Isimeme Ughele, who graduated from the University of Essex in 2012, has been recognised as an emerging leader committed to creating innovative and lasting change in her community.
As founder of GivingSphere Charity Foundation, she is expanding access to healthcare in Nigeria and building long-term health security for vulnerable families.
Reflecting on her selection, Isimeme said: "I am deeply honoured to have been selected for the 2026–2027 Obama Foundation Leaders Africa Program. It marks the beginning of a journey alongside 34 fellow African changemakers, and an entry into a truly global network. I'm thankful to The Obama Foundation for recognising Africans doing work that doesn't always make headlines, but changes lives.
And I'm equally thankful to the University of Essex, whose cosmopolitan environment sharpened my ability to think big, reason critically, and solve complex problems with structure. Those lessons still shape how I lead today."
Led by The Obama Foundation, which was established by Barack and Michelle Obama in 2014, the programme brings together leaders from the public, private and non-profit sectors to develop their leadership skills, deepen their impact and strengthen their ability to tackle complex social challenges.
As part of the programme, Isimeme will take part in virtual learning sessions, peer-to-peer collaboration and personalised coaching designed to support values-based leadership and systems-level change.
Isimeme founded GivingSphere alongside a demanding corporate career, and today serves as Head of Sourcing for West and Southern Africa at Ericsson, overseeing operations across 26 countries. She oversees procurement strategies supporting the deployment of telecommunication network modernisations across Africa.
GivingSphere was inspired by an 18-month-old boy whose family could not afford the 18,000 Nigerian Naira (equivalent to around £10) needed for an urgent blood transfusion following a cancer diagnosis. Determined to help, Isimeme rallied friends and family to raise the funds needed for his treatment.
Reflecting on that moment, Isimeme said: "That small collective act gave him a fighting chance and quietly changed the course of my life, leading me to build GivingSphere, which now supports families across Nigeria facing medical emergencies."
Today, the charity works to break the cycle of poverty and ill health by improving access to healthcare for underserved communities in Nigeria. The organisation has supported more than 1,500 families by developing a hybrid model that covers urgent medical costs while enrolling vulnerable households in health insurance schemes.
Through her participation in The Obama Foundation Leaders Africa programme, Isimeme hopes to further expand the charity's impact and advance her vision of reaching 10,000 patients by 2030, helping to transform emergency healthcare support and long-term health security in Nigeria.
Professor Simon Weidenholzer, Head of the Department of Economics, praised Isimeme's news.
He said: “The Department of Economics is thrilled that Isimeme has been selected for the 26-27 leadership cohort. Education enables many paths in life. Among all these paths, the path of service is among the most inspiring and rewarding.
"We are very proud of Isimeme’s achievements and of her work to provide healthcare access to underserved communities in Nigeria, improving the living conditions of countless families.”
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