Lilian Iwelu

Lilian Iwelu (AMT, AMPMA, CIPM) is an astute enterprise development consultant. With over ten years of experience, she has shown a great passion for implementing programmes and events that not only build the capacities of individuals, organizations, and communities focusing on making an impact but also result in a comprehensively positive transformation within the organisations, communities, and people.

She served as the team lead for the Business Advisory and Support Services unit with the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) vehicle for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) development, employment generation, wealth creation, and poverty reduction.

 In addition, she is a board member of several institutions. She has served as a mentor in the following capacities: MicroMentor (Mercy Corps), Youth Empowered Abuja (Coca-Cola Bottling Company), and Stylemark ProEnterprise Hub, to mention a few.

She was awarded the Community Activist of the Year by the Outstanding Women Award of Nigeria in 2021 and is an Alumni of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development, leading as the present Secretary General. A Fellow, of the Young African Leaders Initiative (RLC-YALI), Certified International Professional Manager (CIPM) by the International Professional Managers Association-UK, National Licensed Business Development Services Provider, and a certified advocate for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Lilian who is the Head of Community, GDev Tribe (a Community-As-A-Service platform) and the Local Community Organizer, Startup Huddle Abuja (a globally recognised monthly business networking meetup for startup founders) has executed several regional and international projects some of which involved being a Consultant on business modelling, access to finance and market for an EU funded project; Resource Toolkit Development Consultant with the ActionAid-WVL Nigeria Project with funding from the Global Affairs Canada (GAC); Associate Lead in the World Bank Assisted Project–Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programme; Training Consultant for the Bayelsa State Government Program on Youth Leadership & Entrepreneurship, in partnership with GOTNI Leadership Centre; Training Consultant in the Federal Government of Nigeria's N-Power Exit Programme, (NEXIT) Kaduna; Board Member, Final Examination Board in the German Dual Vocational Training; Development of 65 Business Factsheets for SME; Training Co-ordinator, Entrepreneurship Training to over 5,000 MSMEs within the FCT for the NGN 2.0 billion CBN Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Development Fund, etc.

Projects she has engaged in over the years have catered to all levels of people including Women's Right Organizations, Founders, Fresh Graduates, Rural Communities, Persons With Disabilities, Underserved Communities, Serving Corps Members (NYSC), Public and Civil Servants, Private Organizations, International NGOs, Retirees, Cooperatives, Children, Women and Youths etc.

Through business support services such as business advisory, mentoring, capacity building, and enterprise promotion projects, projects, and outreach, she has directly impacted over 21,377 MSMEs and has undertaken several national and international consultancy projects. This has aided in empowering individuals and organisations for entrepreneurial development and social change.