MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Professor Kingsley Moghalu
Professor Kingsley Moghalu is the inaugural President of the African School of Governance (ASG). He has held roles as a Professor at The Fletcher School, Oxford Martin Visiting Fellow, and Deputy Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank. With 17 years at the UN, he founded Sogato Strategies and the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation (IGET). He also served as UNDP Special Envoy on Post-Covid19 Development Finance for Africa.
Moghalu holds a Ph.D. from LSE, an M.A. from The Fletcher School, and an LL.B. from the University of Nigeria. He is the author of Emerging Africa.
Dr. Vera Songwe
Dr. Vera Songwe is Chair and Founder of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility (LSF), which launched the iBoxx LSF USD African Sovereigns Index in 2024. She is also a senior advisor to the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) and a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Songwe co-chairs several global climate and food system commissions, including the Task Force Clima for the Brazilian G20 and the Food System Economics Commission.
She is the former United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa. She has received numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the "100 Most Influential Africans" and "Top 50 Most Influential African Women." Dr. Songwe holds a PhD in Mathematical Economics and has a distinguished career spanning roles at the World Bank and International Finance Corporation.
Paul William Bwiso is a seasoned financial professional with over 20 years of experience in finance, investment, advisory, and strategy. Currently the CEO of the Uganda Securities Exchange, Paul has a proven track record in financial analysis, investment policy, and portfolio management. His achievements include successfully listing two telecom companies, increasing local market capitalization from Ugx. 3.8 trillion to 11.8 trillion, automating services to create Africa’s first paperless IPO in 2021, and driving strategic initiatives that doubled the company's net assets and investment portfolio. Paul is a strategic thinker, creative problem solver, and passionate leader in the capital markets industry.
Mr Paul Bwiso
Mayowa Kuyoro
Mayowa Kuyoro is a partner in McKinsey Nigeria. She is the global leader of the Fintech Practice and also leads the Financial Services Practice in Africa.
With over ten years of experience, Mayowa works closely with private-, public-, and social-sector institutions across Africa on topics related to corporate finance, growth and large-scale transformation, strategies for foreign direct investors, financial analysis, scenario development, organization design, digital marketing, and payments. She leads McKinsey Nigeria’s work with start-up companies—especially fintech companies across the continent and is a thought leader on innovation across the financial-services sector.
Mayowa is passionate about gender equity and the role of technology in advancing inclusion and serves as a leader of McKinsey’s initiative to support women in the workplace
Prof. Luis Gabriel Franceschi, LLB, LL.M, LL.D, is the Assistant Secretary General of the Commonwealth of Nations, overseeing key areas such as democracy, governance, peace, and human rights across 56 member countries. He is also the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Conference Secretary. A Kenyan Advocate and former founding Dean of Strathmore University Law School, Prof. Franceschi is an expert in legal innovation, judicial transformation, and constitutional law. He has received multiple honors, including being made a Chevalier by Gabon’s President. A passionate educator, he has published widely and served as a legal advisor to international bodies.
Prof Luis Franceschi
Cawaale Shirwac
Mr. Cawaale Shirwac is an economic development expert specializing in regional integration, trade, and infrastructure in the Horn of Africa. With over a decade of experience, he has served as Somaliland's Minister of Planning and Development, Chair of the Somaliland Development Fund, and Government Advisor on Trade, Infrastructure, and Corridor Development. He has overseen World Bank and UN-funded projects and supported institutional capacity-building through the IOM-UN. Notably, Mr. Shirwac contributed to the Somaliland-DPWorld Berbera Port agreement and the Somaliland-Ethiopia corridor. He holds an MSc in Development Finance (Distinction) and is pursuing an MSc in International Development at LSE.
Ronak Gopaldas
Ronak Gopaldas is a political economist, "pracademic," writer, and speaker focused on the intersection of politics, economics, and business in Africa. He is currently a Director at Signal Risk, a fellow at GIBS, and co-founder of Mindflux Training. Previously, he was Head of Country Risk at Rand Merchant Bank. A prominent media voice, Ronak has appeared on CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera, and CNBC Africa. He advises governments on Africa strategies and speaks at top universities and conferences. He holds a BCom in PPE and Business French, an MSc in Finance from SOAS, and several prestigious fellowships and honors.
