INAUGURAL FELLOWS
NCfD’s Inaugural Fellows and Regional Coordinators are dedicated volunteers committed to identifying incremental opportunities for governance innovation and policy entrepreneurship across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Dr. Nanji Rimdan Umoh
- State of Origin: Plateau
- Coordinator, North-Central Geopolitical Zone
- States: Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory
Dr. Umoh is a faculty member at the Department of Political Science, University of Jos, Plateau State where her teaching and research trajectories are transdisciplinary, with a focus on social policy research and development processes that span multi-level governance, public administration, gender studies, and most recently, public health. Her interests are in the gaps that arise from the impact of the socio-culture and other variables on policy formulation and implementation, and restrict access to deliverables of education, health, governance, and conflict mediation, particularly for vulnerable groups, with implications for national development. Her research has interrogated the intersections between governance processes and community values, ethno-religious cleavages, indigenous engagements, majority-minority debates, diversity, insecurity, conflict, corruption, and other variables with seemingly ‘ungovernable’ characteristics. She holds degrees in Political Science (B.Sc.), Public Administration (MPA), Education (PGDE), Policy and Development Studies (PhD), and Global Public Health (MSc.).
Uchenna Achunine
- State of Origin: Imo
- Coordinator, South-East Geopolitical Zone
- States: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo
Mr. Achunine currently serves as Director of Business Development and Communications at the Nigerian Conservation Foundation where he is engaged to drive stakeholder engagement, develop new opportunities, build, and expand the presence of the organization locally and globally. He is a senior social development expert with more than 16 years extensive hands-on experience in project and people management across education, youth and leadership development, empowerment and entrepreneurship, livelihood support and community development, and advocacy programmes. Mr. Achunine has served as the Executive Director, Centre for Memories in Enugu, Nigeria; Executive Secretary of The Bridge Leadership Foundation, in Cross River State, Nigeria; and as Chief Operating Officer of the Centre for Values in Leadership in Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a certificate in Social Sector Management, a transformational leadership programme from the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University. He also holds a first degree in Philosophy (First Class honors) from Imo State University, Owerri and Pontifical Urban University Rome.
Dr. Abbas Abdullahi Marafa
- State of Origin: Kebbi
- Coordinator, North-West Geopolitical Zone
- States: Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara
Dr. Marafa lectures at Baze University, Abuja, Nigeria. He has published widely, with research interests in monetary economics, development economics, financial economics, and entrepreneurship, among others. He is a member of several professional bodies, with a career spanning various sectors. He was a Lecturer with the Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic in Birnin Kebbi and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto. He also worked with Kebbi State Home Savings and Loans, Standard Trust Bank (now UBA), and Pacific Bank (now Unity Bank). He was an Economist with the Central Bank of Nigeria. Dr. Marafa graduated top of his class with a BSc (Hons) in Economics from Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto Nigeria and earned his MSc in Economics from the same university. He obtained an MBA (specializing in Finance) from Nasarawa State University, and a Ph D in Economics from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria.
Dr. Oluwakemi Olurinola
- State of Origin: Ogun
- Coordinator, South-West Geopolitical Zone
- States: Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo
Dr. Olurinola lectures at Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. A researcher and consultant in the field of educational technology, she has a particular interest in the application of learning science and technology to the field of education. She is an expert in digital pedagogies, a leader in global education, and a teacher trainer. She is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Fellow, a Microsoft Global Learning Mentor, and a DigCit Institute Global Impactor. She coordinates and develops professional development opportunities and workshops on technology-related topics and identifies and communicates best practices and research in educational technology to assist teachers in supporting and advancing student learning. As part of her social and community impact drive, Dr. Olurinola served for five years as President, Encouragement Initiative Academy, where over 350 participants were trained on how to start, fund, and manage an NGO.
Precious Imuwahen Ajoonu
- State of Origin: Edo
- Coordinator, South-South Geopolitical Zone
- States: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers
Ms. Ajoonu is the pioneer Managing Director of the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy, Edo State, Nigeria, with a mandate to drive the operationalization of the academy in line with global standards. She was formerly Head of Youth Engagement and Learning at Jobberman Nigeria, where she led the program implementation efforts of the $25 million Young Nigeria Works Master Card Foundation project. She is an experienced change management consultant who earned her organizational insights from working with a broad variety of highly specialized work cultures and professions, both nationally and internationally. Ms. Ajoonu earned a distinction in Management, Innovation, and Change from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, United Kingdom. She received her bachelor’s degree in Economics from Madonna University Okija, Nigeria. She also has a postgraduate diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, United Kingdom and a Marketing Certification from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Dr. Haruna Usman Modibbo
- State of Origin: Gombe
- Coordinator, North-East Geopolitical Zone
- States: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe
Dr. Modibbo lectures in the Department of Economics, Gombe State University. His teaching area covers microeconomics, health economics, welfare economics, mathematical economics, and econometrics, with research interests in health economics, energy economics, and policy innovation. He bagged a B.Sc. Economics degree with First Class Honors from Gombe State University, followed by his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Economics from Bayero University Kano. In more than a decade of his career, he has held various administrative and academic positions, attended conferences/workshops, and published many articles in reputable journals at national and international levels. Dr. Modibbo has been a member of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria (ICAD) since 2016 and a Resource Person with the North-East Development Commission (NEDC)’s Entrepreneurship Development Training program.