Ojoma Ochai

Experience

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  Map Infotel Nigeria

  Mar 2004 - Oct 2004

  Sales Representative
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  Computers 4 Kids

  Mar 2005 - Aug 2006

  Abuja Coordinator

   Setting up country operations for C4K including devising a staffing strategy and implementing same to meet business needs  Designing and implementing design and deployment strategy for C4K School software in North East, North West and North Central Regions of Nigeria.  Designing and implement training strategy of trainers using C4K modules  Key account management of C4K corporate clients Budget management of up to £180,000 per annum

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  British Council

  Sept 2006 - Jan 2010

  .Development and implementation of strategy for Diversity in BC and ensuring that the strategy is fit for purpose, meets the needs of staff and is consistent with corporate requirements.• To agree the evaluation strategy for BC Nigeria in line with corporate requirements and to undertake research and analysis into activity that improves performance and product development.• To provide mentoring and coaching team and others as needed..• Implementation and monitoring of performance management standards for teams and individuals and securing an adaptive and inclusive working culture. Show less  Managing a portfolio of country, regional and global products as defined in the Regional and Country delivery plans in sectors of the British Council programme.• Ensuring effective monitoring and evaluation of all products required by corporate standards.• Working across teams and with outreach staff to ensure maximum impact for activity• Developing new approaches to engagements using web and other broadcast channels• Financial Management of budgets up to £500,000 per annum • Delivering communication services for all products and services including media coverage, effective public relations and the production and distribution of communication products arising from BC activity • Ensuring effective target audience management of all contacts through the construction and maintenance of a contacts management database• Securing comparable on line impact for products using all delivery channels available• Development of effective partnership and income streams Show less

  • Director, Diversity, Performance and Evaluation Nigeria

    Nov 2009 - Jan 2010

  • Connected Africa Arts Project Manager, Nigeria

    Nov 2007 - Nov 2009

  • Arts & Administrative Assistant, Lagos

    Sept 2006 - Nov 2007
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  British Council

  May 2010 - Oct 2021

  I managed a multi-million-pound portfolio that includes Sub Saharan Africa Arts, Digital and Creative Economy, and Africa wide Narratives Programmes. I represented the British Council and the region externally to the sector, stakeholders and the media in Africa, the UK and beyond. I led cross-functional teams across Africa and the United Kingdom. I served as a member of Global Anti-Racism Task Force; a group of senior leaders designing and leading implementation of a global Anti-Racism Action Plan. I was climate lead for Sub Saharan Africa, leading our Climate Change campaigns and programmes within our Global Strategy in the lead up to COP 26 in 2021 and beyond. - Within three months of the role, led design of new, consolidated Monitoring and Evaluation strategy to better demonstrate programme outcomes as well as to aggregate regional programme outputs for enhanced reporting and evidence of ROI. - I successfully led a large-scale strategy refresh and a digital transformation to pivot our enterprise development programmes to digital delivery through partnership with technology partner (Microsoft), commissioning of suite of Creative Economy e-learning content across all of Africa and designing a roll out plan. Show less Oversaw the Nigeria Education and Society, West Africa Arts, Creative and Digital Economies and Africa-wide New Narratives portfolio (over 6M GBP annual turnover), linking with HMG Africa Overseas Development, Prosperity and Cultural Relations objectives, ensuring and measuring effectiveness, efficiency and Value for Money. Designed and implemented effective governance, stakeholder management (civil society, government and private sector) and people strategies to deliver economic, social and other benefits to the participants in line with corporate aims. Commissioned and promoted research and insight into focus areas to establish evidence base for programme approaches in Narratives, Education, Society, Creative and Digital Industries.- Achieved shifts in funding scale and profile (raising about five million Great British Pounds in multi year funding), Reporting (Developing new frameworks and approaches for monitoring, evaluation and reporting), Resourcing (Developed a flexible resourcing model for more effective sourcing and retention to manage activity peaks and throughs). Led on design of new large-scale and strategic initiatives including new framework for Creative Economy programme for West Africa and wider SSA, British Council Nigeria 75th anniversary year long celebration and design and inception of New Africa wide programme to amplify unheard Africa narratives. Show less Strategic, Operational and Artistic Leadership of the British Council West Africa Arts Programme. Was responsible for designing the strategy for British Council arts and the creative and digital economy programmes in West Africa; including spotting new opportunities and developing artistic vision and operational plans for country arts programmes. Led development of new partnerships that extended the impact of our work and/or provide funding for it.Led development of new West Africa Arts and Creative Economy programme from scratch including designing programme framework, governance, operating and resourcing models; launched new programmes and teams in Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone.Developed new grant, Technical Assistance and ecosystem support initiatives for institutional capacity building with a focus on festivals, sector support organisations and hubs. Over 100 organisations supported. Show less (Post also previously called Assistant Country Director)Strategic and operational leadership and accountability for British Council Arts and Creative Industry programmes (~2 Million Pounds Annually) in Nigeria to strengthen the sector and develop international connections particularly with the UK.- I initiated a pilot mapping project, in partnership with the Nigerian government to conduct the first ever Creative Industries mapping in Nigeria.- Introduced grant-making to the strategy to enhance scale and sustainability.- Led increase of programme portfolio over tenfold (in budget and reach) over seven years to support young and emerging artists and creatives across Nigeria through education, employability and enterprise development programmes- Led the founding of Lagos Theatre Festival in 2013; listed by America Express Essentials as one of the top 20 performing arts festivals in the world in 2017.- Successfully delivered a Nigeria - UK year of culture with 30 projects across Nigeria and the UK that reached over 100M face to face and digitally; raised over 50% of about 2 Million Pound budget through cash and in-kind partnership.- Facilitated the development of an MoU with the Nigerian government to develop Nigerian creative sector resulting in new public and private festivals' strategies. Show less