Agnes Gitau
Agnes Gitau is the Executive Director of the Eastern Africa Association (EAA), where she works with businesses, investors, and policymakers to navigate East Africa’s trade and regulatory landscape. She is also a partner at GBS Africa, advising on economic and political risk, and a committee member of the East Africa International Arbitration Conference. Agnes is a trustee at Five Talents UK, supporting women entrepreneurs, and has contributed to the WTO Gender Research Hub and the UN Economic Commission for Africa. She has advised global agencies on trade development and played a key role in post-Brexit export research for East Africa.
Dr. Isaac Ziaba
Dr Isaac H. Ziaba is a Teaching and Research Fellow with the Methodology Department of the London School of Economics and Political Science. His research explores socio-political and economic dynamics of mining. He interrogates how ethno-geographic cleavages generate political and economic imperatives that shape African incumbents’ varying responses to different informal mining groups and how these processes complicate informal mining with implications for environmental degradations and the legitimate property rights of large-scale mining companies. He is currently completing a British Academy-funded project that seeks to understand why liberal democracies appropriate the property rights of licensed mining companies as seen through the lens of the Ghanaian state, Africa’s liberal democratic beacon.
Dr Amir Lebdioui
Amir Lebdioui is an Algerian economist and associate professor at the University of Oxford, where he also directs the Technology and Industrialisation for Development centre (TIDE). His research focuses on industrial policy, energy transitions, and natural resource management. He is the author of Survival of the Greenest: Economic Transformation in a Climate-conscious World (2024). Amir has advised governments and international institutions, including the World Bank and UNDP, on green industrial policy. He is a member of the G20 climate task force, an advisory council member for the African Continental Free Trade Area, and a visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg.
Josephine is a social justice and movement lawyer with expertise in business and human rights, climate justice, environmental child rights, and sustainable and equitable natural resource governance. Currently, as a Senior Fellow with the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity and an independent consultant, she specialises in research, advocacy, programme and strategy design, and process facilitation in these critical areas. Previously, she led the Responsible Investments and Business Programme at the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association, where she spearheaded initiatives to promote a more inclusive, just, accountable, and equitable business within Zimbabwe’s and Africa’s natural resources sector.
Josephine Chiname
Godwin Nickleson Amarh
Godwin N. Amarh holds Postgraduate Degree in Business Administration and majored in Entrepreneurship. He also holds certificates in Mine Management, Mining Law, creative leadership and conflict resolution. CEO and founder Transeco Minerals and Mining Ltd, founder of GoldGod Entertainment Ltd. The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners (GNASSM), The umbrella Association of Licensed Small Scale Miners in Ghana. A fellow of The Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management, with over fifteen years experience in the Mining Industry.
Dr. Nizar Ben Neji served as Tunisia’s Minister of Communication Technologies from 2021 to 2024, leading the development of the National Digital Strategy 2025 and driving digital transformation and e-Government initiatives. Prior to his ministerial role, he was a lecturer and researcher at the University of Carthage and a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. Ben Neji began his career as an engineer at TunTrust and has since worked as an ICT expert, collaborating with the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization, ITU, and AICTO, and consulting on cybersecurity and cybercriminality projects.
Dr. Nizar Ben Neji
Jennifer Dumle Daniel is a researcher, entrepreneur, and innovation strategist with expertise in entrepreneurship, policy design, and technology. She is the founder of SASIE, a platform supporting women in Africa’s tech ecosystem. Currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Bristol, her research focuses on developing inclusive policies to enhance women's participation in tech for poverty alleviation. Jennifer has led strategic research projects in Guyana, West Africa, and the UK, supporting early-stage startups. Recognized with several fellowships and awards, she has received the University of Bristol Early Career Enterprise Fellowship and the SETsquared QUEST Fellowship.
Jennifer Dumle Daniel
Aminata Dumbuya
Aminata Dumbuya is a social entrepreneur dedicated to accelerating energy access through decentralized renewable energy solutions. Born in Sierra Leone and raised in California, she returned to Sierra Leone in 2004 to contribute to its post-civil war transformation. As CEO and Founder of Freetown Waste Transformers SL Ltd (FWT), she launched a waste-to-energy project and developed DortiBox™, a digital platform to automate waste management. Recognized by The World Bank’s Go Circular Initiative, FWT also secured a waste collection concession in Freetown. Aminata has held senior roles at AMDA, the Africa Clean Energy Program, and Power for All, driving off-grid energy solutions.
