Ayobami Honestus Obadiora

Dr. Obadiora is the Acting Executive Director of Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO). He joined the organization in March 2004 as an Assistant Manager overseeing the organisation’s community-based health projects across Nigeria. He holds PhD, MA and B.A. (Educ.) degrees in Physical & Health Education from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Nigeria. He is Certified in Public Health (CPH) by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE), USA and holds UK-qualifications in Project Management from Award for Training and Higher Education (ATHE, UK) and the Training Qualifications UK (TQUK). Also, he is Microsoft- certified in Managing Projects with Microsoft Project (MPMP). 

Dr Obadiora is IUHPE-Registered Health Promotion Practitioner and an inducted alumnus of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON). He is a full member of several professional bodies including the Institute of Development Administration of Nigeria (IDAN), Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) and International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH). He has authored well-researched papers in international peer-reviewed journals and has attended several accredited courses including Social and Behaviour Change (SBC); Social Work; Entrepreneurship; Counselling Strategies; Primary Health Care Management; Reproductive and Family Health; Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries; Development Policy & Analysis; Project Appraisal Techniques; Train the Trainer; Humanitarian Aid; Human Resource Management for USAID Implementing Partners; Foundation of Global Health Specialization Programme of Johns Hopkins University amongst others.

Omofomwan Florence

Omofomwan Florence holds a Master degree in Public Administration from the University of Benin, Benin City.

A certified banker, she has a Microfinance Banking Certificate from the Chartered Instituted of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). She is a Senior Member of the Charted institute of Risk Management of Nigeria, Senior Member, Charted Institute of Public Management and an Associate Member of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria

Omofomwan joined Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO) in July 2001 as a Client Support Officer and has worked in different capacities even within the LAPO Microfinance Bank. She is the Head, Microfinance Operations,  LAPO Rural Development initiative (LARDI).

She has attended several capacity training programmes locally and internationally including international training on Financial Service Officer (FSO) jointly organised by Small Enterprise Development Agency and International Network of Alternative Institution in Arusha, Tanzania between April 11th and 19th, 2005, Microfinance Winter Academy held between November 18th and 23rd 2012 in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Philomena Irowa Elijah

Mrs. Philomena Irowa Elijah heads the Corporate Services department of Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO). She holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education from the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State and a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Secretarial Administration from the Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo State.

Before she joined LAPO in year 2000 as a Programme Officer, she worked in various capacities at Okungbowa and Sons, Benin City, Elf Oil Nigeria Ltd and Abia State Sports Council, Umuahia amongst other engagements and has vast experience in programme conception, design and implementation. Mrs. Elijah has attended several training on Programme Implementation, Gender Mainstreaming,  Enterprise and Skills Development in partnership with DFID, Illorin (2004), Management of NGOs at the Centre for Management Development (CMD), Lagos (2007), Strategy to Execution at Phillip Business School West Africa (2009),  Capacity Building for Local Empowerment organized by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives, Warri (2012), Senior Management Training Programme at the Lagos Business School in 2015 study, visit on Social Empowerment and Enterprise Development to BRAC, Bangladesh in year 2012 and numerous in-house training programmes.

Tessa Obiageli Anota-Aizebeokhai

Mrs. Tessa Anota-Aizebeokhai is the Head, Corporate Planning and Performance Management. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health Education (MPHE) from the University of Benin in 2011, B.Sc. (Ed.) and Diploma in Physical & Health Education from the Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos (1996, 1991); Certificate in Health Social Sciences Implementation Research from the School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana (2005); Certificate in Research Methodology from the Centre for Management Development, Shangisha, Lagos in 2008 and Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation of Donor-Funded projects in 2011.

She was trained by the British Department for International Development under the Capacity Building for Decentralised Development programme facilitated by the University of Reading, UK on Organisational development and management, Information and Communications, Project management, People management, Proposal development and financial management for non-financial managers. She also attended a training of trainers’ workshop for NGO’s on managing HIV/AIDS in the workplace organised by Academy for Educational Development USA, (Nigeria Office) and also on NGO management organised by Development Resource Foundation, a Ford Foundation/British Council Initiative. She worked with the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre (WHARC) as Programme Officer, Research and later Programme Officer, Media and Advocacy. She also worked with the Committee on Vital Environmental Resources (COVER) as Programme Coordinator as well as with the Development Communications Network (DEVCOMS), a Public Health Journalism NGO, as the Project Administrator before Joining LAPO in 2006 as Senior Manager, Monitoring and Evaluation. She has attended several training programme on Monitoring, Evaluation and Research with interest in conducting social sciences research. She is a seasoned trainer and has facilitated in many capacity building sessions in the area of proposal development, logical framework, NGO development, Monitoring and Evaluation etc, for NGOs/CBOs.

Vera Asenoguan

She functions as the Head, Corporate affairs of the Organization. Asenoquan holds Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) and Barrister-at-law (BL) degrees from the Edo State University (now Ambrose Ali University), Ekpoma and the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja, respectively. She was called to the Nigerian Bar as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 2001.
After her call to the Bar, she was engaged in active legal practice before joining the organization in 2007. She is an active member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), member of the Society for Corporate Governance of Nigeria and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Corporate Administration (FCIA). She sits as secretary of several committees of the LAPO Board of Directors.
Asenoquan has attended several professional training and conferences in arbitration, mediation and reconciliation as well as corporate governance and administration.

James-Wisdom Abhulimen

James-Wisdom A. Abhulimen is the Head, Advocacy and Communications Unit of LAPO. He holds a Master’s degree in Communication Management from the Delta State University, Abraka (2010), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Administration (PGDPA) from the University of Benin (2006), Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu (1998) as well as a National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Federal Auchi, Polytechnic (1994) with academic research/interest focusing on the role of the print media in the control of HIV/AIDS among youths in Nigeria.

Prior to joining LAPO in 2002 as Media and Publication Officer, Abhulimen functioned as The Nation newspaper’s Airport/Aviation Correspondent attached to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos State, as well as served at different times as editor and editorial board member of The Evangelist, a monthly newspaper published by the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin City. He was one time Corporate Affairs Officer in DAAR Communications Limited, (Operators of African Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower 100 FM) as well as coordinator of an international network, the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), Edo State chapter between 2006 and 2007. He has attended several professional development and exposure workshops organized by the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), policy advocacy skill development training organized by CSACEFA in Abuja, Restorative Justice workshop organized by the Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC) in Benin City as well as several in-house proposal development, management and leadership training programmes.

A prolific writer with vast experience in Journalism, Public Relations, Development Communication, Newspaper and Magazine Production and Social Change Advocacy, Abhulimen has authored and edited several articles on microfinance, poverty and development. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria, member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Edo State Chapter, where he has held several executive positions.

Andrew Udah

Mr. Udah Andrew holds a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Extension, a Post-Graduate Diploma (PGDBM) in Business Management and Higher National Diploma (HND) in Agricultural Extension and Management. He joined LAPO in 2007 and he is currently the Head, Resource Mobilization and Proposal Development unit of the organisation. Mr. Udah is a specialist in Community/Rural Development and has been involved in several rural development initiatives in LAPO which include value chain analysis of various crops and its implementation, Nigerian Agricultural Enterprise Curriculum Trainings for crop farmers and fishers, needs assessment of LAPO Microfinance(farmer) clients, assessment of marketing prospects of locally produce rice in Edo State and rural/agricultural financing.