Meet our Board of Directors
Our emphasis on leadership and excellence in all that we do enables us to deliver substantial results that make a meaningful difference in people's lives.

Mrs Maryam Uwais
Founder

Mrs Maryam Uwais
Founder
Mrs Maryam Uwais MFR is the current Special Advisor to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social
Investments. She is a legal practitioner and human rights activist with almost 40 years cognate law
practice experience, including public service at the Kano State Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Law
Reform Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria and then subsequently branching out into private legal
practice.
Mrs Uwais studied at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1981 and
obtained an LLM in 1985. She was awarded a certificate in Advanced Practice and Procedure in 1985 and
Legal Drafting in 1989, from the Nigeria Institute for Advanced Legal Studies. She was awarded an
International Practice Diploma (IBA) in International Business Organisations in 2003 from the College of
Law, England and Wales. She is also an Associate, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK) (2006)
She has a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking and Insurance (2009).
Mrs. Maryam Uwais, MFR served as a Principal Partner of Wali-Uwais & Co, an Abuja-based law firm,
before it merged with Sterling Partnerships to form Primera Africa Legal. She has served on the Council
of the National Human Rights Commission, as Special Rapporteur on Child Rights; the Board of the
Justice Research Institute, Leapafrica, Women in Successful Careers, the Nigerian Leadership Institute
and so much more. She has also served on State, Federal, Regional and Continental Committees such as
the Kano State Government’s Almajiri Committee, President Goodluck Ebele Johnson’s Presidential
Advisory Council, The Northern Nigeria Committee on Reconciliation, Security Healing, as well as the
African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, for a period of 5 years.
Prior to her appointment as Special Adviser to the President, Maryam also served on the Editorial Board
of THISDAY newspaper, as well as Board Director of Stanbic IBTC Bank. She is currently a member of the
Lagos Business School Advisory Board.
Maryam Uwais has also worked as a consultant to the Open Society Initiative for West Africa,
UNICEF, the World Bank, and DfID. She has written and published several articles on economic and
social rights, interfaith dialogue, child justice administration and good governance.
Awards and Recognitions
* National Honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by President Goodluck Johnathan GCFR (2011)
* The Outstanding Leadership Award for contributions to equity, justice and human rights in Nigeria, by the Business and Professional Women in Nigeria Association (2012)
* An award by The Nigerian Human Rights Community in appreciation of contributions as Member of The African Union Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
(2013).
* One of the five McNulty Prize Laureates at the Aspen Institute, Colorado, following the activities of the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative (2014)
* National Human Rights Commission Awardee for ‘Outstanding Contributions in the Advancement of the Rights of Women and Children in Nigeria (2015)
* Thisday Awards for women who have distinguished themselves in the service of Nigeria (2012)
* Humanitarian of the Year Award from the International Women’s Society (2011)

Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu (Wazirin, Dutse)
Board Chair

Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu (Wazirin, Dutse)
Board Chair
Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, who hails from Jigawa State, was born on the 12th of November, 1949. He attended Rumfa College Kano and Abdullahi Bayero College, before going to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he graduated with an LLB degree in Law in 1972. After Law School in Lagos he proceeded to London to do a postgraduate course in Law.He was the Administrative Officer at Kano State Ministry of Works and then Ministry of Agriculture. Currently he is the Executive Director of Freedom Radio, Kano, Chairman Highland Waters and Marketing Limited. He has served Nigeria in various capacities, including Minister of Transport and Aviation during the Interim National Government, Minister of Power and Steel (1993-1997) andMinister of Internal Affairs (1997-1998). He was also the State Secretary for the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) 1981-1983, Assistant National Legal Adviser NPN 1979 – 1981, Executive Member and Chairman of the Think Tank of the Presidential Campaign (NRC),Member of the Executive Committee of the ANPP and National Secretary of ANC.Other key appointments include; member,Board of Directors, Nigerian Ports Authority,Member, Kano State Judicial Service Commission, Member Constitution Review Committee (1987), Chairman, Committee on Federal Capital Territory Constituent Assembly. A member of the Nigerian Bar Association as well as the International Bar Association, his hobbies are reading and playing golf.

Hajiya Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman
Mrs. Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman is a professional architect with over 30 years’ post-qualification experience. She obtained her B.A in Architecture & Urban Studies from the University of Minnesota, USA in 1983. In 1987, she obtained her M.Sc (Architecture) from the University College, London. She currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Filmo Group of Companies, a position she has held since 1994. In her capacity as the CEO of Filmo Group, she oversees the Group’s Property Development, Real Estate and Facilities Management interests. Through its subsidiaries, the Group has successfully designed and constructed residential houses, hotels and commercial buildings across Nigeria, and especially in Lagos and Abuja. Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman has served as Board member of various companies across the financial services, manufacturing and oil & gas industries in Nigeria. She has also served as a member of the Governing Council of the Lagos State University, and a Trustee of the Child Life Line, a Non-Governmental Organisation. She has also served as member, panellist and chairperson of a number of committees, panels, task forces and working groups in Nigeria and beyond. Some of these include: the Insurance Sector Reform Committee of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (Member); the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation (Member); and Harvard Business School, Africa Business Conference on Real Estate (Panelist) to mention a few.
Since 2018, she has been the Senior Advisor of Dangote Industries Limited.

