OUR TEAM

BOARD MEMBERS

PHILLIP IHENACHO

Board Member and Founder

Phillip, who grew up in Jos, is a founder and partner of Amaya Capital, an active investor in businesses in Africa. Amaya is the founding investor of Azura Power, an Africa-focused power generation business, and also in Seven Energy, a gas infrastructure business, where Phillip served as interim Chief Executive until 2016. He was also founder of the London-based investment banking firm Afrinvest (UK) Limited, where he was involved in capital raising and acquisition advisory mandates in Ghana, Nigeria, and Cote d'Ivoire on behalf of telecommunications companies, oil and gas companies, and financial institutions. Prior to Afrinvest, Phillip worked with McKinsey & Co. in New York, London, Stockholm and Johannesburg. Phillip is on the Africa Council of The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest conservation organisations based in the US, and is also a trustee of the Tusk Trust, a UK based, conservation organisation.

TUNDE MORAKINYO

Executive Director and Founder

Tunde grew up in Ibadan, Nigeria and is a Community Forestry and Tropical Forest Conservation Specialist with thirty years’ experience in implementing natural resource management projects for NGOs, private and public sector. He spent many years working on community forestry and community conservation projects around the world developing partnerships between communities, government, NGOs, and the private sector. He is the Executive Director for Africa Nature Investors (ANI) Foundation which is focussed on the protection and development of Gashaka Gumti National Park and the Okomu landscape in Nigeria. Before this, he was a partner at a consultancy company, ERM, for over 16 years supporting private sector clients on Environmental, Social and Governance including development of biodiversity offset plans, social management systems and resettlement action plans for them to access international finance.

OLAJIDE LALEYE

Board Member and Founder

General Olajide is a childhood friend of Phillip Ihenacho and grew up in Jos. Jide had a long and successful career in the Nigerian military, rising to the rank of Brigadier General before retirement in 2016. Jide has a BSc in Physics and a Masters’ in Public Administration and Strategic Studies in Defence, Security and Disaster Management from the University of Yaoundé. He has been the recipient of the Forces Services Star, Meritorious Service Star and Distinguished Service Star and Corps Medal of Honour, Field Command Medal as well as the United Nations Medal. Jide Laleye is now Head of Security and Logistics at Azura Power West Africa. Since 2017, he has supported the Gashaka Project with activities such as overseeing the re-training of the rangers and their deployment across the park.

ADHIAMBO ODAGA

Board Member

Adhiambo has a Master of City and Regional Planning Degree from University of California at Berkeley and Doctor of Philosophy degree from University of Oxford which she attended as the first Rhodes Scholar from Kenya. At the World Bank she worked on girls’ education in Africa. And as a Rockefeller Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow served as Social Scientist at the International Potato Centre in Cameroon. As Ford Foundation’s Director/Representative for West Africa, she funded programs that promoted rule of law, human rights, and good governance, advocated for improved reproductive health, advanced economic development, culture, and championed media pluralism. In 2004, her innovative and impactful leadership in development earned her a national honour from the Nigerian government. As Managing Director of the Dangote Foundation, she established governance and operational systems; managed annual grant making of over $150 million in health, nutrition, economic empowerment education and construction. She also oversaw the establishment of Dangote Group's Environment, Health, Safety and Social Directorate to standardize its sustainability practices across all its business units. She is also a member of the Global Advisory Council of the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA.

ABUBAKAR JODA

Board Member

Abubakar hails from Adamawa State, Nigeria and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, an MBA and an advanced Certificate in Finance and Marketing. He worked in the Insurance Industry for three years before starting a business in the oil industry. He expanded his business to include real estate, agriculture, and mining. Having served on the boards of many prominent companies in Nigeria, Abubakar brings a wealth of experience with him of corporate managements systems. Abubakar has a deep love of nature and has been visiting Gashaka Gumti National Park since the 1980s and so has known the park for longer than any other board member. He is highly respected as a result, by all the park staff and many of the community leaders. He currently runs a business in real estate based out of Cairo, Egypt.