Excellence For Africa

Prof. Rita Orji

Prof. Rita Orji is a Canada Research Chair in Persuasive Technology and a Computer Science Professor at Dalhousie University, Canada where she directs the Persuasive Computing Lab.

Her research at the intersection of technology and human behaviour focuses on designing interactive technologies to empower people, improve lives, and contribute to solving many societal problems. She applies her work to tackle real-life problems in various domains including improving a wide range of health and wellness objectives such as mental health, healthy eating, physical activity, smoking cessation, sexual and other health risk behaviours. She has won millions of dollars from competitive grant funding from agencies and governments around the world to support her work.  With over 200 peer-reviewed papers, Prof. Orji has won over 60 prestigious awards and recognitions nationally and internationally in recognition of her work in this area. Recently, she was named among the Top 150 Canadian Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), Top 60 African Women in STEM, Top 100 Canada’s Most Powerful Women, Top 100 Nigeria’s Leading Women, and admitted into the Royal Society of Canada. She is a renowned speaker who has delivered 15 keynotes and over 100 invited talks and other presentations.

Co-Founder

Somtochukwu Nwajiobi

Somtochukwu Nwajiobi is an ardent lover of God and His people, wife, and mother. She is a graduate of Applied Microbiology and Brewing from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.

She is currently studying for a degree in Nursing at Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia and has the dream of giving the Healthcare system in Nigeria a face-lift. She believes that in investing in the younger generation is of paramount importance and has worked behind the scenes in laudable projects for the betterment of young women in Nigeria. She believes so much that the Bridge Scholarship will lift many families out of poverty.  To her,  success is nobody’s exclusive destiny, but it can be achieved by anyone through organized efforts aided by God’s grace.

Evang. (Dr) Purity Uzoamaka Ndubuisi-Okolo

Evang. (Dr) Purity Uzoamaka Ndubuisi-Okolo is presently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria.

She graduated from Nnamdi Azikiwe University with a BSc second upper division in 2003 and MSc in 2010 and obtained her PhD in 2017 from University of Nigeria Enugu Campus. She is an indigene of Enugu State; happily married and blessed with four children.

Chidubem Brendan Onah

Chidubem is a Consultant at the Siemens Power Technology International, Germany, providing expert services and solutions to utilities, energy developers, Industries on smart grid development and operations, district energy optimization, E-mobility and E-vehicle charging infrastructure deployment.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Nigeria (best graduating student of the department in 2014) and an MSc in Renewable Energy from the University of Oldenburg, Germany with specialization in the grid integration of renewable energy systems and technologies.

He hails from Opi in Enugu state and was the recipient of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) undergraduate, and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarships. Chidubem has passion for human capital development through quality and sustainable education. He mentors and supports young students on how to navigate their academic and professional life by utilizing available opportunities globally.

Prof. Francis C. Ezeonu

Prof Francis C. Ezeonu holds dual Professorial appointments in Dept. of Applied Biochemistry and Dept. of Drugs and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University.

He trained as a biochemist at the then Anambra State University of Technology (ASUTECH), Enugu from where he graduated in 1986. After obtaining a M.Sc. degree in Biochemistry in 1988 from the University of Ibadan, he joined his former Department of Applied Biochemistry in Nnamdi Azikiwe University while at the same time engaging in a doctoral degree research programme which he completed in 1992.

He has ever since remained active in training and research attaining the rank of a Professor in Applied Biochemistry in 2001 at the age of 38yrs. In 2010 he was appointed a dual Professor in the Department of Drug & Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the same University. Some of his works have been variously cited by other researchers internationally and one of his research publications, Seasonal profile of nitrate and nitrite in potable water sources in Onitsha, published in Environmental Toxicology and Water Quality (Canada) in 1996 is cited as one of the Scientific Supporting Documents adopted for Nitrate Quality Guidelines in Canada. In 2010 he was appointed as the only African scientist in a 31-member International Joint Expert Committee of FAO/WHO.

