Meet the Board is a series that introduces the people who help steward Africa Matters Initiative’s mission and long-term vision.

Through these reflections, we’re sharing the values, experiences, and perspectives that guide our governance and leadership — offering a window into the thinking that shapes AMI’s work today and the direction we’re moving toward.

In this first reflection, we’re pleased to share insights from Oyetola Oduyemi, Board Chair of Africa Matters Initiative. Her perspective reflects a deep commitment to purpose-driven leadership and long-term stewardship at the heart of AMI’s governance and long-term vision.

Leadership, Purpose, and Long-Term Vision

I have built a career over the past 20 years focused on sustainable development, social responsibility, and purposeful business. Becoming a mother to twins, now teenagers, ignited a deeper passion to help build an Africa where they, and future generations, can truly thrive, one that is meaningfully better than the version I inherited.

The journey of actualising this vision has delivered tangible impact, with lives changed through Shared Commitment and Purposeful Collaboration. These results have galvanised me to look further ahead — toward building an Africa where both present and future generations are set up for sustained success.

My introduction to AMI and its vision was compelling. The organisation is audaciously investing in youth leadership across Africa, translating belief into tangible, community-rooted results. Being part of a movement that has grown from my hopes for my sons to the aspirations of African youth more broadly — our North Star — is profoundly meaningful. It also shifted my thinking from building my dream Africa for them to actively co-creating the world that young people themselves envision.

As Board Chair, I am excited about AMI’s next chapter and working alongside the team to expand the reach of flagship initiatives such as the Africa Matters Ambassadors Program (AMAP) through strategic, values-aligned partnerships, so we can continue powering the kind of change that endures.

In Her Own Words

I draw inspiration from one of the most insightful books ever written on leadership, which teaches us that "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Bold vision when shared collaboratively, sustains movements; and so I encourage young African changemakers to dream big and unite purposefully - your vision is Africa's lifeline.