AWIEF Establishes Influential Advisory Board To Scale Women-Led Innovation Across Africa

The new advisory board brings together a distinguished group of global leaders with extensive experience in business, policy, development, media, and innovation. The board will provide high-level strategic guidance on AWIEF’s medium- to long-term priorities, including sustainable revenue growth, institutional strengthening, governance, and the expansion of programmes that support women’s entrepreneurship and innovation in Africa.

“The establishment of the advisory board marks an important milestone in AWIEF’s evolution,” said Irene Ochem, founder and CEO of AWIEF. “The collective experience, insight, and leadership of our Advisory Board members will be invaluable as we consolidate our institutional foundations and scale our impact across Africa’s entrepreneurship ecosystem.”

AWIEF advisory board members

• Fatma Samoura - Former secretary-general, FIFA; global leader in sport, gender equity, and youth empowerment
• Dalia Ibrahim - CEO, Nahdet Misr Publishing House; founder and CEO, EdVentures; champion for education, innovation, and Africa’s creative economy
• Awa Ndiaye-Seck - Former special representative UN Women to the African Union Commission and president, ADES-USA; expert in gender policy, economic inclusion, and sustainable development
• Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard - Founder and chairman, APO Group; pan-African media and communications strategist with extensive global networks; named one of the most 100 Most Influential Africans by New African magazine in 2023 and 2024

Role of the advisory board

The advisory board has been created to support AWIEF’s growth beyond its flagship annual convenings, with a strong focus on strategic programming, partnerships, research, policy influence, and ecosystem development.

Members have been selected for their exceptional leadership, cross-sector expertise, and proven commitment to advancing gender equality and women’s economic empowerment across Africa.

About AWIEF

The Africa Women Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) is a pan-African organisation dedicated to advancing women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. Through high-impact programmes, strategic partnerships, and world-class convenings, AWIEF creates opportunities for women innovators and business leaders to connect, learn, and scale solutions that address Africa’s most pressing challenges.

AWIEF’s flagship Conference, Exhibition & Awards convenes entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem builders from across Africa and around the world to catalyse growth, foster collaboration, and champion women’s leadership in business and innovation.

For media enquiries:

Yolanda MtshawuEmail: gro.murofeiwa@fniPhone: +27 21 002 8264Website: www.awieforum.org