Our People

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli (MFR)

Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is an expert on African agriculture and nutrition, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and youth development. She has over 25 years of international development experience and is a recognized serial entrepreneur, author, public speaker, and consultant.

Ndidi serves on the boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), AGRA, the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum, Nigerian Breweries Plc. (Heineken), Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. India, Fairfax Africa Holdings Canada, Royal DSM Sustainability Board, Netherlands, and the African Philanthropy Forum. She previously served on the Boards of Nestle Nigeria Plc., the World Vegetable Center, Businessday Newspapers and Cornerstone Insurance Plc.

Ndidi started her career as a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, working in Chicago, New York, and Johannesburg. She returned to Nigeria in 2000 to serve as the pioneer executive director of FATE Foundation, supporting young entrepreneurs to start and scale their businesses. In 2002, she established LEAP Africa to inspire, empower, and equip a new cadre of principled, disciplined, and dynamic young leaders in Africa. In the same year, she established NIA to support female university students in Nigeria to achieve their highest potential.

Ndidi is the co-founder and Executive Chair of Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition, which works across Africa shaping policies and implementing ecosystem solutions. As the co-founder of AACE Foods, which produces a range of packaged spices, seasonings, snacks and cereals for local and international markets, Ndidi has propelled the growth of a catalytic business. As the founder of Nourishing Africa, a digital funding, training and knowledge hub, she is supporting entrepreneurs in 37 African countries.  Her latest start-up is Changing Narratives Africa committed to changing global mindsets about Africa by showcasing the Continent’s contributions to the global food ecosystem through the pioneering work of her dynamic people, their innovations, and products.

Ndidi was recognized as a Young Global Leader and a Schwab Social Innovator by the World Economic Forum and received a National Honor from the Nigerian Government. She was recognized as one of the 20 Power African Women by Forbes, as one of the 100 Most Influential Africans by New African Magazine and received the 2021 Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Awards, the highest honors given by the school. She is a TED Global and TED Women speaker.

Ndidi is the author of “Social Innovation in Africa: A Practical Guide for Scaling Impact,” and “Food Entrepreneurs in Africa: Scaling Resilient Agriculture Businesses,” both published by Routledge. She is also the author of “Working for God in the Marketplace.”

Ndidi holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She was a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government at the Harvard Kennedy School and an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow. She is currently a visiting Scholar at Max Bell School of Public Policy at McGill University.

Temitope Adegoroye

Temitope is the Managing Partner at Sahel Consulting where he is responsible for client engagement, project management and implementation. He is passionate about the agribusiness sector and has worked extensively across a broad range of value chains, with specific expertise on roots and tubers. He is proficient in market analysis, business strategy development, business sustainability, and project management.

Temitope has led several studies on agricultural policies and market entry strategies and implemented consulting projects in a range of priority areas including innovations in seed systems, mechanization, on-farm productivity enhancement and improved market access for agribusiness stakeholders.

Temitope holds an MBA from Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University, Nigeria. He also holds a Master of Science (MSc) in Agronomy from the University of Ibadan and received his undergraduate degree in Plant Science from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife.

Chinedu Agbara, CFA

Chinedu is a finance and business management expert with over 10 years’ experience in investment banking, business advisory, project financing, and relationship management. He currently serves as a manager at Sahel Consulting where he leads the development and implementation of agriculture projects focused on seed systems, catalyzing inclusive growth, and professionalizing farmer associations and innovative agri-businesses start-ups.

Before joining Sahel, Chinedu worked with agri-businesses and other corporate entities in raising finance from public and private capital markets. He has worked as a relationship manager for a top financial institution where he initiated and participated in successful negotiations with management, union leaders, and diverse stakeholders of private and public organizations. Chinedu has consulted for a family-owned business in Madrid and led sales campaigns that required engaging with multi-stakeholders with different cultural, language, and ethnic backgrounds.

Chinedu holds a Post Graduate degree in Business Management, a Masters’ degree in Advanced Finance from IE Business School, Madrid, and is a Charterholder with Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute in Virginia, USA.

Aisha Hadejia

Aisha is social development expert with experience in the non-profit and humanitarian sector, working with multi-national teams on conceptualizing and implementing projects in social development, public health, and gender equality.

At Sahel, Aisha’s work is focused on transforming the Nigerian agricultural sector by strengthening the technical and institutional capacity of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development to formulate and implement innovative and inclusive policies that will increase productivity and income of poor farmers, create job opportunities and improved livelihoods for millions of smallholder farmers, particularly women and youth.

