2010 Future Awards Nominee for Young Person of the Year in Nigeria, 2014 YNaija list of 10 Most Powerful People In Nigeria’s Arts and Culture (under 40), and 2015 YNaija 100 Most Influential Women in Nigeria, Ojoma Ochai is Director, Arts, West Africa for British Council where she works with public and private sector partners in the UK and West Africa to develop and deliver programmes that build skills, international and local networks and other capacity that promote the growth and collaboration potential of the arts sector and creative economy between the sub region and the UK.

Ojoma is passionate about the advancement of creative and cultural expressions for shaping narratives and enhancing livelihood opportunities for sector practitioners in the global south (particularly Africa). Her activities are directed at inspiring and propagating collaboration among creatives as a way of raising a fertile ecosystem that guarantees growth and prosperity for practitioners.

Her experience and strong motivation distinguishes her as a go-to resource in the industry. She was a member of the UNESCO global expert facility on the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression. She also served as Entertainment Specialist for a World Bank Growth and Employment project in Nigeria from 2014 to 2016, advising on cluster based approaches for film and music sector development in Nigeria.
Ojoma is also a Fellow of the DEVOS Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland, USA and an Associate of the Nigerian Leadership Institute (NLI). Until 2018, she was chairperson of the Lagos Theatre Festival Board, She also served as Chairperson of Open House Lagos Board between 2015 and 2017 and currently sits on the board of Music Museum Foundation of Nigeria, among others.

An erudite speaker, Ojoma is a premium choice on varied subjects – especially creative enterprise and mentoring programmes where she inspires experienced and budding creatives to higher productivity and excellence. A role model for women in business, she inspires women to strive to be the best person for any job and not just the best woman for the job.
Ojoma will be live at #StartupSouth4 to talk about Culture, Arts and Technology.
Register: bit.ly/reg-ss4