In a significant move highlighting the diverse talent within the Nigerian-American community, President Joe Biden has appointed two accomplished individuals of Nigerian descent, Osagie Imasogie, and Chiney Ogwumike, to serve as advisers on the President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States. This prestigious appointment, which features a total of 12 members, recognizes their outstanding contributions and expertise.
The Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, expressed her congratulations to both Imasogie and Ogwumike on this remarkable achievement. She emphasized that their recognition and appointment serve as a source of inspiration for Nigerians and Africans in general, highlighting the rich reservoir of talent within the diaspora.
Chiney Ogwumike, a prominent figure in both sports and media, is a two-time WNBA All-Star who has excelled as a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks. Remarkably, she is also a full-time, multi-platform ESPN commentator and NBA analyst, making her one of the very few professional athletes concurrently holding a prominent national sports media broadcast role.
Ogwumike’s accolades include being named the 2014 WNBA Rookie of the Year and earning two WNBA All-Star selections (in 2014 and 2018). She proudly identifies as Nigerian-American and holds an International Relations degree from Stanford University, where she was mentored by Dr. Condoleezza Rice.
In August 2020, Ogwumike made history as the first African woman to host a national daily sports talk radio show. She was further recognized as a 2021 Forbes 30 under 30 honoree and serves as an Executive Producer, notably producing an ESPN Films documentary titled “144,” which offers insights into the 2020 WNBA season.
Osagie Imasogie, a distinguished figure in the world of finance and entrepreneurship, currently serves as the Chairman of Quoin Capital and Quoin Advisors, an Investment Bank and SEC/FINRA registered Broker-Dealer. Imasogie is also a co-founder of PIPV Capital, a prominent private equity firm with a strong focus on the life sciences sector, having invested over $1 billion into this industry.
Osagie’s extensive career includes establishing GlaxoSmithKline Ventures and serving as its founding Vice President. He has held senior roles in pharmaceutical companies such as GSK, SmithKline Beecham, and DuPont Merck, and has also made his mark in the legal field, previously practicing as an attorney with the distinguished U.S. law firm Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis.
Imasogie also serves as a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania and chairs the Board of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, where he imparts his knowledge as an Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property. Imasogie’s impressive educational background includes LLM degrees from the London School of Economics and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. He is a member of the New York State Bar and holds admission to practice in various jurisdictions.
In essence, the appointments of Osagie Imasogie and Chiney Ogwumike underscore the invaluable contributions of Nigerian Americans to various fields, from sports and media to finance and entrepreneurship. Their achievements serve as a testament to the rich diversity and talent of the African diaspora in the United States.