Onyi Nwaneri
Managing Director, South Africa
Dr. Onyinye (Onyi) Nwaneri is the Managing Director of Sesame Workshop South Africa, the organization behind Takalani Sesame, the South African adaptation of Sesame Street. She is also a social change leader with a passion for helping people, organizations, companies, and countries realize their potential.
Known in the social impact sector for her expertise in education, early childhood development, skills development, and more, Nwaneri’s experience cuts across legal practice, business development, sales and marketing, human resources, and beyond.
Through her various positions at Afrika Tikkun, most recently as Group CEO Afrika Tikkun, Onyi has helped major nonprofit organizations, corporations, international and national foundations, and funders meet their strategic objectives by identifying shared goals and facilitating creative and efficient paths forward.
Prior to Afrika Tikkun, Nwaneri worked with the United Nations Development Programme as a consultant, advising on the legal framework governing National Aids Commissions in 6 African countries. She also worked with an organization that partnered with various UN Agencies to explore the concepts of responsible business and Corporate Social Responsibility.
The earlier phase of Onyi’s career was spent practicing corporate, commercial, and litigation law in Nigeria, including in the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
A recipient of many awards including the recent Social Impact Leader of the Year award and the Gauteng Women in Excellence Award, Nwaneri holds a master’s degree in human rights and democratization in Africa from the University of Pretoria. She has also concluded certificate courses in subjects including international law; election observation; good governance; development and human rights; justiciability of economic social and cultural rights; NPO management, social & ethics committee and governance, and strategic planning. She recently completed a second master’s degree, an MBA with GIBS, at the University of Pretoria.
Contact for Speaking Engagements
Sesame Workshop Speakers Bureau
SpeakersBureau@sesame.org
