Amal Hassan is the founder of Outsource Global, a Nigerian business process outsourcing (BPO) company specializing in contact center services, telemarketing, IT solutions, software development, and customer support for international clients. A visionary technopreneur with a broad range of interests in technology, she established Outsource Global in 2013. The company has since grown to include offices in Abuja, Lagos, and Kaduna.
Driven by a goal to generate employment for Nigerian youth, she explored the BPO sector’s success in India and saw an opportunity for Nigeria. Recognizing that American companies have outsourced to India since the 1980s, she adapted her company’s model to a partnership approach. This involved teaming up with experts to create training programs that connect academic knowledge with the practical skills needed in the international market.
In recognition of her contributions and leadership, Amal Hassan was honored in 2018 as one of 16 women business leaders selected for the Fortune-US Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. She is also celebrated as a role model for young girls in northern Nigeria.
Aisha is the Director-General of the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), an agency under the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy. Previously, she served as the Special Adviser on Digital Communications Strategy to the Federal Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning and was the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor of Kebbi State.
In addition to her governmental roles, Aisha is a passionate advocate for youth and women empowerment. She spearheads various development initiatives, leveraging her influence to champion policies and programs that enhance the lives of young people and women across Nigeria. Her commitment to empowerment aligns with the nation’s broader goals of promoting inclusive growth and ensuring equitable opportunities for all.
Hadiza Bala Usman is a distinguished public servant with a notable career spanning various roles in Nigeria’s public sector. She served as the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), becoming the first female to hold this position in the organization’s 63-year history. Before her role at the NPA, Hadiza worked at the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and was subsequently appointed by the UNDP as Assistant to the Minister on project implementation for the Federal Capital Territory Administration. Her extensive experience also includes serving as the Chief of Staff to the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, making her the first woman to assume this role in the region.
In June 2023, she was appointed as Special Adviser on Policy Coordination to President Bola Tinubu. Her contributions to public service extend to her role as a co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, established in 2014 to advocate for the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls.
Hadiza Bala Usman has been widely recognized for her achievements. She has earned accolades such as the “Queen of the Maritime” and was named among Nigeria’s Under 50 Leaders in Public Service in 2021, receiving the Outstanding Female Executive in Public Service (Maritime) award.
Hauwa Liman is the Technical Adviser to the Vice President of Nigeria on Women, Youth Engagement & Impact. With over a decade of experience in youth development, she is known for her work in empowering under-served communities through collaborative initiatives. She founded the Inspire for Impact Initiative, which focuses on human capital development and the empowerment of women and youth, notably winning the Leveraging Innovation in New Communities Award from the US Department of State in 2022.
Hauwa has received numerous accolades, including being named a Mandela Washington Fellow in 2016 and one of the top 50 emerging global policy leaders by the British Council in 2017. Her work includes mentoring and leading youth-focused training programs across Nigeria, fostering a network of informed young leaders. As a passionate advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), she was recognized as a Goalkeeper for the SDGs by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2018 and presented policy ideas at the UN SDG Action Zone in 2019.
Kadaria Ahmed is a journalist, media entrepreneur, television host and CEO of RadioNow 95.3FM. She started her career at the BBC in London and has worked in print, radio, television, online and social media platforms.
She was a senior producer working on award-winning programmes, Focus on Africa. In that capacity, she helped shape the news agenda for those leading programmes and reported from many parts of the world including South Africa, Eritrea and the United Nations.
Kadaria is a member of the judging panel of Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism and the Promasidor Quill awards. She also a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Nigerian Institute of Directors. In 2017, she founded Daria Media Ltd, a company designed to promote public service journalism. Kadaria’s journalistic articles have been published in national and international newspapers, she is recognized as one of the most influential people in Nigeria’s News Media landscape.
