The MADI People

 

Make A Difference team includes lawyers, journalists, advocates, and academics of diverse backgrounds and nationalities.

These experts conduct fact-finding missions and investigate human rights abuses, impartially reporting on the human rights conditions.

These facts are then used in our targeted advocacy to promote human rights and justice around the world.

Our work is guided by our senior management team, the board of directors, council leadership, and advisory committees.

If you are a member of the press and would like to speak with an expert, contact our communications department.

Executive team

LEMMY UGHEGBE

Founding Chairman & Executive Director

 

Lemmy Ughegbe is a Child and Gender Rights Advocate, a front line media personality & critic, a public opinion influencer, a public speaker and a Development Communication expert. He is the Executive Director of Make A Difference Initiative and Men Against Rape Foundation, two organisations working to curtail Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and all forms of human rights abuses, promote transparency, accountability and good governance.

More about Lemmy Ughegbe

Ughegbe is a resource person for the African Independent Television, ARISE NEWS and several other media outfits.

He founded the Education For All Roundtable. (EFAR) in 2003 to help draw attention to the need for every child to have access to Basic Education and in 2005, he co – founded ‘MY GIRL, MY HEARTBEAT’, an advocacy group to eliminate discriminatory practices against the Girl-Child.

He is the President-General of Woman Wrapper Association of Nigeria, an avowed feminist and a leading light in efforts to seek safe spaces for children and women by raising awareness on the rising menace of sexual and domestic violence.

He has strong views against some provisions of the Penal Code and the Criminal Code, which he considers not only
discriminatory, but also contributory to sexual and domestic violence against women and girls.

Through Men Against Rape Foundation and Make A Difference Initiative, Lemmy Ughegbe and his team provide psychosocial and legal support for survivors of SGBV, draw attention to the growing incidents of sexual violence and lead advocacy campaigns with a view to encouraging behavioural change as well as influencing public policy and laws to help enthrone safe spaces for children and create an enabling environment for women to become the best version of themselves.

He is the convener of the Coalition on Gender Based Violence, seeking justice for Ochanya Elizabeth Ogbanje, who was serially raped and sodomised by her aunt’s husband and son, Andrew and Victor Ogbuja for five years from when she was eight years old until she died at age 13 in 2018, owing to health complications from the sexual ordeal. The same coalition, which he leads is seeking justice for Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akphagher, the 14 year old girl who was sodomised, raped, condom left inside her, which infected her with sepsis, which spiked her blood sugar, leading to her death on the 22nd of June 2021.

Through a well-coordinated advocacy campaign by the Coalition, which he leads, the House of Representatives has passed a resolution to thoroughly investigate Premiere Academy, Lugbe, Abuja for its complicity in the circumstances leading to Keren-Happuch Aondodoo Akphagher’s rape and eventual tragic end. Ughegbe is an alumnus of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), a certified Modern Applied Psychologists, a Depression Counsellor and a scholar of the Institute of Strategic and Development Communication at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nasarawa State, where he obtained a Masters in Development Communication. He is currently studying for a Ph.D. in the same field with a bias toward Gender Equity and Empowerment.

Babawale ‘Sayo Okunola

Director of Operations

Babawale was born in Ile Ife, Osun State, Nigeria; over five decades ago. A Sociology & Anthropology graduate of 1993, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile Ife; with a post graduate diploma in Financial Management (1996) from University of Ibadan, Ibadan. He has over the years gone for many short courses in different specialisations ranging from Business Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Renewable Energy, Entrepreneurship, Public Speaking, both locally and internationally.

More about Babawale ‘Sayo Okunola

A Fellow of several professional bodies such as, The Chartered Institute of Loans & Risk Management (CILRM) and also Institute of Management Consultant (IMC) etc.

In over 25years, he has worked at management level of several organisations, some as founders and some as cofounders. He currently sits on the board of several organisations e.g. Climate Finance Advisory, SMEFUNDS Capital, whose core mandate is to facilitate finance for renewable energy projects.  He has received many awards of contributions in fields of deep interest e.g. Nigerian Institute of Management (N.I.M) PRESTIGIOUS AWARD, 2013

He is a Public Speaker, Investor, Mentor, Global Paradigm Shift Analyst, Business Consultant, Change Management Consultant and Collaborator in numerous development projects. He currently drives expansion and upscale of multimillion-dollar renewable energy companies in Nigeria and Africa.

IJATO MARIAGORETTI UGBAGWU

Director of Child Care & Special Needs.

MARIAGORETTI  is an avowed child rights advocate and volunteers as an assistant in a special needs school for children. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Masters of science in Banking and Finance. She is also a Chartered account of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.(ACCA).

Augustine Ibhagbosoria Eigbe

Director of Strategic Development

Augustine Ibhagbosoria Eigbe is an advocate for human rights and participatory development.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, and in 2000, he did his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) at the Federal Housing Authority, Asokoro, Abuja. 

More about Augustine Ibhagbosoria Eigbe

A masters program in Development Communication with a dissertation on  “Participatory Communication Strategy for Sustainable Constituency Project Implementation in Edo State, Nigeria.

 

He is a successful business person with interest in real estate, construction, agriculture, attracting investors and investments to corporate projects.

 

He is also the President and Founder of Osaivbie Global Foundation,Abuja,where he facilitates programs aimed at empowering the poor, vulnerable, less privileged and the most marginalised groups in the society. In 2013, facilitated a major two weeks free medical care program for the different Communities under Oredo Local Government Area in collaboration  with  Moses Lake Medical Team (MLMT) from Washington State, USA and  Oredo Local Government Council, Edo State, Nigeria.

Suubi Audi

Director of Legal Unit

Suubi Audi, a Ugandan born Nigerian can be aptly described as a vast personality. A legal Practitioner, humanitarian and Serial Entrepreneur.
She is a graduate of Law from the University of Reading, UK (2010) and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2012.

More about Suubi Audi

She is Senior Partner Rohi Legal Consult, CEO of Shairgain Limited an organic hair and skincare product & service company located in Abuja.
She spent 3 years of her professional career you in the creative/concept & business development consultation, administrative & Human Resource sector before she ventured into entrepreneurship.
She has partnered with many humanitarian organizations.
As a Humanitarian & great lover of children, she strongly believes that the world would be a better place if people thought generationally and are more compassionate towards the predicament of others. She has an affinity for loyalty and effective service to humanity.

Jacob Edi

Director, Investigation and Strategy.

Jacob Edi is a journalist with cognate experience which has spanned over three decades.
He worked with most of the present-day national dailies and majors in reporting politics.
He was at different times Secretary and then Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Abuja council before venturing into partisan politics.

In 2011 he was appointed Special Adviser in charge of Media and Strategy to the Government of Kogi state. He was later to join the APC as Head of Research and Documentation at the National Secretariat.

More about Edi...

Edi, is the CEO/Founder WhatDoYouWant Nigeria Ltd, a service company. He also co-founded an online Publication, National Accord.
A graduate of Political Science, Edi also studied Mass Communication and has an MSc, in Peace and Conflict Resolution.
A traditional title holder, Edi hails from Adumwoiwo, Kogi state.