Damisi Busari is a tech executive and entrepreneur with expertise in fintech, payments infrastructure, and user experience. A UCL alum, she has over a decade of experience at the intersection of technology, strategy, and customer experience. After honing her skills at Deloitte and the Telegraph Media Group, Damisi made a significant impact at Flutterwave in leadership roles, including Global Head of Commercial Alliances & Strategy. Now, as CEO of Sendsprint, she is enhancing cross-border payments solutions. Known for her strategic thinking and curiosity about human behavior, Damisi is shaping the future of fintech with a focus on accessibility and efficiency.
Damisi Busari
Dr. Laura Mann
Laura Mann is a sociologist specializing in the political economy of development, knowledge, and technology, with a focus on East Africa (Sudan, Kenya, and Rwanda). She has also researched ICTs and BPO in Asia and digitisation in global agriculture. Prior to joining LSE as an assistant professor, Laura was a postdoctoral researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute and the African Studies Centre in Leiden. She earned her PhD from the University of Edinburgh and serves on the Editorial Working Group of the Review of African Political Economy. Laura is also a research affiliate of the Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa.
Kehinde Ayeni
Kehinde Ayeni is the Executive Director of LEAP Africa, focused on youth leadership development and creating opportunities for young Africans to fulfill their potential. Previously, she served as COO at LEAP Africa, where she led resource planning, communications, and organizational development. A skilled facilitator, she has led impactful sessions in LEAP Africa’s leadership programs. In 2020, Kehinde was recognized among 50 African Women Making a Difference in Development. With over 15 years of experience in nonprofit and corporate sectors, she is pursuing an executive MBA at Lagos Business School and is a 2021 Praxis Nonprofit Accelerator Fellow.
Kiiru Muhoya
Kiiru Muhoya is a Kenyan entrepreneur, tech innovator, and financial inclusion advocate. He is the co-founder and CEO of Fingo Africa, a pan-African fintech company offering accessible, youth-centric financial services. Fingo graduated from Y-combinator in 2021, raising over $4 million USD and gaining recognition from TechCrunch. Kiiru's passion for addressing Africa's financial exclusion stems from understanding the economic challenges young Africans face. Fingo provides affordable banking services, including savings accounts, mobile payments, and credit, alongside financial education tools. The company has gained acclaim for bridging the financial inclusion gap, particularly for youth often overlooked by traditional banks.
Dr. Vongai Nyahunzvi is the Founder and CEO of the Alliance for Women and Girls (AFWAG), a network of organizations across 20 African countries dedicated to gender equity and empowerment. With over 20 years of experience in education, leadership development, and social impact, she is a globally recognized expert and sought-after coach for senior leaders, including CEOs and government ministers. Vongai has designed transformative programs with global institutions like the United Nations. A prolific author and speaker, she continues to lecture at UK universities and remains committed to fostering networks that drive locally informed solutions to systemic challenges.
Dr Vongai Nyahunzvi
Dr. Robtel Neajai Pailey is an award-winning Liberian academic, activist, and author with over 20 years of experience across Africa, Europe, and North America. She has expertise in policy design, grant writing, and journalism, and has worked with universities, governments, media, and NGOs. Robtel has held roles as speechwriter for Liberia's first female president, assistant editor at The Washington Informer, and researcher at institutions like Oxford and SOAS. Her accolades include being named Liberia's 177th Independence Day National Orator in 2024 and one of the ‘25 Africans to Watch’ by the Financial Times. She is an Assistant Professor at LSE.
Dr Robtel Neajai Pailey
Professor Kevin Chika Urama
Kevin Chika Urama is Vice President and Chief Economist at the African Development Bank Group, overseeing economic governance and knowledge management. Previously, he served as Senior Director of the African Development Institute and Senior Advisor to the Bank’s President. A globally recognized development economist with over 30 years of experience, he is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences and a Distinguished Professor at the University of Nigeria. He holds a Ph.D. in Land Economy from Cambridge and has advised on global economic policy, serving on the UN SDG Global Council and the World Economic Forum’s Clean Air Council.