Ezeonu is extremely versatile with high-caliber cross-functional management qualifications. He has mentored a lot of young scholars and produced a reasonable number of postgraduate students a few of whom have become Professors. He trained and obtained a certificate in leadership decision-making from Harvard University J.F. Kennedy School of Government, Boston, U.S.A. He pioneered the establishment of HEZEKIAH UNIVERSITY, Umudi, the first private University in Imo State from the drawing board and nurtured the university for barely one year before taking up a Presidential appointment as a Resident Electoral Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Founder and President

Ogonna Nwajiobi (Jide)

Ogonna Nwajiobi (Jide) is a research scholar with the Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, USA. He is working towards developing novel chemical biomarkers for early detection of diseases.

His work has received laudable recognition and most recently the William Dickinson Chemistry Award for research excellence. Early in his career, he spent five years as a Lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University where his interaction with students inspired him to seek practical means of helping them achieve their dreams. The Bridge Scholarship is an outcome of that. He believes that if education empowers men and women, then society should increase its (education) access to the poor. Everyone has got a role to play in it. He is a family man with a lovely wife, two beautiful sons, and numerous mentees. He loves God, and humanity; and remains a strong advocate of quality education for all irrespective of socio-economic status

Ifeyinwa Linda Agubuokwu

Ifeyinwa Linda Agubuokwu is presently a postgraduate student of International Finance and Economics at Bournemouth University, United Kingdom.

She graduated from Banking and Finance Department of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka in 2010 as the class valedictorian. She worked with Access Bank and Fidelity Bank as Relationship officer and Relationship Manager respectively. She is married with children.

Ekene Johnpaul Ikwelle

Ekene is an International Development Professional with expertise in meaningful youth engagement, peace and security, social inclusion, and movement building, and ten years of experience working with multilateral organizations, Non-profits, civil society initiatives, social movements, and youth-led organisations.

He is proficient in project design and coordination, stakeholder management, conflict resolution, community mobilization, and result-oriented monitoring.

He co-founded the Center for Youth Advocacy and Development (CEYAD) – a youth-led organization focused on promoting peace through social inclusion, preparing youth for a smooth transition to adulthood, and building grassroots movements for social change. Through CEYAD, he has supported emerging campaigns and coalitions to build collective power and effectively use non-violent actions and peacebuilding advocacy to transform local communities and change narratives.

As a member of UNESCO Youth Steering Group, He helped co-design and plan the 11th UNESCO Youth Forum with the UNESCO youth program and was instrumental in the organization of the Youth Forum_Biennale of Luanda. He coordinated the engagement of Pan-African Youth Network for a Culture of Peace (PAYNCoP) as Chairperson from 2017-2020.

Ekene was a volunteer at the UNESCO International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa, where he supported a programme that strengthened the capacity of youth on peacebuilding and prevention of violent extremism in 24 target African Countries. He was recently interviewed by the UNESCO #BiennaleLuanda team on his work and experiences as a leading voice in youth civic engagement and the culture of peace in Africa.

Chiagozie Udeh

Chiagozie Udeh is a young Nigerian climate activist who in 2019, served as the YOUNGO Global South Focal Point of YOUNGO, the Youth Constituency to the UNFCCC where he facilitated meaningful global youth engagement in the international climate change processes and negotiations primarily within the UNFCCC and other spaces within and outside the United Nations finishing his mandate at the end of COP25 in Madrid. 

Since 2015, he has been a Programme Coordinator for Plant-for-the-Planet in Nigeria where it hosts academies to train young Climate Justice ambassadors between 9-15 years as well as organize tree-planting activities in cities within the country.  In 2019, he was elected the Chairperson of the Executive Global board of Plant-for-the-Planet after the historic launch of the Trillion Trees campaign, a flagship programme of the organization which aims to plant 1 trillion trees by 2030 and reduce carbon emissions by 25% through a mobile App. He finished the role in November 2020.  

Chiagozie helped create the youth space in intergovernmental processes of renewable energy and was elected as the Global Focal Point for the UN MGCY SDG7 Youth Constituency. He worked with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Nigeria helping create a coalition of labour union and civil society organizations that are seeking to end gas flaring in Nigeria, promote energy democracy, and ensure just transition. He is currently devoting his time to working on climate adaptation measures in the NDCs of some countries as well as served as one of the two youth representatives in the IEA Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transition in the build-up to COP26.

He is working on climate adaptation across intergovernmental spaces.