Behind every programme, observance and workshop at The Africa-Irish Development Initiative stands a small, dedicated team of leaders. Today we are delighted to introduce the people who carry the bridge between Africa and Ireland.
At the helm is our Founder, Zephrynus Okechi Ikeh — Executive Secretary and Programme Development Director. Zephrynus initiated and established Black History Month Ireland in Cork between 2008 and 2010, a movement officially launched in 2014 by the European Commission Representation Office in Dublin and the African Diplomatic Corps in Ireland, making Ireland the fourth country in the world to officially celebrate Black History Month.
Guiding the board’s stewardship of our mission and partnerships is our Chairperson, Immaculata Ndey, whose leadership keeps the organisation grounded in its values and accountable to the community it serves.
Our Youth & Communication Coordinator, Gideon Diego, is a writer, youth worker, public intellectual and community worker. Holding Master’s degrees in Theology and Sociology, with wide experience in youth work, Gideon is an avid non-fiction writer on issues facing the African continent — spanning art, film, politics, religion and music — and leads our young people through the UnityStream Erasmus+ programme.
As Research and Policy Director, Onyewuchi Obirieze brings the rigour of a writer, researcher and policy consultant to our advocacy. He is the author of Indigenous Spirituality: Discernment from Christian Missionary Activities in Nigeria, and shapes the research and policy thinking behind our programmes.
And leading Advocacy & Community Engagement is Abiodun Ulamen — a social practitioner and human-rights campaigner advocating for social justice, gender equality, gender-based violence prevention, and children’s rights and protection. Abiodun is a passionate voice for the voiceless, creating awareness in the community through inclusion, integration and participation.
Together, they steward AIDI’s vision of a thriving Africa-Irish community. Come and meet them at our next event — or reach out through the contact page; every one of them will be glad to hear from you.
“None of us builds this bridge alone — it is carried by every hand that joins us.”
The AIDI Leadership Team
