The Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has commended the nomination of Chinenye Ogwumike and Osagie Imasogie, two eminent Nigerian-Americans, to serve on the prestigious Advisory Council on Africa Diaspora Engagement, appointed by U.S. President Joe Biden.
Head of Media and Public Relations at NIDCOM, Abdul-Rahman Balogun, said Dabiri-Erewa expressed her strong support for the selection of these two outstanding individuals to be part of the 12-member advisory council, characterizing it as a momentous and commendable decision.
Dabiri-Erewa emphasized that the nomination of Ogwumike and Imasogie is a source of inspiration and pride not only for Nigerians but for Africans in general.
Chinenye Ogwumike, a prominent figure in both sports and media, boasts a remarkable career as a two-time WNBA All-Star, representing the Los Angeles Sparks. Her unique distinction lies in her dual roles as a full-time, multi-platform ESPN commentator and NBA analyst, making her one of the very few professional athletes actively engaged in national sports media broadcasting.
She achieved recognition as the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2014 and secured two WNBA All-Star selections in 2014 and 2018. Chinenye Ogwumike, a proud Nigerian-American, holds a degree in International Relations from Stanford University, where she had the privilege of being mentored by Dr. Condoleezza Rice.
She became the first Black woman to host a national daily sports-talk radio show in August 2020. Additionally, she holds the esteemed title of Executive Producer, responsible for producing an ESPN Films documentary titled “144,” a captivating exploration of the 2020 WNBA season. In 2021, she was honored as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30.
Osagie Imasogie, a distinguished professional, currently serves as the Chairman of the Investment Bank and SEC/FINRA registered Broker-Dealer, Quoin Capital, and Quoin Advisors. He is also a co-founder of PIPV Capital, a private equity firm with a primary focus on the life sciences sector, having invested over $1 billion in the industry.
Imasogie played a pivotal role in establishing GlaxoSmithKline Ventures and served as its founding Vice President. His career encompasses senior roles in both commercial and R&D within pharmaceutical giants such as GSK, SmithKline Beecham, and DuPont Merck.
He previously held the position of Price Waterhouse Corporate Finance Partner and practiced law as an attorney at the esteemed U.S. law firm Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis. Imasogie’s entrepreneurial ventures extend to his involvement on the boards of notable financial institutions, including FS-KKR Capital Corp and Haverford Trust, collectively managing assets exceeding $28 billion. He is an advisor to Brown Advisory, a firm overseeing in excess of $140 billion. Imasogie’s dedication to philanthropy is evident through his roles as Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a member of the Executive Committee, as well as Chair of the Nominating & Governance Committee of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center. Additionally, he serves as a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania and holds the position of Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Imasogie holds LLM degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and is a member of the New York State Bar, in addition to being admitted to practice in various jurisdictions.
