Executive Director

Sarah Kuponiyi

Sarah Kuponiyi was born and raised in Nigeria. She received a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife in 2017.

As a Founder and Executive Director of A Well-Informed Adolescent (AWA) Initiative, Sarah leads the team in creating and managing Safe Spaces that ensure young people can achieve their potential by enabling them
access to essential sexual reproductive and mental health education and services, quality formal and technical education and opportunities to create livelihood like skills acquisition and empowerment without being exposed to discrimination, harassment, emotional or physical harm.

She also leads an innovative school-based intervention on adolescents’ sexual reproductive health programs.

As a Beijing Eaglet (younger women advocate) for UN Women Nigeria and National Gender Youth Activist for UN Women HQ, she uses her skills to advocate for upholding of human rights for sexual and reproductive health as the key to ensuring that women and girls can be equal and
free to make decisions in all spheres of their lives, without discrimination, without violence or
coercion, and with the assurance of their dignity upheld.

She is also a 2019 nominee for 120 under 40 New Generation of Family Planning Leaders, recipient of Sustainable Solutions Africa 30 under 30 2019 and Cohort 15 participant for Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) RLC Emerging Leaders Program in West Africa.

A woman/girl has the explicit right to control all aspects of her health, in particular her own fertility.
Recognizing this right is also recognizing human rights.

Sarah Kuponiyi

Board Chairman

James Odey

Mr James Odey is an astute Development Professional and socially adroit with over 13 years’ experience in the Development sector across West Africa.

James was the Project Director of African Research Association, a Non-Government Organisation in Nigeria and later appointed a member of the Board of Directors as the Project Advisor. Currently, James is a Program Manager, with Cuso International, a Canadian NGO. He is served in the past as the coordinator of a climate change Network in the South-South region of Nigeria, served as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Calabar, Nigeria and have rendered consultancy services in Nigeria and other West African countries.

James holds a BSc in Geography and Environmental Science and an MSc in Geography of Forest Ecology from the University of Calabar, Nigeria. He also obtained a certificate in Livelihoods and Markets from the Coady Institute, St. Francis Xavier University, Nova Scotia, Canada, a certificate in Training Needs Assessment and Program Design, Project Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Feasibility Study and Proposal writing from the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Illorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.

James is currently researching for his PhD at the University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria.

Board Secretary

Ikechukwu Nlemadim

Ikechukwu Nlemadim draws from his life experience when interacting with young people. Growing up wasn’t all rosy and easy nonetheless he was determined to change his narratives he had to learn his own path and get support from strangers.  A 2006 one day Lagos State Governor, a position that comes with winning the overall Annual State Spelling Bee competition. He holds a Bachelor Degree Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos Akoka worked as Graduate Technical Sales Engineer with Richardson Oil and Gas later joined PZ Cussons Ltd. As a Category and Innovations manager, currently working with Diageo Nigeria as a Regional manager. Ikechukwu is a youth speaker and life coach. In his spare time, he loves to volunteer for youth development programs. He is married to Itunu and has a son, Tiwalade.

Board Member

Emilia Eyo Okon

Emilia Eyo Okon is an experienced Development Practitioner with interest in Gender, Youth Participation, Entrepreneurship, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Life and Employability Skills. She has over 10 years’ experience in program design/implementation, policy strategy/development, international and national volunteer mobilization, training and management where she has trained and mentored over 500 young girls in Cross River State. She has a flair for the media where she has served as both radio and television presenters with the Cross River Broadcasting Corporation (CRBC); she also has a strong social media engagement platform which she uses for gender advocacy engagements. She is an excellent participatory facilitator on Gender, Reproductive and Sexual Health; she recently became a fellow of the prestigious Coady International Institute, Canada.

She has led the Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI) alumnae association for several years, a member of

the youth/women-focused global organizations like CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen participation, Women Thrive and Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights, published articles on gender and reproductive health, led the commemoration of several women-related events: International Women’s Day, 16 Days of Activism and The Day of the Girls Child, is a member of the UNFPA Nigeria young people program panel and named one of the 50 young persons to look out for in Cross River State.

She owns a degree in Computer Science with an Associate degree in Community and Public Health in view. Presently she leads the Gender &HIV Prevention component of Health Initiatives for Safety and Stability in Africa – HIFASS and the founder of a Maternal Health Project called “Bump2Birth&Beyond”.

Board Member

Blessing Kuponiyi

Blessing Kuponiyi is a passionate young person who loves music, she believes young people should be part of designing solutions to the problems they face because it is their lived experience and they are in the best position to know how to solve it with needed guidance.

Being a music enthusiast she teaches children music in schools and play in an orchestral band, Her Music skills enabled her to perform at the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Lagos Network opening ceremony for “Transparency and Good Governance Campaign” in commemoration of the 2017 International Anti-Corruption Day held at US Consulate Lagos with United States Ambassador W. Stuart Symington in attendance.

 At her leisure she loves to swim, watch movies and volunteer for humanitarian causes.

Staff & Volunteers

Staff & Volunteers