The Africa Center
The Africa Center announced today that it has elected five new members to its Board of Trustees: Margaret Chinwe Anadu, Siya Madikane, Lupita Nyong’o, Gbenga Oyebode, Richard D. Segal, and Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe.
In making the announcement, Hadeel Ibrahim, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees said: “As global leaders in business, culture, and policy, we warmly welcome our newest Board members and the expertise, insight and excellence that they bring to The Africa Center. We look forward to working together and thank all our Trustees for their deep commitment to realising the Center’s ambitious vision.”
Dr. Uzodinma Iweala, CEO of The Africa Center, said: “We are thrilled to have our newest board members join us as champions of culture, especially at a time when cultural institutions are coming to terms with our critical responsibility in advancing the work to address systemic racism and social justice that communities are demanding across the United States and the world. Their knowledge of the continent of Africa, deep experience with New York City cultural and service institutions, and commitment to presenting transformative narratives of Africa, its people and its Diaspora are crucial to moving our institutional mission forward. I look forward to creative collaboration with them as we expand our institution’s reach and continue to grow our international community.”
Margaret Chinwe Anadu
Margaret Chinwe Anadu is a Partner at Goldman Sachs where she leads the Urban Investment Group (UIG), a domestic, multi-asset class investing and lending business that provides equity and debt to real estate projects and social enterprises to benefit underserved communities.
Established in 2001, UIG has committed nearly $9 billion to community and economic development investments, serving as a catalyst in the revitalization of underserved neighborhoods and cities. Anadu serves on the Goldman Sachs Bank USA Management Committee, Global Real Estate Investment Committee and is chair of the Urban Investment Group Capital Committee. She is also a lead investor for Launch With GS, Goldman Sachs’ $500 million commitment to narrow the investing gap for women and minorities.
Previously, Anadu worked in Equity Derivatives in the Securities Division. She joined Goldman Sachs as an analyst in 2003 and was named managing director in 2013 and partner in 2018.
Anadu serves on the boards of several community and economic development nonprofit organizations, including the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation, Center for an Urban Future, Core Innovation Capital, and the Low Income Investment Fund. Anadu earned a BA in Computer Science from Harvard College in 2003.
Siya Madikane
Siya Madikane is an avid supporter of The Africa Center and African organizations that improve the education and health outcomes for children.
Madikane was born in Soweto, South Africa where he lived until he was adopted by the late Ted Forstmann, founder of Forstmann Little & Company. As a philanthropist, Forstmann started the Children’s Scholarship Fund which Madikane continues to support.
Madikane has worked as a consultant for IMG in New York, London, and India, and currently serves on the board of Character Connections Initiative. He attended Pepperdine University where he graduated with a B.S. in History. He resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Lupita Nyong’o
Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan actress, producer and New York Times Bestselling author. She made her feature debut in Steve McQueen’s Academy Award® winning film “12 Years a Slave.” For her portrayal as Patsey, Nyong’o received the Academy Award® as well as multiple accolades including the Screen Actors Guild Award, the Critics’ Choice Award, the Independent Spirit Award, and the NAACP Award.
Nyong’o played Nakia in Marvel’s Oscar-nominated film, “Black Panther,” which has broken numerous box office records. Ryan Coogler directed the film which co-starred Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, and Danai Gurira. The cast won the SAG Award for Best Ensemble and her performance earned Nyong’o a nomination for an NAACP award. Upcoming, she will star in the female-driven spy thriller “355” which Universal purchased out of Cannes. Additionally, she will co-produce and feature in “Born a Crime,” the biopic based on Trevor Noah’s New York Times best-selling book of the same name.
Nyong’o and Danai Gurira’s upcoming adaptation of the novel “Americanah” has received a straight-to-series order at HBO Max, a limited 10-episode series. Nyongo’s debut children’s book “Sulwe” is a New York Times #1 Best Seller. Nyong’o graduated from the Yale School of Drama’s acting program and she resides in Brooklyn.
Gbenga Oyebode
Gbenga Oyebode is the Chairman of Aluko & Oyebode, (Barristers & Solicitors) one of the largest integrated law firms in Nigeria, with offices in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt. Oyebode was an Associate with White & Case, New York between 1982 and 1983.
Oyebode was educated at the University of Ife (LL. B Honours), and the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (LL.M) graduating in 1979 and 1982, respectively. He is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria (admitted June 1980) and an attorney-at-law of the Supreme Court of New York State (admitted November 1983). He was conferred Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa), by the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti (2016) and Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria (2017). He is the Chancellor of Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria.
Oyebode sits on the Africa Advisory Committee of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), is the Chairman of Teach for Nigeria, Director Teach for All, New York, Member of the Global Advisory Council of the Africa Leadership Academy, Johannesburg, Director Jazz at the Lincoln Centre, New York and Director African Philanthropy Forum. Member Board of Trustees Carnegie Hall, New York. Member, Board of Trustees Ford Foundation, New York.
Oyebode was conferred with one of Nigeria’s highest honours, the Member of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR) in the year 2000. He was also conferred with the Belgian Royal Honour of ‘Knight of the Order of Leopold’ in 2007.
Richard D. Segal
Richard D. Segal is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Seavest Investment Group where he is also CEO of Rethink Capital Partners and Managing Partner of Rethink Education.
He has served on the boards of many public and private companies which include Hudson General Inc., Air Express Int., and Penn Traffic, Schoolnet, Civitas, Wireless Generation and Smarterer.
Currently, Segal sits on the boards of various education technology companies including Advanced Prison Data Systems, Cinematic Health Education, Knowledge 2 Practice, Noodle Companies, Voxy, BEGiN-Homer Learning and Vivvi.
Segal is deeply committed to creating better communities through his philanthropic engagements, which are primarily focused on health, education, and providing opportunities for low income children and the arts. He is a Trustee of the Whitney Museum of Art in New York City, where he serves as Treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee. He also sits on the Board of New York Academy of Art, serving as Treasurer. Additionally, Mr. Segal serves on the Board of Trustees of New York Presbyterian Hospital and he is a board member of the Africa Center in New York. Mr Segal is the President of the A. L. Mailman Family Foundation.
Segal received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Wesleyan University
Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe
Herbert Onyewumbu Wigwe is the Group Managing Director & CEO of Access Bank Plc, one of the foremost banks in Nigeria and Sub-Sahara Africa, ranked among the top 500 global banks currently serving over 44 million individual and corporate account holders through over 600 branches and more than 3,000 ATMs in major centers across Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa and the United Kingdom.
Wigwe, Access Bank, and UNICEF have a collaboration in place to offer support to vulnerable children, orphans, and internationally displaced persons in the northern part of Nigeria. To raise awareness for this purpose, the bank organizes the annual high-profile Access Bank/UNICEF Charity Shield Polo tournament.
In 2017, Wigwe was named co-chair of Nigerian Business Coalition against AIDS, a private sector initiative to help eradicate HIV/AIDS and support people living with the condition. He sponsors the ‘Thought-Leadership Series’ known as The Access Conference and supports public policy formation and anti-corruption efforts.
Prior to Access, Wigwe worked for Coopers & Lybrand, Capital Bank, and GTBank. He attended Federal Government College, University of Nigeria Nsukka, North Wales University (now Bangor), University of London, and Harvard Business School Executive Management Program.
Wigwe is also the Chairman of Access Bank (UK) Limited, and a Director of the Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company Plc (NMRC).
He is married to Chizoba Wigwe (née Nwuba) and has 4 children: Chizi, Tochi, Hannah, and David.
