Africa Week - day four

Our alumni stars in Africa

Thank you to all our fabulous alumni in, or from, Africa who sent us your news to help us celebrate Africa Week at the University of Leeds.

Botswana

Leano Kotlhao (Geophysics 1999)

Leano is a Consulting Geophysicist for The Stone (Pty) Limited.

Egypt

Heba Hagrass (PhD Sociology 2010)

Heba was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council as the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities in 2023. She is an advocate, an international disability consultant, and a researcher on the rights of persons with disabilities with an extensive experience in Egypt, the Arab Region, and worldwide.

Mohamed Elmetwally (MSc Accounting and Finance 2023)

After graduating from Leeds, Mohamed was promoted to Teaching Assistant and Senior Career Development Specialist at Tanta University.

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Ghana

Eric Owusu Darko (MSc Global Supply Chain Management 2017)

Eric is Managing Director of Tel Energy Limited, which is licensed by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) as a fully-fledged Oil Marketing Company (OMC) primarily to engage in the procurement, storage, distribution and sale of petroleum products in the downstream petroleum industry in Ghana. The company has developed direct and indirect fuel sales presence in key sectors of the economy.

Isaac Awuku Odame (MA Health Management, Planning and Policy 2013)

Isaac is the Municipal Director of the Health Service in a district with a population of 120,000 inhabitants. He is responsible for the supervision of the activities of 21 health facilities. He is responsible for the management, organization, monitoring and evaluation of public health activities in the district (i.e., disease control, outbreak investigations and integrated disease surveillance and surveillance and response activities). Isaac expanded programmes on immunisation, routine and supplemental nutrition services, health education and promotion activities.

Abena Yeboah-Banin (PhD Marketing 2016)

Abena is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana and Head of the Department of Communication Studies.

Kweku De Graft (MA Communication Studies 1999)

Kweke is a Supervisory Director at the National Disaster Management Organisation (NDMO).
Kweku has worked at the NDMO for more than ten years, and for three years of that period was Head of the Public Relations Department. During the Meet The Press Series organised by the Information Service Department, the NADMO stand was adjudged as the best stand. After graduating from the Leeds, Kweku lectured at the National Film and Television Institute in Accra and introduced and developed a course on Global Television.

Samuel Awuah-Nyamekye (Religion and Environment 2014)

Since 2019, Samuel has been a Full Professor of Religion and Environment at the Department of Religion and Human Values at the University of Cape Coast. He was the Head of the Department of Religion and Human Values for six years before becoming Head the Department of Classics and Philosophy from 2021 to 2022. He teaches undergraduates and postgraduates and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of three journals in the Faculty of Arts.

Samuel is the Chief Examiner and Coordinator for Religion and Environment, Environmental Ethics, and African Religions and Health Management for Colleges of Education in Ghana on behalf of the Institute of Education of the University of Cape Coast. At Leeds, Samuel won the Adrian Hastings African Scholar Award.

Gabriel Yengliereh (Master of Public Health 2017)

Gabriel is a District Director of Health Service (DDHS) at Ghana Health Service Primary Healthcare western region, an initiative to expand primary healthcare to Nzulezo - a hard to reach community on water.

Kenya

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (DNG English 1967, Hon DLitt 2004)

Ngũgĩ is an internationally acclaimed academic and writer of novels, plays, short stories, poems and academic research. He now mainly writes in Gikuyu.

Maina Gachoya (MSc Transport Planning and Engineering 2015)

Maina is a Senior Transport Planner and Engineer at Howard Humphreys. Hie has a relentless commitment to advancing sustainable transport and urban development initiatives through policy formulation, strategic planning, design and capacity building.

He works closely with governmental bodies, international development partners, and experienced urban sector professionals to advance initiatives aimed at addressing the complex interplay of accessibility, sustainability, and social inclusion in transport. His experience spans development of strategic national and urban plans and policies public transport schemes such as BRT, railway station planning, walking and cycling strategies and asset management. Maina’s works in strategic planning and design stages of a project but he also gets involved in complex project delivery. At Leeds he was recognised for the year's best transport dissertation.

Josephine Gauld (Italian and Philosophy 1996)

Josephine is the British Deputy High Commissioner to Kenya and the Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme and UN Habitat. She has previously served in the Democratic Republic of Congo, twice in Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria. She was the British Ambassador to Cote d‘Ivoire between 2016 and 2020.

Vincent Lokeya (MSc Water, Sanitation and Health Engineering 2023)

Vincent is a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Manager for the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Felister Kivisi (International Studies 1992)

Felister is an Advisor on Sovereign Lending and Debt Management at the Eastern and Southern Africa Trade and Development Bank.

Aidan Kwame Ahaligah (PhD Theology and Religious Studies 2020)

Kwame is a Minister of Religion and Lecturer with the Church of Scotland.

Malawi

Austin Mazinga (MA Health Management Planning and Policy 2004)

Austin is the Branch Chief, Health Systems Strengthening, USAID - HPN Division - Malawi Mission. Austin has led and advised healthcare organisations such as public and private hospitals and international health NGOs in policy and strategy development and execution. He has chaired national technical working groups of health financing, human resources for health, digital health, strategic supply chain, public private partnership and influenced review and adoption of policies and strategies to address the underlying causes of poor health in Malawi. Austin ensures that appropriate systems, governance and accountability structure are strengthened to provide resilient, sustainable and responsive health services under universal healthcare coverage. He leads coordination of USAID health systems strengthening with central and local governments, funded implementing and development partners. He thanks the University of Leeds for preparing him to undertake these roles.