Aisha is passionate about international development, and prior to Sahel, she worked at multiple development organizations to advocate for women’s economic empowerment, improve girl’s access to technology, information, and healthcare. Aisha holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Leeds, UK, a Masters’ degree from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and an MBA from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Fisayo Kayode

Fisayo is a trained Animal Scientist who has been working on building sustainable livestock production systems in Africa over the last 5 years. She currently serves as the Productivity Improvement Manager on the Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) Program where she manages strategy development and program implementation, leads the training and extension, advocacy, and behavioral change of smallholder dairy farmers, and oversees the delivery of feed and fodder establishment, animal health, and genetic and breeding improvement services to program beneficiaries.

She worked with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations under the Eradicating Avian Influenza in Nigeria Project in 2015.

She holds a Bachelors’ degree in Agriculture (Animal Science) from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria and has completed professional courses including “Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management” from the College of the Veterinary Medicine University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA in 2017, Project Management from HarryBaker Training Institute, Lagos in 2018, “Milking to Potential” from Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands in 2019 and “Executive Team Leadership from Lagos Business School in 2021.

Fisayo is a registered member of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS).

Ifeoluwa Olorunnipa

Ifeoluwa is a Manager at Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited where she is responsible for proposal development and program implementation.

At Sahel, her work has focused on market and industry research and analysis across multiple value chains, business planning for start-up seed companies in Nigeria, strategy development for both public and private sector initiatives, and the provision of tailored advisory services for private sector companies. She also supports the Sahel Corporate Shared Values (CSV) team at Sahel, ensuring the implementation of targeted programs that transform the lives of individuals in communities where Sahel operates.

Ifeoluwa is passionate about international development and prior to Sahel, she worked at multiple international development organizations in the areas of business development, program management, and implementation.

Ifeoluwa holds a Master of Public Affairs (MPA), with concentrations in International Development and Policy Analysis from Indiana University, Bloomington and an undergraduate degree in International Relations from Covenant University, Ota.

Anthonia Taiwo-Ajayi

Anthonia Taiwo-Ajayi is the Human Resource Manager at Sahel Consulting. As part of the leadership team that promotes a culture of excellence at Sahel, Anthonia supports project teams to grow the organization by exceeding client expectations. She has about 10 years of experience in strategic planning, performance management, change management, and outsourcing, gleaned from working in FMCG, Telecommunications, Finance, and Consulting. She is accountable for the overall development and implementation of people-focused policies aimed at attracting, recruiting, and retaining high performers into Sahel Consulting.

Prior to joining Sahel Consulting, Anthonia worked as the Head of Human Resources and Consulting department at Jake Riley Limited. She led a team of consultants to review HR operations and policies across public sector led organizations. Her journey in HR has taken her through various roles and assignments from outsourcing, people development, research & development, leadership and team management, regulatory compliance and strategic planning. Anthonia is result-oriented and dependable with a proven track record in the formulation and implementation of effective processes to drive competitive growth.

Anthonia had her first degree from Obafemi Awolowo University and has an MBA in Human Resource Management from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She is a certified professional in Human Resources-International (PHRi), a PROSCI certified Change Manager, a professional member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Nigeria (CIPMN), and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Adedolapo Adeseye

Dolapo is a Finance and Tax professional with over 5 years’ experience in providing Finance and Tax advisory services in the Agricultural, manufacturing, and service industries. He currently serves as the Accounts & Administrative Manager at Sahel Consulting where he is responsible for ensuring the accounts and administrative team provide a range of services to support the organization including Financial Modelling and Reporting, Liquidity management, Grant management, and reporting, Tax advisory, and ensuring the day-to-day running of firm operations.

Before joining Sahel, Dolapo has worked in various consultancy capacities to provide a range of services including Financial modeling, Tax planning, and advisory engagement, Accounting system review, and auditing. He also worked with Adeyemi Ajibade & CO (Firm of Chartered Accountants) where He worked on providing audit and tax advisory services to clients in the manufacturing and service industries.

He holds a Bachelors’ degree in accounting and an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN). He also holds an ACCA Diploma in International Financial Reporting.

Omobolaji Etti, ITIL

Bolaji is an Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) Professional with over 10 years experience in providing technology solutions in the Agribusiness, Construction, and Financial sectors, and Creative Agencies. He currently serves as the ICT Manager where he is responsible for ICT Policy Development, Graphic Design, Network Management, Social Media Management, System Troubleshooting, Video Editing, and Website Management.

