Meet Our Speaker

Mrs. Maryam Uwais, OON, is a distinguished lawyer with over 43 years of experience, spanning private legal practice, civil society, and the public and private sectors. Renowned for her contributions to social development and legal reform, she has held various leadership roles, including serving as Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments (2015-2023). During her tenure, she initiated federal social investment programs that directly impacted over 13 million Nigerians and launched the At-Risk Children's Program to tackle out-of-school children and youth marginalization. Maryam is the founder of the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative (IWEI), which focuses on empowering women and children in education, healthcare, and livelihoods. Her service includes memberships on boards of prominent organizations such as the Lagos Business School Advisory Board, the Policy Innovation Centre of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Goalkeepers Advisory Board. As a recognized advocate for human rights, Maryam has served as a National Human Rights Commission Council Member and Special Rapporteur on Children. She has also worked with development partners like the World Bank, UNICEF, and UNDP, and has been honored with multiple awards, including national honors like the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) and Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR). With a career marked by groundbreaking programs, strategic leadership, and humanitarian impact, Maryam remains an influential figure in legal reform, governance, and social empowerment.