Multiple countries

Adeola Adeyemi (Economics 2015)

As Senior Product Manager at M-KOPA, Adeola works across five markets – Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia. She deployed the first digital in-app experience for cash loans for first time mobile phone users in East Africa. Adeola is currently working on the same for West Africa.

Andrew Mckenzie (Public Health 1988)

Now retired, Andrew was a doctor in many countries across Africa.

Naville Geiriseb (MSc Transport Economics 2019)

Naville is a Senior Associate: International Cooperation - Africa at Agora Transport Transformation. Naville successfully led the implementation of the first Agora Sustainable Transport Fellowship which aims to provide capacity building in transport transformation (e-mobility, active mobility, just transition, etc) to young transport experts from across Africa.

Nigeria

Chikaodili Mary-Kate Deng (MPH 2009)

A public health expert and data analyst, Chikaodili has monitored the epidemiological trend of HIV prevalence and contributed to the development of coherent health programmes and services to save lives in Nigeria. Chikaodili is British Council Study UK Alumni Award, Social Impact, finalist.

Read more about Chikaodili Mary-Kate Deng

Olu Obafemi (PhD English 1981)

Olu is a retired Professor at the Federal Government of Nigeria. Olu became a Professor of English, Head of Department, Dean, Member of Governing Council and later Pro-Chancellor in another university.

Shamsuddeen Aliyu (MSc Medical Imaging 2014)

Shamsuddeen is Group Managing Director at Foresight Healthcare. He has worked to establish multiple hospitals in Nigeria and provide supportive machinery, expertise and consultants. His work will provide vital support in enhancing the health and wellbeing of fellow Nigerians, as well as increasing knowledge amongst future medical professionals. Shamsuddeen is British Council Study UK Alumni Award, Business and Innovation finalist.

Selina Enyioha (Master of Public Health 2002)

Selina is the Executive Director of the Citizens Health Education and Development Initiative (CHEDI). With funds from the Japanese embassy in Nigeria, they have built and equipped a primary healthcare (PHC) organisation that serves more than three thousand people from the Shere community and its environs. Pregnant and nursing mothers and their babies are the main beneficiaries.

Olawunmi Adelusi (MSc Accounting and Finance 2014)

As a Bank Examiner for the Central Bank of Nigeria Federal Capital Territory, Olawunmi conducts quantitative analysis of financial data and requests provided by banks to identify future trends, assess capital adequacy, liquidity and profitability ratios.

In 2023, Olawunmi was named in the Top 100 Women Making an Impact in Africa and in 2022 she won the Positive Role Model Award for West Africa at the 10th Gender Mainstreaming Awards.

She analyses the inherent risks and effectiveness of risk management controls engaged by banks vis-a -vis extant regulations and performs financial analysis of Nigerian banks with offshore subsidiaries and facilitate cross-border relationships with central banks in other jurisdictions.

Olawunmi has developed a series of thought leadership papers on digital financial services and financial inclusion for the Deputy Governor, Financial System Stability and represented Nigeria at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion Policy Forum, Seychelles.

North Africa

Nick Cherkas (English and Russian 2003)

As an Area Coordinator at Oxford University Press, Nick represents the company in North Africa. He supports Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria in education reform and helping schools, teachers and students achieve their goals in English.

South Africa

Varaidzo Chakafana (MSc Plant Science and Biotechnology 2016)

Varaidzo is now a German Academic Exchange (DAAD) scholar studying for a PhD at Rhodes University. Her research involves understanding Arbuscular mycorrhiza associations with the potato plant.

Patrick Govender (MSc Engineering Management 2023)

Patrick is Head of Operations and Maintenance Improvements and Asset Management - Southern Africa for Enel Green Power.

Theo Sibiya (Chemical Engineering 1994)

Theo is a Partner and Managing Director of Kearney Consultancy Services.

Sudan

Iayla Hassan (PGCert Health Management, Policy and Planning 2013)

Iayla is the Head of Response of Health Emergency and Epidemic Control at the Sudan Federal Ministry of Health and develops resilience in the health system.

Tanzania

Juma Bakari (MA Theatre Studies 1997)

Juma is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Department of Mass Communication at the Muslim University of Morogoro. Juma recently developed Theatre Arts as a teaching subject for students studying Bachelor of Arts with Education, which is expected to start in the academic year 2024/2025.

Uganda

Evelyn Ahabyona (MSc Transport Planning and Engineering 2014)

Evelyn is a Senior Planner, Works and Transport at the National Planning Authority. Among her achievements are contributing to policy guidance on an Integrated Transport Infrastructure and services (ITIS) programme, advising on the National Development Plan III and IV especially in regard to the ITIS programme and monitoring infrastructure projects.

Zambia

Sekelo Mutelekesha (MSc Exploration Geophysics 2020)

Sekelo is an Exploration Geophysicist at First Quantum Minerals in the Zambian exploration team.

Pumza Mpundu (MSc Transport Infrastructure, Design and Construction 2023)

Pumza is an Engineer, Hydrology and Drainage, at the Road Development Agency. He has implemented and spearheaded the design review and implementation of composite concrete bridges and 131 steel Acrow bridges. Pumza has done routine, periodic and emergency inspections of bridges throughout Zambia.

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