Agnes Ekebuike
In a world where women’s voices are reshaping policy, strategy, and systems across borders, United States-based Wofai Ibiang stands as a powerful example of impact, integrity and innovation. With over a decade of experience spanning global financial institutions, development organisations, academia and the private sector, her career reflects the rising tide of Nigerian women redefining leadership on a global stage.
Currently serving as Chief Liaison and Communications Officer for Seyi Oshikanlu Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia (in a voluntary capacity), she is leading the charge in developing integrated communications strategies, amplifying faith-based missions, and building stakeholder bridges across government, media and community organisations. Yet her story begins long before Atlanta, rooted in Nigeria, sharpened in global halls of power, and fuelled by an unwavering commitment to impact.
Before taking on her current role, Wofai held strategic positions at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, D.C., where she left an indelible mark. As an Information Management Systems Specialist in the Institute for Capacity Development (ICD), she co-led transformative departmental information systems projects and led change management, such as the department’s co-webmaster and a member of the Knowledge Management working group. These efforts contributed to the modernisation of the Institution’s global technical assistance and capacity development content accessibility.
Before that, she served with distinction as a Projects Specialist and Division Coordinator within the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department, where she was an integral part of the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool (TADAT) Secretariat. There, she not only managed global training and digital outreach programmes but also emerged as a visible voice and host of the Secretariat’s digital media presence.
One of her most defining moments came when she hosted a high-profile podcast discussion featuring Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of Nigeria’s Presidential Committee on Tax Reforms. In a compelling interview that resonated across the African tax administration community, she navigated themes of fiscal policy, reform urgency, and inclusive governance, positioning herself as both an insightful communicator and a thoughtful interviewer. This and other live-broadcasted conversations under the TADAT brand reinforced her ability to humanise complex policy matters for broader audiences, particularly in the Global South.
Beyond the mic, her impact is also etched in print. Wofai has authored and co-authored peer-reviewed research exploring rural health equity and sustainable development in Nigeria. These include ‘Assessing the Acceptability of Family Planning Services in the Rural Areas of Cross River State, Nigeria’; a deep dive into barriers to reproductive health services in underserved communities. An upcoming publication in Current Urban Studies (SCIRP) on Urban Infrastructural Facility Provision as a strategy to promote rural-urban interaction and sustainable development in Cross River State (expected July 2025).
In popular media, her voice has equally resonated through articles on urgent African development themes from birth registration and public-private partnerships to gender parity and the welfare of homeless children. Her widely read articles include Africa’s Public-Private Partnerships in Health: Improving Accountability and Transparency (The Nation), User-funded Public Private Partnerships for Road Infrastructure in Nigeria (Inside Watch Africa), Accelerating African Women’s Economic Participation (Inside Watch Africa), The Global Scandal of Invisibility: Improving Global Birth Registration (LinkedIn), COVID-19: Do Not Forget Orphans and Homeless Kids (LinkedIn).
Her multidisciplinary expertise is evident in her seamless movement across fields. From coordinating democracy-strengthening efforts with world leaders at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) to managing academic events and student recruitment at Johns Hopkins University’s SAIS, her career blends policy, people, and platforms. At Cognity Advisory and the CFG Advisory in Nigeria and South Africa, she designed and delivered youth entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and executive learning programmes, many of which impacted lives at scale. Wofai’s versatility saw her managing a popular Nigerian football club, Stationery Stores FC, in 2017, coordinating logistics, partnerships, and the entire team’s operations.
Earlier in her career, before a decision to pivot into the development space, she was Executive Director of Global Partnerships at CCEL Oil & Gas Services in Port Harcourt, where she led business expansion initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. There, she cultivated strategic alliances, spearheaded CSR programmes to improve health and water access in host communities and promoted Nigerian innovation on global energy platforms.
A Certified PMP project manager and communications strategist, Wofai holds degrees from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (Master of International Public Policy – MIPP), the University of East Anglia, Norwich Business School (MSc, Supply Chain Management), and the University of Calabar (BSc, Microbiology). She has additional certifications in organisational transformation and digital intelligence, among others.
Beyond credentials, it is her authentic voice, relational leadership, and cross-sector versatility that set her apart. She is a social innovation advocate, whose professional philosophy is rooted in one belief: true transformation begins when communities are empowered to tell their stories, shape their futures, and influence the systems that govern them. In every project she touches, whether it is moderating high-level policy dialogues, building digital learning systems, or curating global communications strategies, Wofai brings excellence, empathy, and execution.
As more young Nigerian women aspire to lead on the world stage, Wofai’s story serves as a beacon: you can build global influence from local roots, you can lead with both strategy and soul, and you can use your voice to shape policies that impact millions. Her journey serves as an inspiration to young Nigerian women and changemakers across Africa: that through vision, voice and strategy, local actors can become global influencers and remain rooted in service.
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