The career of Maureen Tamuno, Group Managing Director/CEO, Abuja Investment Company Limited (AICL), has traversed private, public and diplomatic sectors, spanning over three decades.
Quite early in her political journey, she saw how women like the late Layla Dogonyaro, Her Excellency Mrs. Pauline Tallen and Justice Mary Odili (rtd) drove the process of getting women involved in politics rather than take the back seat.
She joined the Junior Chambers International, an organisation whose mission is to groom young people into becoming a foremost global network of young leaders. She learnt quite early the benefits of leadership development opportunities that inspired her towards creating opportunities for empowering young people for growth.
Tamuno is one experienced politician in Nigeria’s history who has climbed every rung of the ladder to attain her current height.
While in the Rivers House of Assembly, she was elected Nigerian representative on the Women Parliamentary Association from 2009 to 2011. This was a huge responsibility, which she handled with passion and determination.
In 2011, she was elected the very first female Chairman of the Local Government Council in Rivers State, a position she held until 2014. She also represented her constituency at the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Although she contested for the House of Representatives, she lost. The loss, however, did not deter her from pursuing her dream in public service. She was appointed to serve on the Board of the Nigerian Railway Corporation in 2018, where she served until 2020, when she was appointed by the then President Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s Ambassador and High Commissioner with concurrent accreditation to Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Belize and Haiti and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative on the International Seabed Authority (ISA) until October 2023. She took over the role of GMD/CEO of AICL two years ago.
Over the years, she has received the following awards: Diplomatic Excellence Awards, where she was honoured for outstanding service as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Jamaica, Belize, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, where she championed stronger bilateral relations, cultural diplomacy, and investment partnerships.
She has also been conferred with the prestigious title of Yeye Folagboyero of Owo Kingdom, in acknowledgement of her contributions to cultural heritage and community development, and has bagged multiple awards for innovation, leadership in governance, and advancing investment opportunities in Abuja and beyond.
She was recently honoured in Ghana at the Women Economic Empowerment Leadership Award for championing women’s voices and leading with purpose.
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