Dr. Vinika Rao
Dr. Vinika Rao is the Director of the INSEAD Africa Initiative & Hoffmann Institute and Founding Executive Director of the INSEAD Emerging Markets Institute & Gender Initiative. Her research focuses on diversity, inclusion, allyship, and sustainability. A former Citibank executive and Managing Director of an Asian conglomerate, she transitioned into education, teaching at INSEAD and S.P. Jain. She advises global organizations on D&I and sustainability and serves on multiple boards. An alumna of INSEAD, SMU, and IIM Bangalore, she is a recognized thought leader, frequently speaking and publishing in leading business forums on leadership and workplace transformation.
Dr. Matthew Sterling Benson is a social and economic historian of Africa at LSE’s Conflict & Civicness Research Group (CCRG), where he researches global conflict and peace dynamics. As a Research Fellow and Sudans Research Director, he examines revenue-raising practices in Sudan and South Sudan from colonial rule to the present, linking them to state formation, war, and peacebuilding. His work has been published in Comparative Studies in Society and History and Journal of International Development. With 20 years of experience in research and operational roles, he has worked with the World Bank, MSF, ODI, UNHCR, and Oxfam America.
Dr. Matthew Benson
Ms. Samallie Kiyingi
Samallie Kiyingi is an award winning, results-driven business leader, currently serving as the Global General Counsel for Standard Chartered’s Corporate and Investment Bank. Based in Singapore, she oversees legal strategies across multiple markets worldwide, reflecting her extensive international finance expertise. The highly accomplished Ugandan-Australian lawyer’s career spans four continents and includes experience in both the public and private sectors. Prior to her current role, she was General Counsel at the African Export-Import Bank in Cairo and held senior positions at Deutsche Bank and Clifford Chance in London.
Prof. David Luke
David Luke is professor in practice and strategic director at the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa and Extraordinary Professor at North-West University in South Africa. Specialising in African trade policy and trade negotiations, Professor Luke has decades of experience in policy advisory services, managing and catalysing research, building partnerships, training and capacity development for private sector and government. This experience stems from an extensive career spanning a tenured appointment at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, and assignments at the African Union, the UN Development Programme and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) with postings in Harare, Pretoria, Geneva, and Addis Ababa. At ECA’s African Trade Policy Centre, Professor Luke and his team were instrumental in the preparation of the protocols that make up the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement.
Colette Van Der Ven
Colette is an international trade lawyer and policy expert specialized in sustainable development. As founder and director of TULIP Consulting, a boutique Geneva-based consultancy, Colette advises the public sector on legal and policy issues at the trade, environment, and development nexus. She is also a visiting lecturer in international law at the Graduate Institute, where she teaches the TradeLab International Economic Law Clinic. Previously, Colette worked as an international trade lawyer at Sidley Austin’s international dispute settlement practice, representing governments in their disputes at the World Trade Organization. Colette holds a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and is a member of the New York Bar.
Eugene Nizeyimana
Eugene Nizeyimana is an entrepreneurial engineer, international management consultant, and CEO of the African Business Chamber (AfBC), with over 20 years of experience across 15 global markets in industries such as oil and gas, manufacturing, technology, and automotive. He has held leadership roles in both the private and public sectors, working with organizations like Innovate UK, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Caterpillar, and multiple international oil companies. His expertise spans corporate governance, strategic management, international trade and investment, business process optimization, and risk governance.
Andrey Bogdanov
Andrey Bogdanov is the Interim CEO of Risk Insights a family owned data science company with a key focus on ESG . He is a former Board Member of the World Economic Forum New Champions South Africa Country Chapter. His professional career spans around the Globe, from working in the banking sector, spent 16 years in a Fortune 500 multinational company as a senior executive responsible for finance and treasury in various regions and continents. Andrey has is a published researcher. He is an international speaker and participates in the ESG dialogue globally. He has served on multiple boards in various regions.
