Obiageli Ezekwesili
Obiageli "Oby" Ezekwesili is a Nigerian chartered accountant and politician known for her efforts promoting transparent government and improving the economic status of Nigeria. She has held numerous positions within the Nigerian government and international organizations and is a co-founder of Transparency International.
Born in 1963 in Anambra, Nigeria, she holds a Master's degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and a Master of Public Administration degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Oby served as the Federal Minister of Solid Minerals and then as the Federal Minister of Education during the second-term presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo in Nigeria. As the Minister of Solid Minerals, she led reforms that resulted in Nigeria being recognized as a mining destination. As Minister of Education, she led a comprehensive reform program, particularly in the area of public education.
Before her government service in Nigeria, she co-founded Transparency International and served as one of the pioneer directors of the global anti-corruption body based in Berlin, Germany. She also served as Vice President of the World Bank's Africa division from May 2007 to May 2012. Oby is well-known for her role in the BringBackOurGirls campaign which demanded the safe return of the over 200 Chibok girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram terrorist group in 2014.
In 2018 she declared her intention to run for the office of the President of Nigeria in the 2019 general election under the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN). However, in January 2019, she withdrew from the race citing a divergence of values and vision with the party. Oby’s efforts have been widely recognized both locally and internationally, and she has received multiple awards for her work in transparency and anti-corruption.