ActionAid Nigeria has strengthened its Board of Directors with the appointment of award-winning broadcaster and communications strategist Ayo Mairo-Ese and renowned development expert Dr. Otive Igbuzor, a move aimed at enhancing the organisation’s governance, strategic leadership and advocacy efforts.
The appointments, which take immediate effect, were announced in a statement issued in Abuja by the Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Mamedu.
According to the organisation, the new board members will provide strategic direction as ActionAid Nigeria implements its 2024–2034 Country Strategy Paper, Citizens’ Action to End Poverty and Injustice (CAEPI), while deepening partnerships with communities, civil society organisations, government institutions and development partners.
Describing the appointments as a significant milestone for the organisation, Mamedu expressed confidence that the new directors would strengthen ActionAid Nigeria’s impact in promoting good governance, public policy reforms and social justice.
“Mrs. Mairo-Ese and Dr. Igbuzor bring exactly the calibre of insight and integrity our Board needs at this moment. We are confident that their guidance will sharpen our voice and strengthen our impact in the years ahead,” he said.
Mairo-Ese, popularly known as AME Global, is a co-anchor of The Morning Show on ARISE News Channel and is widely recognised as one of Nigeria’s leading broadcast journalists and communications consultants.
A multiple award-winning media professional, she has moderated high-level national conversations on governance, leadership and development. She was listed among Nigeria’s Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Journalism in 2023 and 2024 and received the 2024 ELOY Award for TV Presenter of the Year.
She is also the co-founder of SpeakHer Hub Network, a social enterprise dedicated to promoting communication excellence among women, and serves on the boards of several non-profit organisations.
The second appointee, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, is a pharmacist, governance expert and public policy analyst with more than three decades of experience in development practice, institutional reform and leadership.
He is the Founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) and previously served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy President of the Senate during the Ninth National Assembly.
Igbuzor also brings extensive institutional knowledge to the board, having served as Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria between 2004 and 2009 before his appointment as International Head of Campaigns for ActionAid International.
A prolific scholar and author of more than 50 academic publications and 10 books, he has held several leadership positions in public institutions and civil society organisations. In 2012, he was appointed by former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the Global Network of Men Leaders to End Violence Against Women.
ActionAid Nigeria said both appointees have pledged their commitment to advancing the organisation’s mission of combating poverty, inequality and injustice while promoting inclusive development and social accountability across Nigeria.
The organisation, an affiliate of the ActionAid International Federation, works with vulnerable communities to advance social justice, gender equality, human rights and sustainable development through policy advocacy, citizen engagement and community-driven interventions.
