VDI Board of Trustees
Nkechi Cheery Bianze
VDI BOT Chairman
Nkechi Cheery Bianze- Born in 1987, Bianze is a staunch feminist and women rights advocate of repute across Nigeria and beyond. From Delta State Nigeria, she is happily married and currently based in Canada from where she frequents Nigeria on business. Bianze is the board chairman of Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI).
Barr Daniel Chike Uwaezuoke
VDI BOT Vice-Chairman
Barr Daniel Chike Uwaezuoke- Born on 26th June, 1956 at Lagos, Barr Daniel Chike Uwaezuoke attended Jinadu Anglican Primary School, Awolowo Rd., SW Ikoyi between 1962 and 1967. He attended Ngwa High School, Aba between 1970 and 1974. He obtained a B.Sc (Hons) degree in Chemistry from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in June, 1979. After the compulsory National Youth Service Corp programme, he took up appointment with the Federal Civil Service Commission in August 1980 and was deployed to Federal Ministry of Education. He taught in three Federal Unity Colleges between 1980 and 1990 before his posting to the Federal Inspectorate Services where he served in two State Offices and headed Awka office between 2009 and 2012. He rose to the position of Director of Education in 2009 and was posted to Federal Ministry of Education HQ in 2012 as Director Basic & Secondary Education. In course of his civil service career, Barr. Daniel Chike Uwaezuoke obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Calabar in 1989 and Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Benin, Benin City in 1999. He attended the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja in 2001/2002 and was called to Bar in May, 2002. As Director in charge of Department of Basic & Secondary Education, one of his schedules of duty was to oversee the Special Needs Branch which provided policy direction for the education of persons with special needs, including persons with (dis)ability. While in charge of the Department, he showed keen interest in seeing that persons with (dis)abilities were not unduly marginalised. He has travelled to over 12 countries attending professional workshops and seminars. He retired from the Federal Civil Service on August 13, 2015 and has since commenced Law practice at Asaba, Delta State. He is happily married with three children
Barr. Edeh Catherine Chinyere
VDI Founder & CEO,
VDI BOt SECRETARY
Barr. Edeh Catherine Chinyere is the CEO of Voice of Disability Initiative (VDI), an organisation that advocates for disability inclusion and promotes sexual and reproductive health rights. Edeh is an alumna of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota USA. She hails from Enugu State, Nigeria. With vast experience in advocacy and activism, Catherine is a home-bred post-lingual Deaf lawyer who bagged her NCE, LL.B Hons and B.L in Nigeria. Edeh has addressed many leaders from various parts of the globe on disability inclusion and gender equality. She coaches, mentors and counsels young people and women with disabilities. She is also a Mandela Washington Fellow (MWF), Public Manager and Young African Leader and has served the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) as Expert on Disaster Risk Reduction. Her very existence lends credence to the concept of ‘ability in disability. She is passionate and dedicated to ensuring children, women and youth with disabilities are enabled to be the best they can be. Kate (Keight) as she is called is one strong lady who has surmounted countless untold obstacles and believes persons with disabilities have so much to offer in changing the world that she shares in Archimedes's very thought and message "give us a lever and a place to stand and we will move the earth. Give us a fulcrum, and we shall move the world". She is the board secretary.
MAZI CHIJIOKE JOSIAH NWAFOR:
VDI Board Member
MAZI CHIJIOKE JOSIAH NWAFOR: Born on 21st October 1963. Hail from Aniche Obinetiti Arondiziogu Ideato North LGA Imo State. A Chartered Insurer from Chartered Insurance Institute of London 1992. MBA from Imo State University 2000. Worked with NICON Insurance for 29yrs and retired in 2009 as the COO Branch Network. Currently an Insurance Consultant with Crystal and Diamond Insurance Brokers Ltd. Abuja. Mr Chijioke love promoting inclusive society and fighting for the rights of the under-represented. He is married and blessed with four boys, one of the boys is deaf and currently at Oklahoma State University USA where he is studying Electrical Engineering.
Mrs. Mariam George
VDI Board Member
Born on the 12th September, 1984. Holds B.Sc in Accounting and Masters in Financial management. Started her career as Finance and Admin Officer for organization of persons with disabilities in Nigeria. She has also managed projects for other vulnerable groups including the Albinos, women and children. She as well served as finance associate at United Nations volunteers and currently an Accountant at a construction firm aimed at providing electricity to rural areas in Nigeria through the Federal ministry of power. She volunteers at Deaf Resource Centre where she reaches out to the deaf. However, her professional interest are in budgeting, reporting, planning, organizing and mobilizing for social development. Miriam is happily married with kids
Obieze Geraldine Nkem
VDI Board Member
Obieze Geraldine Nkem hails from Enugu state. Currently residing in Lagos Nigeria, she majors in Pharmaceutical Science and Education Management. A staunch women rights advocate and lover of people with disabilities especially women and girls with disabilities, she has used and still using the various positions she occupy in churches and social circles to project greater inclusion. Obieze Nkem is the CEO and proprietress of Divine Love International School Lagos. She is board member and treasurer of VDI.