About
Who Was Ifeyinwa Akpuogwu?
Ifeyinwa Akpuogwu was many things: a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, a caregiver, and a quiet warrior in the everyday struggles of womanhood. She lived a life of deep sacrifice, and though she may not have worn titles or held grand offices, her legacy lives in the lives she touched, the children she raised, and the strength she modelled.
She believed in girls' education, in dignity for women, and in the power of community. This Foundation is not only a tribute to her memory, it is a commitment to the values she held close: love, compassion, justice, and resilience.
Chiamaka Rita Akpuogwu
Lawyer, Researcher, GCCM Climate Mobility Fellow and Migration Researcher at Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany
Chiamaka Rita Akpuogwu is passionate about building a more just and equitable world at the intersections of migration, gender, and climate justice. With a background in law and international development, she thrives where policy meets people, and where global challenges demand grounded, community-led solutions.
She is currently a Climate Mobility Fellow with the Global Centre for Climate Mobility (GCCM) and a Researcher at Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany, where she earned her European Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations (EMMIR) with distinction. A trained lawyer, she also holds a Law degree from the University of Nigeria.
Across Nigeria and Europe, her work has spanned refugee integration, reintegration support, gender advocacy, climate action, and community empowerment. From supporting return migrants and survivors of trafficking in Nigeria to contributing to research on immigrant histories in Norway (in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley), Chiamaka brings care and rigour to every space she enters. At the International Organization for Migration in Czechia, she supported refugee integration in alignment with European migration policies. In Lagos, she led legal, gender, and migration initiatives with JDPC Lagos and SoWoGiDi, and designed GIZ-supported programmes under the SEDIN project to empower displaced, disabled, and migrant women through entrepreneurship and skills development.
Chiamaka is the Co-Founder and Chair of Blank Pages Global, a Germany-based organisation fostering intercultural dialogue. Recognised for her work, including being named one of UN SDSN Nigeria's Top 10 Climate Innovators, she remains deeply committed to community-centred leadership, intersectional advocacy, and systemic change.
“Mentoring matters to me because I know what it means to carry unanswered questions about identity, belonging, and purpose, especially as a young African navigating the disorienting systems that shape migration, exclusion, and identity, and I believe in paying forward the wisdom and kindness that once held me up. For me, mentoring is an act of solidarity, not a certainty: it's about listening, holding space, and walking alongside others as they find their voice.”
Our Mission
"The Ifeyinwa Akpuogwu Foundation was born from love, love that persists beyond loss, and that insists on action."
The Ifeyinwa Akpuogwu Foundation is committed to:
- Promoting access to education for girls and women, especially those who have been affected by poverty, displacement, caregiving responsibilities, or harmful cultural norms.
- Providing financial and mentorship support to help girls and women to support them in building a life of self-determination.
- Creating safe and reflective spaces for women to share their stories, find community, and grow in confidence and capacity.
- Advocating for gender equity and policy reforms that centre the lived experiences of women at the margins.
We believe that when women rise, communities are transformed. Our work is small, but it is purposeful. And it begins with love.
Aims and Objectives
Social Inclusion
To identify and support women facing intersectional challenges, such as displacement, economic hardship, caregiving responsibilities, and harmful cultural practices, thereby advancing social inclusion and equity.
Educational Advancement
To promote the advancement of education among women and girls in Nigeria, particularly those from underprivileged or marginalised backgrounds, by providing scholarships, stipends, and other forms of academic support.
Empowerment
To empower Nigerian women and girls through mentorship, vocational training, and personal development programmes, with a view to enhancing their capacity to participate fully in social, economic, and community life.
Skill Development
To organise seminars, workshops, and training sessions focused on leadership, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, reproductive health, and other life skills essential for female empowerment.
Collaboration
To collaborate with individuals, institutions, NGOs, and government agencies, both within and outside Nigeria, to implement programmes and projects that promote gender equity, education, and sustainable community development.
Legacy Preservation
To document, celebrate, and preserve the legacies of women who have contributed significantly to family and community life, using storytelling, oral history, and other creative means to inspire future generations.