Abrie Du Plessis
Abrie du Plessis studied law at the University of Stellenbosch where he completed his BA (Law) and LLB degrees. He started his career in the South African Department of Justice, but soon returned to teach mostly Private Law at the University of Stellenbosch. In 1993 he joined a South African-based multinational company as an Intellectual Property Practitioner. From 1995 his main focus was Regulatory Affairs and he spent several years in this role in South Africa before moving on to London in 2002, after which he mostly advised on various aspects of Public International Law. In 2009 he moved to Brussels with an added role relating to European Union Law.
Kekeli Ahiable
Kekeli is committed to building trade systems that foster industrial growth, job creation, and socioeconomic transformation in developing countries. From 2019 to 2022, she led a $500 million regional textiles and apparel project aimed at creating 50,000 jobs and establishing a sustainable manufacturing hub in West Africa. She currently supports multiple countries on logistics-improvement initiatives. Prior to joining TBI, Kekeli managed a $300 million portfolio as a commercial project manager for Ghana’s largest special economic zone developer.
Maureen Sigauke
Maureen is a Zimbabwean community organiser and activist committed to driving grassroots change through education, environmental justice, and youth empowerment. She is the founder of Community Hope Trust, which addresses educational inequality and broader socio-economic challenges in underserved communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched a community-based home-schooling initiative in Kwekwe’s Mbizo neighbourhood, supporting children’s learning through a volunteer network of teachers and parents. She also co-founded Green Active Citizens Trust (GACT), which integrates environmental, social, and economic justice in community development. With a background in the labour movement and experience consulting for organisations like Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Maureen continues to champion equity through strategic leadership, training, and advocacy across Zimbabwe and beyond.
Yaa Ofori-Ansah
Yaa Ofori-Ansah is a multi-award-winning Africa Travel and Tourism Specialist, entrepreneur, and founder of Talking Drums, a sustainability-focused Africa travel company, and The Talking Drums Agency, a VIP brand and talent management agency. With over a decade of solo travel experience across 30+ countries, she now helps others explore Africa through impactful and culturally rich experiences. Yaa has been recognised by the 2024 LSE Generate Accelerator Programme and was a 2023 finalist at the Black British Business Awards. Her diverse background spans Development, Trade, Sustainability & ESG, and Finance across sectors, shaping her holistic and purpose-driven approach to tourism. She also serves as a board member, travel manager, and speaker passionate about reshaping Africa’s narrative through travel.
Aisha Abdulaziz
Aisha is a Kenyan Energy Access Specialist with over a decade of experience advancing clean, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions across Eastern and Southern Africa. She is currently pursuing a PhD at University College London, focusing on equity and equality in the energy sector through academia-practitioner collaborations. Aisha has led and supported impactful projects in countries such as Kenya, Uganda, and Malawi, and has provided technical and policy advisory services to organisations including The World Bank, AECF, and Practical Action. Her achievements include leading Kenya’s Poor People’s Energy Outlook 2016 research and contributing to initiatives such as the Smart Communities Coalition and the Energy and Cash Plus Initiative. With a background in Energy Engineering and Sustainable Energy, Aisha brings deep technical knowledge and a strong commitment to inclusive energy access.
Dr Alex Vines
Alex Vines is the Director of the Africa Programme at Chatham House, a role he has held since 2002. He has extensive experience in African politics, security, and governance, having chaired and served on multiple UN Panels of Experts for Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, and participated in election observation missions across Africa. His earlier work includes research roles at Human Rights Watch and consultancy for organisations such as UNODC, DFID, USAID, and ECOWAS. Alex regularly advises lawmakers, having provided expert testimony to legislative bodies in the US, UK, EU, and several African countries. He is also an assistant professor at Coventry University and serves on various editorial and advisory boards focused on African affairs.
Tin Hinane El Kadi
Tin Hinane El Kadi is a researcher and PhD candidate examining the developmental impacts of China’s Digital Silk Road in North Africa, with a focus on Egypt and Algeria. Her work explores how Chinese digital capital influences technological upgrading and standard diffusion in host countries’ ICT ecosystems. She has consulted for organisations including the World Bank, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and Carnegie Endowment, and is currently an Associate Fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House. Tin Hinane previously worked on issues of North-South knowledge production and data-driven innovation at the LSE. A Chevening Scholar, she holds an MSc in Development Studies from the LSE and a BA in Politics from SOAS.