Adesuwa Ifedi
Mrs. Adesuwa Ifedi is the country director of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Nigeria. For the last three years, Mrs. Ifedi has promoted SIFE’s presence in Nigeria while securing public and private sector support for the program. With over 2,000 participating students from 38 institutions, SIFE is the largest campus-based entrepreneurship program in Nigeria.
Mrs. Ifedi began her career in 1996 as a banker with a leading commercial bank in Nigeria, but in 2002, opted to pursue entrepreneurship development in the non-profit sector. In 2002, she worked with FATE Foundation to run its incubation program and advance its business support service desk.
With a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree from Lagos Business School, Mrs. Ifedi has pioneered SIFE’s methodology and produced outstanding results. In 2008, she received the Rare Gem Award for youth development in Nigeria, and in 2009 SIFE Nigeria received the National Productivity Award from the Federal Government of Nigeria.
During her Humphrey year, Mrs. Ifedi plans to expand her knowledge of entrepreneurship development, job creation, and business incubator models. She hopes to provide support to start-ups and small businesses in the suburban and rural areas of Nigeria where poverty is most prevalent.