About Ugochi Obidiegwu

Ugochi Obidiegwu works at the intersection of program and impact management for social impact organizations seeking to extend the reach of their innovative strategies through honed programs, strategy, and early-stage impact investing skills. In her social impact career, she has developed products and programs and provided policy advisory on pressing development issues affecting young people. Her major work pillars are around ensuring child safety, reducing substance abuse in youths, and providing strategic direction for social impact initiatives. She is the Founder of The Safety Chic (a child safety social enterprise) and UGIP Foundation (a faith-based nonprofit organisation). 

 

At The Safety Chic, she is the author of a child safety storybook series self-published on Amazon, which is available in English and French, co-creator of a COVID-19 online safety game for children, and developer of a safety education app. Her child safety training and products have been experienced by children in 8 countries. Her work in child safety has been recommended as good practice for member countries of the European Network for Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH). Her work in safety education during the pandemic was featured by the UN OHCHR. She has shared her expertise with safety professionals at key industry events like the 2019 World Safety Organisation Symposium in Las Vegas, the 2021 World Congress Canada, the 2021 West Africa IOSH conference, the 2022 OIC-OSHNET training workshop organised by the Directorate General of Occupational Safety and Health, Turkey, and 2022 International Product Safety Week hosted by UNCTAD and the European Commission in Brussels. In 2023, she was featured in the Talking Safety video series of the World Safety Congress for Health and Safety at Work, Sydney, Australia. She also convenes the annual School Safety Summit where teachers get trained and relevant stakeholders proffer solutions to school children's safety challenges.  

 

At UGIP Foundation, she supports the development of young people through four major pillars: education and scholarship, substance abuse management, emotional wellness, and a mentorship community. Her team provides digital skills training to recovered drug users in Northern Nigeria in order to ensure smooth reintegration into society. Her team has also provided free safety education programmes to children in public and low-income schools in Nigeria to ensure they are carried along on the safety education campaign. In 2024, they will be rolling out the I-MOMS program which prepares high school students for higher education and provides scholarships. Her Christian fiction novel, God’s Own, was distributed for free to young women in higher institutions nationwide to help them heal from emotional hurts and past mistakes. Her mentorship community equips young Africans with practical tools and resources to thrive and become better versions of themselves. 

 

Ugochi Obidiegwu’s work has been featured in both local and foreign media, such as the YALI Network, Tony Elumelu Foundation blog, She Leads Africa, Bellanaija, and Guardian. In 2016, she became a YALI Regional Leadership Centre Fellow for Emerging African Leaders. In 2017, she was a McKinsey Next Generation Woman Leader Award finalist. In 2018, she became a Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur and was selected by the US government as one of Africa’s promising leaders through the Mandela Washington Fellowship. She sat on the 2018/19 West African Regional Advisory Board to IREX and USAID on the Mandela Washington Fellowship matters.

 

She is a recipient of several awards and recognitions. In 2019, she won the Africa Safety Awards for Excellence (AFRISAFE) in the "Shining Star'' category for raising awareness through various health and safety initiatives. In 2020, she was listed alongside Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Angelique Kidjo, Peace Hyde, and others on the WeForGood list of 100 women creating a better Africa in commemoration of International Women's Day. In 2021, she was listed in the PowerWoman Network list of women changing the status quo and making a difference. In 2021, she was recognised as a Future Forward Female Honoree by the IMMERSE Coaching Company.  In 2022, she was a pioneer winner of the NYU Banuelos Family Changemaker Award. In 2024, she was awarded the NYU Martin Luther King Changemaker Award for persons who demonstrate a commitment to enriching and providing service to their communities. In 2024 she was awarded the NYU Wagner Robert Berne Award for Leadership for her significant contributions to the Wagner community and raising the profile of the school. She is also a TEDx speaker. 

 

Ugochi is committed to ensuring that young people become better versions of themselves through her work in social development.