Mrs Maryam Uwais (OON), Founder & Board Member, IWEI

She is a legal practitioner and human rights activist with almost 45 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 OON served as the Special Advisor to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investments. Mrs. Maryam Uwais, OON 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. She 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)