BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Aderinsola Adio-Adepoju
Chairman of the board
Aderinsola Adio-Adepoju (PhD) is a multipotentialite, excelling as an educator, coach, academic, entrepreneur, and SDGs & global opportunities expert. With a strong dedication to youth and women empowerment through skills acquisition, she champions the realization of the SDGs.
Having served as an UNLEASH Ambassador in both 2021 and 2022, as well as the UPG sustainability leader of 2021, Dr. Aderinsola Adio-Adepoju’s remarkable journey includes securing over 35 global opportunities such as grants, awards, business labs, innovation labs, and fellowships that have taken her across 5 continents. Her impact extends to training over 40,000 youths across Africa, equipping them with knowledge on SDGs and the path to global opportunities through her programs.
At the helm of the Global Mentorship Conference, an annual event uniting youths, women, and professionals across Africa, Aderinsola orchestrated the inaugural edition that reached over 800,000 people. The event saw participation from 40+ African countries, with 14,000+ registered attendees and 35 speakers hailing from 25+ nations. Her academic pursuits shine through as she previously taught chemistry at a university from 2019 to 2022, and her contributions extend to several publications in international journals.
Renowned for her impactful speaking engagements and mentorship, Dr. Adio-Adepoju inspires and empowers her audience to achieve clarity, direction, and tangible results. She’s a dedicated social entrepreneur holding a mini MBA from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and boasts over 13 years of experience in entrepreneurship, management, and teaching.
As the founder of I-Train Africa, an Edtech social enterprise, her vision revolves around cultivating a generation of African youths armed with the knowledge, skills, and direction to shape a promising future. Notably, she led the “My Body My Planet” global climate action project at the Natural History Museum of London in 2022, followed by a substantial role as a global program coordinator for the “Global We” project at Museum for the United Nations (UN Live), spanning across 23+ locations.
Adding to her accomplishments, Mrs. Aderinsola Adio-Adepoju enjoys a happy marriage and is blessed with children.
Mahruf Adepoju
Secretary of the board
Mahruf Adepoju is a General Counsel with twelve years of corporate legal experience and two years of private legal practice. Barr. Adepoju takes pride in ensuring that advice and guidance offered to and/or for his organization are of the highest standard. His years of work experience in both private practice and corporate environment has led to his continual growth in this field and has earned him a status of the go-to trainer for subordinates who join his team. This has also contributed to him be the go-to counsel for management and stakeholders.
Aside being a good lawyer, Mr Adeniyi Adepoju is interested in participating and contributing to causes that are focused on sustainable developments and hope to have impact at local and global levels in designing policies that are engineered to achieve the United Nations SDGs.
Marhruf Adepoju is happily married and blessed with children.
Ivie Osobase
Advisory, board of trustee
Ivie Folashade Osobase is a dynamic multipotentialite with over 14 years of Marketing and communications experience across Sub-Saharan Africa and the APAC region, including Australia. Recently transitioning into Agile Coaching, Ivie sits at the intersection of creativity, adaptability, and technical prowess. Her superpowers—rapid learning, multitasking, and adaptability—make her an invaluable asset to ITrain Africa. Her specialty is synthesizing ideas to create innovative solutions for complex challenges.
Ivie has worn many hats throughout her career, from leading multi-country marketing & communications campaigns to coaching Agile teams. She thrives in diverse cultural environments and has the unique ability to bridge the gap between traditional and digital landscapes.
In an electrifying 14-year journey that criss-crosses Sub-Saharan Africa and the APAC regions—zeroing in on Australia—Ivie has turned Marketing and Communications into an art form. Guided by the ethos of “thinking like there is no box,” Ivie has architected multi-country campaigns that haven’t just amplified brand awareness, but have also crafted cultural bridges between communities as diverse as the landscapes they inhabit. From soaring brand visibility by a staggering 40% in East Africa to deploying data-driven CRM systems that transformed donor retention in Southern Africa, Ivie’s unparalleled blend of boundary-less creativity and analytical prowess has redefined what’s possible in the industry.
This innovative spirit didn’t stop at marketing; Ivie seamlessly transitioned into Agile Coaching, bringing her unique abilities of rapid learning, adaptability, and multitasking. Based in Australia, Ivie has facilitated Agile transformations for multinational companies, achieving efficiency gains of up to 37% and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Her unique blend of skills has broken down silos between digital and traditional marketing and cross-functional Agile teams, establishing Ivie as a transformative force in both sectors.
Andrews Akoto-Addo
Advisory, board of trustee
Andrews is a social entrepreneurship and enterprise development practitioner with experience designing, communicating and managing social impact programs and supporting social entrepreneurs to scale.
Andrews is a Program and Communication Officer at Reach for Change Ghana – an international non-profit Reach for Change Ghana – an international non-profit organisation empowering social entrepreneurs on their journey toward sustainable social impact.
Further, he is a UNLEASH Ambassador, where he leads SDG actions, drives regional social impact initiatives and contributes to decision-making for the progress of UNLEASH and the strengthening of its programs. In addition, as a Host of the African Entrepreneurship Forum, he has engaged and worked with several players across the African startup, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem to ensure the development of the ecosystem.
Andrews has a growing reputation for highly effective social impact program planning, execution and demonstrating leadership in challenging situations. Further, he has managed partnerships and collaborated with entrepreneurship ecosystem players mobilizing over USD 3 million to scale high-growth startups and social enterprises.
Andy, as he is affectionately called, is passionate about young people, entrepreneurship development and social innovation. He has dedicated his professional life to supporting similar work and is always willing to volunteer in similar sectors worldwide.
