Meet the Judges' Panel for Alumni Awards 2024-25

Amarachi is a beneficiary of the Festivals programme where young emerging artists are programmed from the UK in West African Festivals and vice versa. The programme also includes a training strand through workshops and short secondments in the UK and West Africa

Anas, a 2009 MSc graduate in Environmental Engineering from Imperial College London, is the founder of Yoda Box—an EdTech company enabling children to access educational videos offline.

In 2021, Yoda Box successfully transferred its premium educational content catalog to UNICEF for wider distribution. Grateful for the impact of UK education on his career, he has returned to pursue a PhD. He also currently serves as a Special Advisor to the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI.

A good pair of footwear not only completes what you wear but it speaks volumes about who you are! Antoine collections is a fash-tech footwear company that produces quality bespoke and ready to wear footwear for the Nigerian millennial with a delightful customer experience. Our Antoine App enhances the bespoke experience for our customers by allowing them to build their own footwear!

AnuOluwapo Adelakun is an award-winning investigative journalist, documentary filmmaker, and policy researcher amplifying marginalized voices in Nigeria. A Chevening Scholar with a master’s from Sussex, she has led investigations influencing policy and securing justice. A Pulitzer Center grantee, she directs Project Nigeria and mentors young journalists. Recognized with the 2023 Kevin Carmody Award and a 2024 AMVCA nomination, she drives systemic change through fearless storytelling.

Arukaino Umukoro began his professional career as a journalist with the National Standard news magazine in 2007. In the same year, he won the National Standard’s ‘Writer of the Year’ award. 

He has also worked with one of Nigeria’s most recognised independent weekly magazine, TELL; and PUNCH, Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper, covering investigative and development stories, ranging from human rights, health, environment, politics, sports and education. He is a recipient of several awards.

Dr Cassandra Akinde is a public health physician working in the nexus of preventive medicine and epidemiology. In 2020, she obtained a master's in Tropical Medicine and International Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK. She observes that studying at LSHTM has accelerated her professional and organisational growth through upskilling her epidemiology and research skills, expanding her network globally and teaching her how to influence policy.

Chiagozie Nwonwu is a Lagos-based journalist and creative writer. He was the co-founder and managing editor of the quarterly fiction magazine Omenana, which is the foremost speculative fiction magazine in Africa. His interest in journalism has seen him work in various capacities for some of Nigeria's leading online platforms, an experience he took to his current role as a Senior Broadcast Journalist with the BBC's new Igbo Language service. 

Chinasa is a beneficiary of the Premier Skills Project. Premier Skills uses football to develop a brighter future for young people around the world, drawing upon the global appeal of the Premier League and its expertise in delivering community programmes in the UK, alongside the British Council’s global network and track record of delivery.