Hajiya Rakiya Sarki Ibrahim (MON)
Rakiya Sarki Ibrahim (MRS), MON was born on the 19th of February, 1956. She started her educational career at Magwan Primary School, Kano from 1963 to 1967, from where she proceeded to Rimi Primary School, Kano and later to Shekara Girls’ Boarding School, Kano State, where she obtained her First School Leaving Certificate.
Her Secondary Education was at Government Girls College, Dala, Kano, (1970-1974). She later gained admission to the Ahmadu Bello University where she bagged a BSc. in Business Administration. She worked at the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund in various capacities as the State Manager, Branch Manager (Abuja), Head of Operations, Branch Manager (Kano) and Zonal Manager. Before then, she served under the Ministry of Education in Kano State as principal for various Schools.
She was awarded the Certificate of Merit by the Kano State government for dedication and commitment to the promotion of education in the State. She is also a recipient of National Award of the Member of the Order of the Niger (MON)

Mrs Zubaida Rasheed
Mrs. Zubaida M. Rasheed, is a graduate of Economics from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria – 1981. She joined the services of NITEL in 1983 and rose through the ranks to become the first female Executive Director as the Chief Marketing officer in 2006. Some of her key achievements include the setting up of the new Marketing and Sales Division as the pioneer General Manager and later The Chief Marketing officer; Team member, project implementation team for the introduction of the cellular mobile services into the Nigerian market in the early ‘90s; Economist counterpart in the World Bank feasibility study for the World Bank project in 1988; Involved in the re-structuring of the company under the privatisation programme, and the introduction of NITEL new services including IP services, ADSL; Coporate Private Networks; Wireless services and other value added services. Mrs. She is an Associate Member National Institute of Marketing Nigeria (2005) and a member of Nigerian Institute of Management (2006). Since 2008, she has been the CEO of Zaiydah Haleem Resources Nigeria Ltd, a private company involved in training programs and Consultancy and Supplies.
She also serves on the board of Imam Na’ibi Wali Educational Foundation, a non-governmental and non-profit organization aimed at promoting and creating a better world for women and children in the society through education and skill acquisition programs.

Mr. Bello Bukhari (MFR, MNI, F.DRI)
BUKHARI Bello, MFR, mni, FDRI, was born in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State of Nigeria on 28th December 1956 to the family of Malam Muhammadu Bello Wakilin Sha'riah, KBE. He attended primary and secondary schools at Birnin Kebbi, studied law at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos, where he graduated with LLB(Hons) and Barrister at Law (BL) in 1983 and 1984 respectively. From February – November 2007, he attended the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos and on graduation was conferred with the membership of the National Institute, mni. He also attended the Senior Executive Management Course at the Naval Post Graduate School, Monterrey California, USA, in 2008 and is also a Fellow of the International Dispute Resolution Institute, F.DRI.
Mr. Bello is now the Principal Partner, Buhari Bello & Associates, a legal firm of Barristers & Solicitors, Legal Consultants, Arbitrators and Human Rights Defenders with an office in Abuja, Nigeria and is widely traveled and has been to all the states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He has also been to all the continents and has been to 45 nations across the globe, 20 countries in Africa, 3 in the Americas, 9 in Asia/Pacific and 13 in Europe
Bukhari Bello is a Member of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA); Member, General Council of the Bar from 1987 – 1989; Member, National Executive Committee of the Nigeria Bar Association 1986 – 2006; he represented the NBA at the Constituent Assembly, Abuja from March 1988 – April 1989; Member, International Bar Association; Member, Board of Directors- Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative; Member, Advisory Council of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC ); Fellow, International Dispute Resolution Institute (IDRI); Member, IBB Gulf club, Abuja; Member, Presidential Advisory Committee on the National Conference 2013.
Bello has been honoured, inter alia, with the Kwame Nkrumah Merit Award by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Foundation, Ghana, in September 2003. In October 2003, he was also honoured with the prestigious Nigeria’s National Honours Award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic, MFR, by The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is married with children and enjoys sport, traveling, reading and writing.

Mr. Asue Ighodalo
Asue Ighodalo is a product of King's College, Lagos. He obtained B.Sc degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan in 1981, an LL. B from the London School of Economics and Political Science (1984) and a B.L from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos (1985) . He is alongside Femi Olubanwo, a founding partner of the law firm of Banwo-and-Ighodalo a corporate and commercial law practice in Nigeria specializing in advising major corporations on Corporate Finance, Capital Markets, Energy & Natural Resources, Mergers & Acquisitions, Banking & Securitization and Project Finance. He is the chairman of Sterling Bank, Director, NSIA - Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Chairman NESG - Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
Asue is the Chairman, Board of Directors, Sterling Bank Plc,Dangote Flour Mills Plc and The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG). He also sits on the boards of other public and private companies, Non-Governmental Organizations (“NGOs”) and a statutory body including the Okomu Oil Palm Company Plc Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) FATE Foundation (an NGO committed to the development of entrepreneurs in Nigeria)
Ighodalo became the Chairman of Sterling Bank in August 2014. He is a member of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and is a past chairman of The NBA – Section on Business Law (NBA SBL) .He is also a member of Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN), USA, Nigerian Economic Summit Group, International Bar Association (IBA), Nigerian Maritime Law Association, Commercial Law & Taxation Committee of the Lagos Chamber Of Commerce & Industry, London School of Economics Lawyers' Group and Associate Member Chartered Institute of Taxation.