Prior to joining Sahel, Bolaji worked as an IT support officer with Skylinks Satellite Communications Limited; Digital Marketing Officer with Shixels Studios Limited; Digital Marketing Executive at Worldbay Technologies Limited.

He holds a Bachelors’ degree in Economics from Babcock University and has received certificates in professional courses including Desktop publishing, Network centered computing & Digital web authoring from NIIT; Web design & Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) on windows from GNT; Network Management from TTC Mobile; ITIL in IT Service Management from Axelos.

He is also a graduate member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).

Richard Oladipo

Richard is a social development expert with more than 10 years of experience in the development sector with international and indigenous NGOs including Mercy Corps, Voluntary Services Overseas, and DevTech Systems Inc. Richard has designed and implemented monitoring and evaluation systems for several donor-funded projects across diverse thematic areas including education, agriculture and nutrition, adolescent and gender programming, sustainable energy, sustainability planning, and public policy.
Richard explores a professional niche in research, monitoring, and evaluation and leverages a well-grounded technical knowledge with a mix of adaptive management tools to support the implementation and delivery of high-impact results for multiple program portfolios at Sahel Consulting.
Richard holds a Master of Development Practice from the University of Ibadan. He is a certified Development Project Manager with the Association of Project Managers Group (APMG-International) and has completed the Quantitative Impact Evaluation certification by the Independent Evaluation Group at the World Bank, the University of Bern, Switzerland and the Center for Evaluation, Germany. Richard maintains active membership status with relevant international and local communities of practice including the Nigerian Association of Evaluators (NAE) and Eval Youth.

Ilesanmi Pupa

Ilesanmi Pupa is a Seed expert at Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited, where he supports program implementation, provides technical assistance, and stakeholder engagement. Ilesanmi has an interest in agribusiness sector and uplifting the socio-economy livelihood of the smallholder farmers by training, access to advanced cultivation practices, coaching of young farmers, production, and maintenance of improved seeds. He has about 8 years’ experience in seed production, processing, marketing, and livestock feed formulation, he also has expertise on vegetable crops production.

Prior to joining Sahel consulting, Ilesanmi worked with a seed company as a seed production and quality assurance officer, where he recruits farmers for seed multiplication, training of farmers, input distribution, collection of data, direct seed production, consultancy services, seed quality assurance, certification, research, and input loan recovery. He also supervised the company seed production fields in Kano, Jigawa, Bauchi, Niger, and Kaduna. He has previously worked on various projects including (AGRA) EGS seed production and (LINKS) Catalyzing economic growth for northern Nigeria.

He holds a Higher National Diploma in Agricultural extension and management from Division of Agricultural Colleges, Ahmadu Bello University Nigeria and has undergone some training and courses with IITA on “principle of maize seed production” in 2017, AfricaRice on “rice seed production technology” in 2018 and “Vegetable production” Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands in 2021 just to mention a few.

Ilesanmi is a member of Farm Management Association of Nigeria (FAMAN).

Ismael Adeniji

Ismael works as a Consultant at Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited where he supports the organization in its strategic efforts in business and value chain development and program implementation for food and agricultural system-related projects.

At Sahel, he works on the monitoring, evaluation, and learning component of the Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) program. As part of his work on ALDDN, he coordinates program implementation, conducts field monitoring, stakeholder engagements, and develops standard operating procedures for infrastructure management and other key programmatic activities. He also supports qualitative and quantitative data collection, analyses, and visualization.

Before joining Sahel, Ismael worked with AACE Food Processing and Distribution Limited as an Agri-Food Supply Chain Supervisor where he worked closely with the company’s international development partners to develop and strengthen farmers’ cooperatives, improve farmers productivity, and develop local sourcing supply chain of agri-food commodities across Gombe, Kaduna, Katsina, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, and Sokoto states.

Ismael graduated with a Bachelor of Agriculture (Honours) Agricultural Extension and Rural Development from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, He has also audited a professional course in “Sustainable Food Security” from the Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands in 2019. He was an active students’ union member at Ife, and passionate about national transformation.

Buhari Zubairu

Buhari Zubairu is a development enthusiast with experience in humanitarian and development project implementation. He is passionate about health, nutrition, and agriculture and has worked on emergency response, health delivery systems, and is currently on dairy value chain development. He currently serves as the senior program officer at Sahel Consulting where his work involves working with stakeholders to coordinate the implementation of the Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria program components at the State level through the training and extension, nutrition, infrastructure development, and farmer organization interventions.