  • Regional Director, Arts and Creative Economy Programmes, Sub Saharan Africa

    Jul 2020 - Oct 2021

  • Director Programmes

    Sept 2018 - Jun 2020

  • Director, Arts, West Africa

    Apr 2017 - Sept 2018

  • Director Arts, Nigeria

    May 2010 - Mar 2017
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  UNESCO

  Mar 2012 - now

  Member UNESCO Expert Panel (2005 Convention on Diversity of Cultural Expressions)

  •Contribute to UNESCO Convention secretariat approaches on participatory governance of culture (i.e. through cultural policy including for media), artistic freedom and human rights, cultural and creative industries especially in Africa and the global South through participation in fora, training of State Parties to the convention and as a member of the grant-making committee that selects beneficiaries of the International Fund for Cultural Diversity.•Delivered various policy-focused Technical Assistance across Africa including to Jamaica, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe among others •Was the sole external reviewer for the UNESCO Global Report – Reshaping Global Cultural Policies 2018. •Chapter Author, New Opportunities and Challenges for Inclusive Cultural and Creative Industries in the Digital Environment (UNESCO Reshaping Global Policies for Creativity, 2021) Show less

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  World Bank Growth and Employment Project

  Jul 2014 - Jun 2016

  Entertainment Sector Specialist

  Technical Assistance to the Nigerian Government, funded by World Bank that included: •Design and implementation of entertainment cluster initiatives for sector growth and job creation•Provision of sector market insight and consultancy to Project Implementation Unit (PIU) and the entertainment sector Industrial Cluster Groups (ICGs).•Conducted market studies; regulatory and legislative mapping/business environment analysis•Supported first Digital Rights Management Conference, Designed Intellectual Property Toolkit project to increase copyright literacy of sector, designed training project to enhance technical skills in film industry. Show less

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  British Council Nigeria

  Aug 2019 - Oct 2021

  Board Chair

  Chair of Board for British Council Nigeria Programmes entity. Board responsibilities included regulatory and compliance and strategic oversight of the entity.

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  The Creative Economy Practice at CcHUB

  Nov 2021 - now

  Co-founder and Managing Partner

  Leading and managing practice focused on stimulating more innovation and technology application across the Creative Economy in Africa.

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  ₿Trust

  Dec 2021 - now

  Board Member

  ₿Trust is a blind, irrevocable trust established by Jack Dorsey and Jay Z to support bitcoin development / engineering in Africa, India and other global south locations.

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  UNDP / Microsoft

  Oct 2023 - now

  Artificial Intelligence For Development Reference Group

  Co-Chair of Reference Group set up by UNDP and Microsoft to strategically influence the application of AI in the pursuit of the SDGs and shared prosperity in Nigeria, ensuring inclusivity and considering the risks and opportunities of AI technology. The Reference Group will shape the thinking within the UN Country Team, the private sector, Nigerian policymakers, and development partners connecting with AI solution builders, and advocating for stronger AI infrastructure, skills development, and AI governance. Show less

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  Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) Africa

  Nov 2023 - now

  Managing Director

  Leading strategy and the team at Co-creation Hub Africa (including CcHUB Design Lab Rwanda, CcHUB Namibia, CcHUB Syndicate, Creative Economy Practice at CcHUB and iHub Kenya).