OUR LEADERSHIP - Advisory Board & Executive Team
ADVISORY BOARD
Prof. Yinka Omorogbe (S.A.N)
Prof Yinka Omorogbe SAN is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and an energy specialist whose international publications date as far back as 1985. She is a former Attorney General, Edo state, Nigeria; former Secretary and Legal Adviser to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation; the first female Professor and First Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan. She is active in legal and policy circles in the energy sector, and was on the two Oil and Gas Sector Implementation Committees (OGIC) established for the reform of the Nigerian petroleum sector.
She founded Etinpower Limited a mini grid developer.
ETINPOWER- Energises communities to harness the power and potential of clean energy to create better lives with more productive outcomes and sustainable livelihoods especially in the area of Agriculture and Food Production
Prof. Samuel Adeniran Oluwalana
Prof. Samuel Adeniran Oluwalana is a renowned Forest Resources and Medical Plant Expert.
“Baba Oluwalana” as he is fondly called by his teeming admirers within and outside the University community is a Professor of Forest Resources Management, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, College of Environmental Resources Management (COLERM), FUNAAB.
Prof. Oluwalana joined the University in 1983 and retired honourably after serving the institution and his country meritoriously for forty (40) years.
The erudite scholar whose mastery of forest resources as potent and proven cure for various ailments and diseases is a legend in his field. He is considered generous to a fault in the dispensation of nature and herbal remedies free of charge to many within and outside the University community who seek his expertise.
Dr. Maimoona Salim
Dr. Maimoona Sheila Salim is a social entrepreneur, youth development strategist, and nonprofit leadership mentor with over 25 years of experience across the private and civil society sectors.
She is the Group Chief Operations Executive of SI Group International, leading initiatives in enterprise development, leadership training, and cross-sector partnerships across Africa. A respected facilitator and trainer, she has delivered programmes in entrepreneurship, emotional intelligence, STEAM education, women’s empowerment, girl-child education, and youth leadership.
Dr. Salim also serves in several governance and advisory roles, including with Peace Players South Africa, the Rotary Club Abuja, and Women Community in Africa.
Widely recognised as a mentor, speaker, and strategic advisor, she is known for helping organisations and emerging leaders create lasting impact through clarity, purpose, and effective leadership.
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Michael Kadiri - Co Founder | Managing Director/CEO
Michael Kadiri is the Co-founder and Managing Director of AVAS Consulting Limited, where he leads strategy, trade development, market access, SME capacity-building, and international partnership initiatives.
With more than 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, brand development, and international business, he brings a combination of corporate leadership and entrepreneurial expertise to the organisation. His work focuses on helping African businesses become more market-ready, competitive, and connected to regional and global opportunities.
Before co-founding AVAS, Michael held senior commercial roles in the pharmaceutical and international trading sectors, including serving as Brand Director for Europe’s leading NSAID brand at Ciba-Geigy. He also held Director-level positions with Med-Design and MITC Limited in the United Kingdom.
An economist by training, Michael holds a degree from the University of Leicester and a postgraduate qualification from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.
Titilola Ijimakinwa - Co Founder | Executive Director
Titilola Ijimakinwa is a Co-founder and Executive Director of AVAS Consulting Limited, where she provides leadership in business development, client engagement, partnership building, and programme delivery.
She plays an important role in developing training initiatives for SMEs, agribusinesses, food producers, and entrepreneurs, while also supporting the organisation’s operational and human resource development. Known for her ability to identify opportunities, build relationships, and turn ideas into practical business platforms, Titilola contributes significantly to AVAS’s growth and impact.
Prior to co-founding AVAS, she was Founder and Director of TW Magazine, a leading women’s lifestyle publication, where she led brand development, stakeholder engagement, and commercial growth. She also founded Orchids and Cedar, a Lagos-based merchandise trading company.
Titilola holds a postgraduate qualification from the University of Lagos and brings a strong sense of purpose, service, and values-driven leadership to her work.
Philomena Ohuoba LLB. LLM, BL | Head of Legal/Admin
Mrs. Philomena Ohuoba oversees governance, compliance, legal readiness, and operational standards at AVAS Consulting Limited. Working closely with external legal advisers, she helps ensure the organisation maintains strong governance practices, regulatory compliance, risk management, and contractual discipline.
Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1983, Mrs. Ohuoba brings more than four decades of legal, corporate, and institutional experience. Her expertise spans governance, due diligence, documentation, stakeholder management, and the protection of organisational interests.
She began her legal career with Okey Owhonda & Co. in Port Harcourt and has since held roles across both the private and public sectors, including with Computech and as an Asset Management Partner with AMCON.
Mrs. Ohuoba also contributes valuable relationships with consulates, trade advisers, and institutional stakeholders across Africa, supporting AVAS’s efforts to build international partnerships and expand opportunities for African businesses.
Noella Mulaba | Head, Business Development & Partnerships, Europe
Noella is Head of Business Development & Partnerships (Europe) at AVAS Consulting Limited, where she leads European engagement, partnership development, funding research, and institutional relationship-building.
Based in our Brussels office, she brings extensive experience in international trade, programme coordination, logistics, supply chain management, and stakeholder engagement. Her background provides practical expertise in cross-border operations, import/export documentation, compliance, and international business development.
At AVAS, Noella supports relationships with European partners, funders, trade bodies, institutions, and buyers, helping create stronger connections between African SMEs and European market opportunities.
Her professional experience includes roles with Thermo Fisher Scientific, Cargo-Partner, Europa Worldwide Group, Bleckmann, and New Life International in Antwerp.
Noella holds a qualification in Business Management from Odisee University, Brussels, and is fluent in both English and French.
Gbenga James | Head Sales, West Africa
Gbenga James is Head of Sales, West Africa at AVAS Consulting Limited, where he leads sales, business development and client engagement across the region. With over 10 years of consulting experience and exposure to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, he specialises in market expansion, sales strategy and relationship management.
Gbenga works closely with agribusinesses, food producers, exporters and SMEs, helping them identify growth opportunities and access new markets. He also supports international companies seeking to enter or expand within African markets. Fluent in French, he plays an important role in AVAS’ engagement across Francophone West Africa.
He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Brunel University, United Kingdom.