Prior to joining Sahel Consulting, Buhari worked at eHealth Systems Africa for 4 years as a Program Field Officer on the vaccination tracking program, Vaccine delivery system development (via LOMIS-Logistic Management Information Systems), He also worked on a nutrition project to improve the adoption of OFSP and improve dietary diversity by coordinating community food demonstrations. He also worked as a Field Operations Coordinator on the Geo-Referenced Infrastructure and Demographic Data for Development (GRID3) program at eHealth Systems Africa. Buhari also supported the Outbreak Response (OBR) programs in the North East hard-to-reach communities.

Buhari holds a Master’s in Development Studies (MDS) from Bayero University, Kano, and an undergraduate degree in Human Physiology from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria

Saidu Abubakar

Saidu is a Senior Program Officer working on the Advancing Local Dairy Development Project, His works involves stakeholder management at the state level. He handles Training and communication for behaviour change, Infrastructure development, Nutrition and Farmers Organization component of the Advancing Local Dairy Development In Nigeria.

Prior to joining Sahel, Saidu has been actively involved in evaluating multi-sector intervention programs in Nigeria. Saidu Abubakar’s professional experience extends to the delivering of nutrition and livelihood projects, supporting health systems strengthening programs (Maternal, Child health and Behavioural Change Communications).

He is a graduate of Geography from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and a trained Remote sensing and Geographic Information System analyst.

Muhammad Muzzamil Momoh

Muhammad is a senior analyst at Sahel Consulting where he provides support on program implementation, data management and stakeholder engagement for nutrition and several other projects in the nutrition and agricultural sector.

At Sahel, Muhammad currently works as the Nutrition officer on the Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) program where he implements and manages the nutrition interventions, supports strategy development, and develops Information, education, and communication materials to facilitate dietary and hygiene behavior change for smallholder beneficiaries. He also provides support for the collection, management and analysis of data collected during implementation of several projects.

He has been involved in several works around the nutrition landscape, embarking on infant and young child feeding and nutrition policy related research. Prior to joining Sahel, he worked with the International Food Policy Research Institute as a research assistant supporting data collection, stakeholder interviews and workshops. Muhammad is passionate about contributing to the improvement of nutrition for all, in Nigeria.

He holds a master’s degree in Nutrition from the University of Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.

Grace Omini

Grace is a project management professional with hands-on experience in stakeholder management and program implementation.

Throughout her career, she has worked on multiple EU and UN-funded projects centered on water & sanitation, institutional reforms, agro-based enterprise promotion, sustainable livelihood development, gender equity, and community empowerment.

Before joining Sahel, she worked at Lafarge Africa as Community Relations Manager, where she managed corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects and community development strategies focused on empowering people and communities within the operating environment.

She currently supports the FMARD institutional capacity-building project and other agricultural development projects at Sahel. Her work focuses on market research on different agricultural value chains, identification of agribusiness development opportunities, stakeholder engagement, and implementation of monitoring systems.

Grace holds a Bachelor of Agriculture and a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Calabar, Nigeria, and is an Alumnus of the Rome Business School where she studies Agribusiness Management. She is also an Associate member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.

Helen Okotie

Helen Okotie is a development enthusiast with over 5 years experience in community development sector. She has implemented projects in social development, education, nutrition and gender equality. At Sahel, Helen is a senior program analyst. She currently works on the Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria; where her work involves providing support on strategy development, program implementation and stakeholders engagement to drive innovative solutions that will increase productivity, financial inclusion and improved livelihood for small holder women dairy farmers and the communities in which they live.

Helen is passionate about international development. Prior to Sahel, she worked as a Program Officer at Khan Initiative on ENGINE II Project to advocate for women economic empowerment, gender equality and improved girls access to education. Helen holds a master’s and bachelor degree in Biochemistry from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. She was a Mandela Washington fellow at the Staley School of Leadership, Kansas State University, US.

Raymond Anyanwu

Raymond is a trained professional accountant with over 3 years experience. He currently serves as the Program Accountant on the Advancing Local Dairy Development in Nigeria (ALDDN) Program where he coordinates the infrastructure development and interface with processor and implementing partners to ensure a smooth run of the program.

