International charity Christian Aid appoints Nigerian as director

International development and humanitarian charity Christian Aid has appointed Osai Ojigho as its new Policy and Campaigns Director.

Ojigho is a Nigerian human rights expert, lawyer and gender equality advocate. She is also Amnesty International Nigeria’s Country Director since 2017.

According to a statement made available to The PUNCH on Tuesday, Ojigho will be responsible for leading the Christian Aid’s advocacy, public campaigning, research, policy, and learning.

Her appointment as director with the international charity begins from March 6, 2023.

The Chief Executive of Christian Aid, Patrick Watt said Ojigho’s appointment would bring valuable experience to the organisation.

“I am delighted by this appointment. Osai demonstrated strong strategic insight and energy, and she brings valuable national and international experience of campaigning on complex human rights issues, and of navigating sensitive political contexts.

“Beyond Africa, her advocacy experience has taken her to the US, Asia, Latin America and the Hague. This experience will be an asset as she leads a diverse department located across five countries. We look forward to Osai starting with us,” Watt said.

While Ojigho in her speech said, “I am thrilled to be joining Christian Aid as it leads a campaign for a just world where every person is treated with dignity, and where equality is the norm. It is an honour to be a part of a team dedicated to serving communities that have been most impacted by the climate crisis, structural social and economic inequalities, and gender injustice.

“I am looking forward to increasing our reach, mobilising engagement, and contributing to a rights-led development practice.”

Prior to Amnesty International, Ojigho was Oxfam’s pan-Africa programme manager, based in Nairobi, and had worked in a number of other pan-African advocacy roles, including as coordinator of the State of the Union campaign, and as deputy director of Alliances for Africa.

During that time, she was also a human rights observer for the AU mission to Mali and the Sahel. She has a legal background, having studied in Nigeria and the UK.