Eugene Nzeribe
Founder and Executive Director
Eugene Nzeribe is a social entrepreneur based in Ottawa, Canada, committed to working towards solving the problem of extreme poverty in Africa. He believes that the model still being used by donor nations will keep Africa begging for assistance for generations to come. So to foster change, he founded ICAfrica with the primary goal of empowering the private sector to grow and create jobs for the people of the world's poorest continent.
Eugene was born and raised in eastern Nigeria, and worked with Shell Oil before deciding to immigrate to Canada in the early 1980s. Armed with an education in industrial engineering and 25 years in the private sector, Eugene continues work to promote Africa as a place for global business. He has interfaced with contacts in various African countries, and strives to improve manufacturing trade between Africa and the rest of the world.
His experiences have made him a firm believer that, to permanently solve the endemic poverty problems in Africa, more jobs must be created so that people will earn living wages instead of relying on unreliable handouts. He believes that, if donor nations would stop transferring development assistance to African governments, but directly reach grassroots African entrepreneurs through NGO social entrepreneurs, their $25 billion annual investment for Africa would produce enough jobs to eliminate extreme poverty on the continent within 10 years.
OUR MISSION
To relieve extreme poverty in Africa by providing opportunities for impoverished people through economic development and jobs creation.
OUR VISION
To generate sustained economic growth in the poorest regions of Africa, halving the number of people living below the poverty line by 2015.
ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY
The International Charity for Africa - commonly referred to as ICAfrica - is an Ottawa-based Canadian NGO operating under the charitable number 874091242RR0002. ICAfrica is managed by a nine-person board of directors:
OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW
Founded in 2007, ICAfrica has distributed more than $77,000 to approximately 450 qualified projects, primarily through its Entrepreneurial Assistance for Jobs Creation (EAJC) Program. Although loans have been approved in several countries across the continent, ICAfrica is currently focusing its efforts in Nigeria and Ghana.
Algonquin College public relations students introduce the ICAfrica concept, December 2009.
To relieve extreme poverty in Africa by providing opportunities for impoverished people through economic development and jobs creation.
OUR VISION
To generate sustained economic growth in the poorest regions of Africa, halving the number of people living below the poverty line by 2015.
ORGANIZATIONAL SUMMARY
The International Charity for Africa - commonly referred to as ICAfrica - is an Ottawa-based Canadian NGO operating under the charitable number 874091242RR0002. ICAfrica is managed by a nine-person board of directors:
- Eugene Nzeribe, Founder and Executive Director
- Matt Perry, Chairperson
- Cindy Goldberg, Director of Communications
- Andrew Howard, Director
- Alan Atsu, Director
- Nicole Willes, Director, European Operations
- Michael Poole, Director
- Stachen Frederick, Director
- Thierry Pfeiffer, Director
OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW
Founded in 2007, ICAfrica has distributed more than $77,000 to approximately 450 qualified projects, primarily through its Entrepreneurial Assistance for Jobs Creation (EAJC) Program. Although loans have been approved in several countries across the continent, ICAfrica is currently focusing its efforts in Nigeria and Ghana.
Algonquin College public relations students introduce the ICAfrica concept, December 2009.