Prior to Sahel, he worked as an intern with Ike Ezeuko & CO. Chartered Accountants and as an Accountant with Andelsta Limited and TAK Integrated Agriculture Solutions Limited.

He holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mathematics and Computer Science from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and Advanced Diploma in Accounting & Business (ACCA). He received a certificate in Professional Scrum Master (PSM I).

Raymond is also a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), United Kingdom, and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Mark Waziri

Mark has been working in the Human Resource Management space for 4 years. He has notable experience in Federal and State law Compliance, Human Resource Planning, Performance Management, Training, and Development.

At Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited, Mark works as a Human Resource Analyst where he supports the Human Resource Initiatives, Systems, and Tactics of the organization.

Prior to joining Sahel Consulting, Mark worked with Diamond Bank PLC, Khuraira Cosmetics New York (USA), and Griot Studios Limited.

He holds a bachelor’s Degree in Library and Information Science from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, a Certificate in Interactive Media (with a focus on Game Design and Animation) and has attended several trainings hosted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management.

Joseph Yakubu

Joseph Steven Yakubu is an adept IT professional with a passion for using technology to proffer long-lasting and sustainable solutions to challenges experienced by people around him. With over 10 years of experience in both the public and private sectors.

Throughout his career, Joseph has worked in various IT roles, including Software Engineer, Systems Administration, and IT Support. He has the knowledge and deep understanding of databases, computer networks, server administration, cloud computing, and software development.

Joseph holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology and systems from Monash University, a professional diploma in Software Engineering from NIIT, member of the Australian Computer Society with valuable IT Vendor certifications like the CompTIA A+, Microsoft Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, and Cisco Certified Network Associate. In his spare, he enjoys listening to music, learning new skills, and spending time with family and friends.

Sumayya Bello

Sumayya is an accounts analyst at Sahel where she supports all accounting functions including Financial reporting, grant management, tax, audits, regulatory compliance, and Budgeting.

She is a valuable member of the community empowerment team at Sahel where she works to impact communities through the implementation of humanitarian projects.

Prior to Sahel, she served as an audit intern at KPMG where she worked on various audit engagements in different teams.

She is a first class graduate of accounting from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU) and she is also a student member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Emmanuel Ameh

Emmanuel Ameh is a seasoned technical expert with over 6 years of experience in research and development, with a focus on Genetic Improvement. He is extensively knowledgeable of roots and tubers, and oil palm production and processing. He is passionate about the development of a formal seed system for root and tuber crops.

At Sahel Consulting, Emmanuel supports the implementation of the BASICS-II and PROSSIVA projects, working closely with partners and stakeholders to increase the use of quality seeds of improved varieties in cassava and yam seed systems.

Prior to joining Sahel Consulting, Emmanuel served as a Farm Supervisor at Uzanu Farms Limited, where he successfully managed a 160-hectare oil palm plantation and the processing, storage, and marketing of crude palm oil. With a Master of Science in Environmental Biology (Plant Genetics) from the University of Ibadan and an undergraduate degree in Microbiology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Emmanuel brings a strong educational background and a deep understanding of plant genetics to his work.

Folake Fashakin Adebote

Folake works as an analyst at Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited, where she supports the organization in its efforts to transform the Nigerian agricultural sector by strengthening the individual and institutional capacity of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), to drive farmer income growth, accelerate food security and generate employment within the sector.

At Sahel Consulting, she provides support for project implementation, stakeholder and alumni engagements, development of technical training curriculums, and knowledge management for the FMARD, on the FMARD Capacity Support Project.

Before joining Sahel Consulting, Folake worked with AACE Food Processing and Distribution Limited as HR Supervisor where she worked closely with the management to translate business strategies into HR actions that drove business results. She also worked on several of the company’s projects with developmental partners, aimed at accelerating women’s empowerment and improving child nutrition in its supply chain.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Vivian Obinwajei

Vivian is the Admin Officer at Sahel Consulting. She provides support to all fleet & logistics coordination projects, premises maintenance, capacity development, policy development, procurement & resource utilization while keeping costs within the budget provision.

Prior to joining Sahel, Vivian worked for about 7 years as a Human Resources and Admin Officer, Recruitment and Training Officer, and Customer Service Executive in a consulting firm and two financial institutions. Vivian is a dedicated, dependable, result-oriented team player with a focus on results.

She holds an MBA from the University of South Wales (UK) and received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration with specialization in Human Resources from the University of Ghana. She is also an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (ACIPM).