News

Chinua Achebe Named GEANCO's Honorary Chairman

The GEANCO Foundation is proud to announce that Chinua Achebe, Africa’s most respected and well-know writer, will serve as its honorary Chairman. Chinua Achebe, generally regarded as one of the most important living African writers, is also considered one of the most original literary artists writing in the English language. His masterpiece, Things Fall Apart (1958), has sold eight million copies worldwide and has been translated into forty-five languages. In 2008, Oprah Winfrey named the book one of the five that she feels everyone must read at least once in their life.

Though Professor Achebe has declined hundreds of requests to join other charities, the superlative team and plan that GEANCO has in place convinced the esteemed world figure to give his full support to this mission.

GEANCO Director Emmanuel Egbogah Named Special Adviser to President of Nigeria; Will Endow Burn Unit of Augustine Memorial

President Umaru Yar'Adua's has appointed Foundation board member Dr. Emmanuel Egbogah as his Special Adviser for Petroleum Affairs. Dr. Egbogah is a renowned petroleum engineer with more than 35 years of diversified geological and petroleum engineering experience in Canada, the United States, the North Sea, the Middle East, the Asia Pacific region, and Africa. He has served as Technical Adviser and Technology Custodian for Petronas, the national oil corporation of Malaysia, and as Enhanced Oil Recovery Adviser for Libya's National Oil Corporation. In his role as Special Adviser, Dr. Egobgah will guide the comprehensive reformation and modernization of Nigeria's petroleum industry. Nigeria is the world's eighth largest oil exporter, and Africa's largest.

Dr. Egobah will also fully finance the Burn Unit of Augustine Memorial Hospital. His experience watching burned oil workers die en route to hospitals in South Africa or Europe has convinced him of the need to provide specialized care for these victims in Nigeria.

Nigerian Businesswoman To Endow Cardiac Center of Augustine Memorial

Mrs. Stella M. Okoli, Founder and CEO of Emzor Pharmaceuticals (the largest indigenous pharmaceutical company in Nigeria) will fully endow the cardiac center of Augustine Memorial Hospital. The center will be named in memory of Mrs. Okoli's late son, Chike M. Okoli, and will eventually stand as the premier cardiac care facility in West Africa. Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa, after HIV/AIDS, and the leading cause of death for people over 30.

Mrs. Okoli served as a co-chair of the Foundation's November 25, 2006 benefit event in Lagos, Nigeria. In an innovative bit of fundraising, her team of Nigerian executives and professionals was pitted against another team led by the president of Diamond Bank Nigeria, Pascal Dozie. The two teams competed in two "halves" of fundraising. Please click here to read the speech Mrs. Okoli gave to open the friendly but fiercely contested fundraising competition.

Afam Onyema Named an Emerging National Leader

GEANCO COO Afam Onyema was named to the New Leader Council’s “40 Under 40” national list of Emerging Leaders for 2009. The New Leaders Council is an organization that seeks out and trains the top tier of emerging young leaders and "political entrepreneurs." The '09 list includes a US congressman, the state treasurer of Illinois, and a US assistant defense secretary.

GEANCO Directors named to "40 Under 40" Lists of Young Leaders

GEANCO Treasurer Michael Green was named to the Cincinnati Business Courier's 2009 Forty Under 40 class. GEANCO Director Jason Bernd has been recognized as one of Charlotte's talented up-and-comers under the age of 40 by the Charlotte Business Journal. We congratulate Michael and Jason for being named to these groups of impressive local professionals and young leaders who are making a significant impact in their local and international communities!