Amara Okoli Tasie
Advisory, board of trustee
Amara Okoli Tasie is a manufacturer and business consultant with over a decade of experience in business management and growth. She is the Founder & CEO of Mara Cruiz Limited and The Manufacturers Hub.
Mara Cruiz Limited is a manufacturing company that produces hair products for Africans with a global outreach and wide distribution channel. Mara Cruiz currently serves thousands of users and over 150 distributors.
The Manufacturers Hub is a training institute for Manufacturers. As the lead consultant and facilitator, she leverages her knowledge and experience in the manufacturing industry to guide African Manufacturers in their journey to building a Sustainable and profitable Business.
She has in-depth experience in digital marketing, sales, distribution, product development, data analytics, business structure, inventory management, product pricing and business growth.
She has been featured in TVC’s Your View Show, Plus TV’s WAYS Show, Inspiration FM, Nigerian Tribune, Naija FM & other mediums where she shared her business growth story.
She is a Graduate of the Entrepreneurial Management Program by Enterprise Development Center (EDC), OXFAM-EDC SME Impact Program, Enterprise & Leadership Mini MBA Program by China Europe International Business School(CEIBS) & Leading Ladies Africa, She works here (An All women Accelerator Program) by SMENG and multiple other business programs.
Latifah Aitse Lawal
Advisory, board of trustee
Latifah Aitse Lawal is a seasoned professional with a career spanning over 14 years, characterized by diverse experience across banking, operations, customer service, project management, marketing, and agribusiness.
Throughout her career, Latifah has consistently demonstrated a commitment to creating sustainable and integrated business models and frameworks, fostering profitability, and ensuring viability across various sectors.
Latifah has consistently demonstrated her ability to bridge the gap between ideas and real-world solutions. Her notable achievements include the development of a product paper that secured a substantial $1.52 million credit line for Small Holder Livestock farmers, aligning with SDG2 and reflecting her commitment to global sustainability goals.
She is also a trusted advisor to agribusinesses, providing invaluable insights and guidance for success.
One of her proudest accomplishments was the management of an Integrated Livestock Project aimed at addressing the recurrent farmer-herder crises in Nigeria’s North-Eastern region. In just six months, Latifah increased the project’s operational efficiency by an impressive 90% and boosted revenue by over 80% through innovative output development and marketing strategies.
Beyond her technical skills, Latifah is recognized for her meticulous planning abilities, characterized by a keen eye for detail and structure. Her expertise spans project management, project design and structuring, agricultural value chain analysis and development, prospecting, and stakeholder management.
Outside of her professional commitments, Latifah serves as a Trustee on the board of CASAF, an NGO dedicated to supporting orphans, displaced children, underprivileged children, and women in Nigeria. She is deeply passionate about sharing her knowledge and expertise, especially in the realm of livestock business structuring, and actively volunteers to teach women in this field.
board of directors
abel Joy oluwakanyinsola
director, Research and development
Ganiat arogundade
director, Project and programs
Ganiat Arogundade is a dyslexia specialist and teen counselor with experience in reading programs for dyslexic children using assistive technology, behavioral therapy, curriculum development, teen counseling, preschool education, and Edtech. She is a member of International Dyslexia Association and the Director of Learning at Precious Sprog Prep School, an inclusion school in Lagos, Nigeria, where dyslexic kids are trained on how to read, spell, and digital literacy. In 2022, Ganiat helped children with dyslexia and behavioral challenges, resulting in a 10% increase in revenue for her organization.
Arogundade as she is usually called, is passionate about helping children with learning disabilities and assisting teenagers to overcome their behavioral challenges. She guides them to discover their potential and use their strengths to make informed decisions. She has dedicated her professional life to supporting pre-teens and teens and is willing to work in the learning and development of children with learning disabilities and behavioral challenges, ranging from indecision, defiance (ODD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), behavioral addiction, academic problems, etc. You can connect with her at ganiatarogundade@gmail.com.
muinat rasaq
director, communications
Muinat Rasaq, is the Communication Officer for the I-Train Africa. She plays a pivotal role in enhancing the brand presence and growth of the Edtech organization. Muinat excels in the art of strategic communication and marketing. She possesses a unique talent for crafting and refining engaging communications and marketing content, spanning diverse channels such as social media and newsletters. By cultivating unwavering trust within the target audience, she skillfully transforms paying customers into enthusiastic advocates, contributing to the narrative of success. As the primary point of contact, Muinat adeptly manages various interactions, overseeing social media engagement, communicating with clients, and shaping the organization’s weekly newsletter. With an unwavering commitment to impactful growth and self-improvement, she thrives in the organization, embracing each day as an opportunity to evolve. Beyond her professional pursuits, she loves spending quality time with family and friends. This cherished trait underscores her dedication to forging meaningful connections and fostering a harmonious work-life balance.
Aisha Raji
director, member and certification
Aisha Raji is a seasoned Administrative Officer with over two years of dedicated experience in inventory management and meticulous bookkeeping. Her expertise in maintaining order and efficiency is invaluable to the daily operations of I-Train Africa. Aisha’s professional dedication extends beyond her role, as she enjoys socializing with like-minded individuals, fostering meaningful connections, and believes in the importance of quality time spent with family. She embodies the values of I-Train Africa and contributes to its vibrant and efficient work environment.
Sandra Sampor
director, media and marketing
Sandra is a results-driven marketing and media professional with a track record of creating and executing successful marketing campaigns that drive brand awareness, engagement, and revenue growth. She has a keen eye for trends and a deep understanding of the evolving digital world, she also combines creativity with data-driven insights to deliver impactful marketing strategies. She possesses exceptional communication skills, making her an asset in the world of marketing and media.
