Employment and Business Development, in cooperation with international development partners such as USAID, the US consulate, UNICEF, ILO, Ford Foundation, etc.
With over 15 years of working experience, he supports both non-profit development organizations and SMEs with Business Intelligence (BI), Data Analysis, Financial Plan development, Process Development, Strategy Design, Business Optimization, Innovation Management, Monitoring & Evaluation (Policy and Plan), Project Design, and the development of a symbiotic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) model for organizations.