Ada Osakwe
in 2018
Born1981 (age 42–43)
Nigeria
NationalityNigerian
Alma materUniversity of Hull
University of Warwick
Kellogg School of Management
OccupationBusiness executive
Years active1990 – present
TitleManaging Director & CEO, Agrolay Ventures

Ada Osakwe is a Nigerian economist, an entrepreneur and corporate executive, who is the founder and chief executive officer of Agrolay Ventures, an agribusiness investment company based in Nigeria, which invests in African agricultural food-related companies.[1] She is also the Founder of Nuli Foods and Nuli Juice company. From November 2012 until May 2015, Ada Osakwe was the Senior Investment Adviser to Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina.[1]

Background and education

Ada Osakwe was born in Nigeria on 2 September 1981.[2] She attended secondary school in Lagos for her A-Level education,[3] and graduated from the University of Hull, in the United Kingdom, with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. Her Master of Science in Economics and Finance was obtained from the University of Warwick, also in the UK. She also holds a Master of Business Administration, obtained from the Kellogg School of Management, at Northwestern University, in Evanston, Illinois in the United States.[3][4]

Career

Ada Osakwe first worked as an investment banker with BNP Paribas at their London office. She then worked as a Senior Investment Officer at the African Development Bank (AfDB), mainly in the area of infrastructure finance, serving in that capacity for four years. Ada Osakwe was based in Tunis. Later, she served as vice-president at Kuramo Capital Management, a private equity company based in New York City.[1][5]

After her work with the Nigerian Ministry of Agriculture, Ada Osakwe founded Agrolay Ventures. She also founded Nuli Juice, a restaurant chain in Nigeria.[5] In 2017, she was appointed to the board of One Acre Fund, a Kenya-based financial and educational non-government organisation that serves small-scale farmers in Burundi, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.[5]

Awards

In December 2014, Ada Osakwe was named among the "Twenty Youngest Power Women in Africa 2014", by Forbes Magazine.[2]

In March 2021, Ada Osakwe was awarded Business Woman Award by Forbes Magazine.[6]

Ada Osakwe was named one of the "15 African Female Founders You Should Know in 2023" by African Folder in March 2023.[7]

See also

Other activities

The entrepreneur who feels Nigeria has left small business to navigate COVID-19 alone.[8]

Ada Osakwe becomes first African to give a speech at the convocation ceremony of Kellogg School of Management.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 AfDB (23 May 2016). "African Development Bank Group: Annual Meetings, Lusaka: May 23 - 27, 2016: Speakers: Ada Osakwe, Chief Executive, Agrolay Ventures". Abidjan: African Development Bank (AfDB). Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  2. 1 2 Nsehe, Mfonobong (4 December 2014). "The 20 Youngest Power Women In Africa 2014". Forbes.com. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  3. 1 2 MoveBackToNigeria (31 May 2013). "Move Back to Nigeria: Ada Osakwe Takes the Leap from Private Equity Fund Investor to Special Investment Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture". Bellanaija.com. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  4. ↑ Ekunkunbor, Jemi (4 April 2016), "Ada Osakwe: The Creative Food Entrepreneur", Vanguard (Nigeria), Lagos, retrieved 1 November 2017
  5. 1 2 3 One Acre Fund (1 November 2017). "One Acre Fund: Governing Board: Ada Osakwe, Founder and Chief Executive, Agrolay Ventures". Kakamega: One Acre Fund. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  6. ↑ "Nigeria's Temie Giwa-Tubosun and Ada Osakwe Scoop Forbes Awards For Innovation And Business". Technext.
  7. ↑ "15 African Female Founders You Should Know In 2023". African Folder. 10 March 2023. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  8. ↑ "The entrepreneur who feels Nigeria has left small business to navigate COVID-19 alone". cnbcafrica. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  9. ↑ Ajumobi, Kemi (21 June 2020). "Ada Osakwe becomes first African to give a speech at the convocation ceremony of Kellogg School of Management". businessday. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
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