Ms. Asmau Joda
Asmau Joda is a well known feminist who has been part of the women’s movement in Nigeria, Africa and internationally and a woman’s human rights activist based in Yola Adamawa State in north-eastern Nigeria. She is the founder of the Centre for Women and Adolescent Empowerment, an organisation that works with the community to empower women and adolescents to take responsibility for their own rights, and know their rights and responsibilities both as citizens and as women and men. Her work has included stopping child marriages, securing divorce for women in abusive or unhappy marriages, and getting legal redress for girls who have been raped.

Yemi Candide-Johnson (SAN)
Yemi Candide-Johnson is a Senior partner at Strachan Partners, which is a leading commercial law firm based in Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria and with substantial practice across the nation. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in July 1984 and conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria in September 2003. Public speaker, author of several scholarly papers as well as the leading text book on Arbitration in Nigeria. He is engaged as leading counsel in ongoing major and high profile commercial and public policy litigation across the courts of Nigeria. He has acted either as counsel or as arbitrator in several domestic and international commercial arbitrations in the maritime, petroleum and construction industries.
He is a member, Panel of Neutrals, Lagos State Multi Door Court House, Lagos Legal Assessor, Medical & Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal 2000 to 2005.Board of Directors, LEAP Africa, Editorial Consultant, Judgments of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, a member, Telecom Sector Reform Implementation Committee, National Council on Privatization (Chairman, Sub Committee on Legal and Regulatory Matters which was responsible for drafting the Telecommunications Law 2003, Former Member, Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee, Chairman, Lagos State Arbitration Law Reform Committee 2007/2008, Foundation Board Member, Lagos Court of Arbitration, Former Chairman, Section on business Law, Nigeria Bar Association, Member, General Council of the Nigeria Bar, 2011, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association Working Group on Liberalization of Legal Services in Nigeria. 2012. Member, National Executive Council of the Nigeria Bar Association 2013 -Chairman, Disciplinary Panel, Nigeria Bar Association, President of the Lagos Court of Arbitration January 2016 Director, Nigeria Mortgage Finance Corporation February 2016.

Dr Yashua Alkali-Hamza
Yashua is a Pediatrician and Public health expert with vast experience in the area of project implementation, evaluation, and research. She works with various agencies, national and international NGO's and Public health institutions around the world on community health and health promotion activities. Some of her current partners include the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the Institute of International Education (IIE) based in New York, and the Common Heritage Foundation based in Nigeria. Yashua has worked with other organizations like the Harvard School of Public health and the New York University Research Centre for Leadership in Action (NYU RCLA) on health promotion and research activities.
She has pioneered, led, and supervised various community-based projects focused on improving the lives and health of disadvantaged women and children using innovative and groundbreaking techniques. Yashua is a co-founder of Family Included (https://familyincluded.com), a Member of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), American Public Health Association (APHA), and the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA). She is a fellow of the West African College of Physicians (FWACP) and the Institute of Management Consultants (FIMC) and has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, and a Ph.D. in Public Health from Walden University, United States. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Childcare and Wellness Clinics, a private health facility located in Abuja, Nigeria.

Dr. Nafisa Wali-Omar
Public Health Specialist, a graduate of The College of Medicine, University of Lagos and Masters of Public Health from University of Nottingham, UK.
Previously worked in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital. Also previously worked as the Acting Medical Director, Al-Noury Hospital, Kano.
Senior Medical Officer, Nigerian Security Printing & Minting PLC. The Recruitment and Training Officer, SURE-P MCH Programme in charge of the recruitment & training of Midwives and Community Health Extension Workers in the 36 states and FCT
Board Member Imam Naibi Wali Educational Foundation,Kano.
Hajiya Hadiza Wali-Oniyangi
Hajiya Hadiza Wali-Oniyangi was born in 1964, and obtained a BSC degree in sociology in 1985 from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and an MSC in Industrial relations and personnel management in 1990 from the University of Lagos.
Hadiza has had various experiences in both the private and public sectors. In 1989, she joined Habib Nigeria Bank (Now Keystone Bank) in their head office, Kaduna as the Personnel and Administration officer and was thereafter posted to their Ilorin Branch as Accounts Officer. She also worked with the National Electric Power authority (now PHCN) in the Ilorin District Office as the Manager and Personnel and Administration between 1997 and 2002. Hadiza worked briefly as the Head of Admin and Personnel department at Shehu Musa Yar’adua Centre in Abuja.
She is currently Head, Human Capital Management department of the National Pension Commission Abuja. She is married to Abdulrazaq Akanbi Oniyangi and they are blessed with children.
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A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradise