Who We Are
We Believe Recovery is Possible for Everyone
Our Board of Trustees
Guided by experienced leaders committed to sustainable impact across the globe!
Dr. Lauretta Ekanem
PhD, MPH
Founder & Convener
Dr. Lauretta Ekanem, PhD, MPH
Founder & Convener
Dr. Lauretta Ekanem is a community psychologist, public health researcher, and implementation scientist with more than 20 years of cross-sector experience translating research into community-centered solutions for prevention, recovery, and population health.
Her work sits at the intersection of community psychology, implementation science, public health, and systems change, with a focus on culturally responsive, evidence-based interventions that strengthen communities, improve access to care, and create sustainable health outcomes. She is particularly interested in advancing Community-Centered Implementation (CCI), an emerging framework that integrates community psychology, implementation science, and culturally responsive practice.
Dr. Ekanem is currently a Visiting Research Specialist and Program Coordinator for Substance Use Prevention and Recovery Support Services at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) School of Public Health, and Adjunct Faculty at National Louis University, where she previously served as a Graduate Research Associate on the National Science Foundation's Build and Broaden 2.0 grant.
Her earlier career spans monitoring, evaluation, and learning leadership roles with GIZ, TechnoServe, Save the Children International, Management Sciences for Health, UNICEF, and the Society for Family Health across Nigeria. Her expertise includes program evaluation, qualitative research, behavioral health, recovery support systems, health data analytics, and strategic program development.
She holds a PhD in Community Psychology from National Louis University, a Master of Public Health from Obafemi Awolowo University, and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She has authored peer-reviewed publications and presented at national and international conferences.
Dr. Ekanem is passionate about building partnerships and mentoring future public health leaders. Her mission is to transform evidence into action, strengthen community systems, and advance culturally responsive solutions that improve health and well-being for all.
Prof. Michael Onyeka Ezenwa
PhD
Board President | Board of Trustees
Prof. Michael Onyeka Ezenwa, PhD
Board President | Board of Trustees
Michael Onyeka Ezenwa, PhD is a licensed, chartered psychologist and Professor of Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), where he serves as Programme Coordinator for the MSc in Clinical Psychology, the Professional MSc in Employee Assistance Programme (MEAP), and the MSc in Addiction Intervention (MAI) — a programme he pioneered.
Professor Ezenwa is the founder of Rhythmic Engagement Therapy, a groundbreaking non-pharmacological, psychophysiological method of relapse management among persons with Substance Use Disorder, published in the South African Journal of Psychology (2024). This discovery has significantly advanced the field of addiction science globally.
He is currently the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Country Director of the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR), and a Council Member of the Pan African Psychology Union. He is also the 10th President of the Nigerian Psychological Association, under whose tenure psychologists in Nigeria gained a formal scheme of service and the Nigerian Council for Psychologists was established by Act of the National Assembly.
An African Union and UNODC Grantee, Professor Ezenwa has led research for UNICEF, UNODC, PRAWA, and Women for Women International. He is a Visiting Professor to the Deggendorf Institute of Technology, Bavaria, Germany, and has contributed to substance use policy, workforce development, and mental health advocacy across Nigeria and internationally.
He holds specialised training in Gestalt Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Harmony Restoration Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Transactional Analysis, and is an Internationally Certified Addiction Professional (ICAP I).
Professor Ezenwa is a Fellow of the Nigerian Psychological Association, the Nigerian Association of Clinical Psychologists, and an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Counselling Psychologists of Nigeria. He is a recipient of multiple national and international awards including recognition from the American Psychological Association and the Vice Chancellor's Commendation for drug abuse prevention at UNIZIK (2023).
Dr. Eddy Attang
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Board of Trustees
Dr. Eddy Attang
Chief Operating Officer (COO) | Board of Trustees
Dr. Eddy Attang is a technologist and entrepreneur working at the intersection of engineering, automation, and business strategy. He holds a Master's and PhD in Electrical Engineering, along with an MBA from Northwestern University, with a background grounded in applied research, systems design, and scalable, real-world implementation.
He is the co-founder of Partnergem, an AI-driven platform focused on intelligent automation and scalable growth. He currently works at a proprietary high-frequency trading firm, where he manages trade execution platforms and mission-critical workflows, with an emphasis on automation, algorithm-driven decisioning, and system resilience.
Dr. Attang has served as an Adjunct Professor at Lewis University and has held leadership roles across global organizations including Huawei, AON, and Johnson Controls.
Dr. Victoria Akai
DBA, FIIPM, FICMC
Member | Board of Trustees
Dr. Victoria Akai, DBA, FIIPM, FICMC
Member | Board of Trustees
Dr. Victoria Akai is a business and investment strategist, trade facilitation expert, and institutional reform leader with over two decades of experience spanning Africa–U.S. trade, private-sector development, agribusiness, public-private partnerships, and policy advisory.
She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Duchess Naturals Limited (Nigeria) and Duchess NL (USA), where she provides strategic leadership across value-added agribusiness, diaspora trade platforms, and cross-border market access initiatives. Under her leadership, Duchess has expanded its footprint into the United States through the GABA Marketplace in Michigan, strengthening Africa–U.S. commercial linkages and inclusive trade outcomes.
Dr. Akai previously served as Director General of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), where she led institutional transformation, resource optimization, and strategic engagement with government, donors, and the private sector. She spearheaded the successful execution of donor-funded projects supported by the World Bank, European Union, United Nations, GIZ, and TFO Canada, and established flagship centers focused on entrepreneurship, skills development, policy advocacy, and trade promotion.
An accomplished trade mission leader, Dr. Akai has organized and led over 20 international and domestic trade missions, facilitated investment partnerships, and mentored women-owned enterprises under the ECOWAS–Ecobank Empowerment Programme for Women Traders. She has also served as a gender and trade consultant on AfCFTA-related research initiatives and national development programs.
Her earlier career includes senior leadership roles in international procurement and project management under European Union–funded programs, banking and financial risk analysis, and advisory work with Nigeria's Presidency on AGOA-related agricultural trade.
Dr. Akai holds a Doctorate in Business Administration, an MBA, and a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology. She is a Fellow of multiple professional institutes and an Advanced Trainer with the Centre for Management Development.
She serves on several national and international boards and high-level committees, including trade, mining, accreditation, special economic zones, and women's economic empowerment initiatives.
In recognition of her contributions, Dr. Victoria Akai was inducted into the USAfrica Hall of Fame (2024) for Outstanding Contributions to Promoting Trade and Investment between Africa and the United States and for Fostering Cross-Continental Collaboration.
Dr. Oluwatosin Adekeye
PhD
Member | Board of Trustees
Dr. Oluwatosin Adekeye, PhD
Member | Board of Trustees
Oluwatosin Babatunde Adekeye (PhD) is a Clinical Psychologist by training, although he holds a Diploma in Law from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State. He is passionate about “why we do what we do,” examining the basis for human action from the three dimensions of the person: the spirit, soul and body.
He obtained a PhD from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, and is currently Deputy Director in the Department of Psychiatry, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria, where he has served for over 25 years. He is also a Visiting Lecturer at the Nigerian Defence Academy.
He was appointed a member of the board of the Kaduna State Substance Abuse Agency and has been involved in working with individuals and families of people affected by substances. He is a clergyman and also the Director of Counselling Follow-up and Discipleship in the Church of Nigeria Anglican Communion, Diocese of Kaduna.
He has served in various other capacities, including social scientist and Co-Investigator in multi-country studies.
He has collaborated with several national and international institutions working on mental health, including on the relationship between mental health and chronic stigmatising illness. This has led to publications in both local and international journals.
Apart from earned degrees, he has also attended various short courses on bereavement, sudden loss and countertransference, by the Ife Center for Psychological Studies and the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, and holds a certificate in Drug Dependence and Treatment (2015) from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, a Certificate in Critical Thinking (August 2020) from the International Network for Advancing Science and Policy, and a Certificate in Psychological First Aid from Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Judah Viola
PhD
Member | Board of Trustees
Dr. Judah Viola, PhD
Member | Board of Trustees
Judah Viola, PhD is a Community Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at National Louis University, where he teaches in NLU's PhD program in Community Psychology.
Judah is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community (JPIC). His community research and advocacy interests involve Posttraumatic Growth, Substance Abuse prevention and intervention, neighborhood revitalization, disability rights, affordable housing, access to healthcare and healthy food, community-police relations, and violence prevention and intervention.
He has written a variety of scholarly articles, book chapters, and edited volumes across these areas of focus.
Salvation Alibor
Member
Aviv Okonkwo
MSc
Member | Board of Trustees
Aviv Okonkwo, MSc
Member | Board of Trustees
Aviv is a dedicated health and social care leader and an accomplished entrepreneur with two decades of experience spanning marketing, sales, residential care management, and strategic project management. Currently serving as a Social Care Manager, Aviv holds a Master of Science in Project Development and Implementation from the University of Ibadan and a Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care. Aviv is highly experienced in supporting vulnerable adults and young people with neurodivergent needs and complex learning disabilities.
With a professional trajectory that includes senior roles in the corporate sector (at Unilever and GB Foods Africa) and frontline leadership in residential children's homes and neurological rehabilitation services, Aviv brings a rare blend of commercial acumen and deep clinical insight to the Board. Aviv is an expert in regulatory compliance (Ofsted and CQC), trauma-informed practice (including PACE), and multi-agency safeguarding, as well as leading and developing multidisciplinary teams.
Beyond professional roles, Aviv contributes to the wider community as a Minister in RCCG Pastoring Youths and young adults, as a Volunteer Counsellor for the NSPCC, and through previous voluntary work within autism support services. On the Board, Aviv focuses on strengthening governance, championing person-centred and neuroaffirming practice, and supporting the strategic development of safe, inclusive services for children and young people.
Yinka Oluwole
Member