Sonnia Agu
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Ambassador Sonnia Agu Dr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 15, 1988 |
| Alma mater | Harvard University (Business School) MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) |
| Occupation(s) | Social Entrepreneur, Business Strategist, Philanthropist, African Link & Connect, Technology, Agriprenuer , Consultant (Business, Life, Personality and Branding) |
| Known for | Changing lives, Impacting, inspiring and motivating |
| Awards | 2018 West African Leadership Award - For Community Development |
| Website | https://sonniaagu.com/ |
Sonnia Agu, born 15 September 1988, is a social entrepreneur.[1] She is the founder and CEO of The Sapio Club and G1st International Foundation.[2] [3][4] She is an executive board member of the Nigerian chapter of the Pan African Youth Commission.[5] She was listed as one of Lagos state's most influential young persons in 2020.[6]
Early life and education[edit]
Sonnia was born in Lagos State, Nigeria and is originally from Okija in Anambra state.[3] Sonnia began her education at Christland Nursery and Primary School Ikeja, Opebi Lagos State. For her secondary education, she attended the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) Oyo State. She started out studying creative arts at the University of Lagos but left in her 3rd year to Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus where she graduated with a first-class degree in Media and Communications.[3][7]
Post COVID-19, She got another educational achievement from MIT (Massachusetts institute of Technology) in Business and impact planning for social enterprises, making this a dual certification from Harvard and MIT.
In 2019, she enrolled at the Harvard Business School where she was certified with a passing grade as an Entrepreneur from an Emerging Economy.[8] She also received a passing grade from OxfordX an initiative of Oxford University in Understanding Economic Development.[9]
Career[edit]
In 2013, after returning to Nigeria from University in Cyprus, Sonnia Agu founded the G1st International Foundation a nonprofit organization passionate about Education, Civic Engagement and Community Development. G1st is short for God First.[3]
Since its inception, G1st has collaborated internationally with organizations like Growth Foundation, London; SOS Foundation, Gambia; Lawrence Hope Foundation, South Africa and Food for Life, Hungary.[5] In 2015, the Civic Engagement arm of the G1st Foundation was founded, tagged the Sapiosexual Club or The Sapio Club,[3][10] which is registered with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment and has both local and international membership and currently has at least 10,000 members from various walks of life.[5]
Awards and recognition[edit]
In 2013, Sonnia Agu worked under the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Morals, Mrs. Sarah Jibril where she co-founded the initiative Youths on Ethics and Social Responsibility (YES).[11] In February 2014, she was part of the team that hosted Nigeria's Centenary celebration, tagged A Nation United, which was hosted by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.[12]
Sonnia Agu was part of a round table hosted by Mrs. Amina Saliuh, which had a mandate to discuss issues of education and gender mainstreaming at the National Assembly, Abuja in 2015 and in 2016, she received the Lagos State Award of Excellence for her contribution to the growth and development of education in the Ajegunle, a suburb of Lagos state.[11]
Sonnia Agu received the 2018 West African Leadership Summit Award for Community Development in recognition of her "exemplary leadership, selfless service, and dedication to the socio-economic development of West Africa".[12] In June 2018, she participated in the round table discussion "Not Another Nigerian Idea", a project geared towards countering violent extremism hosted by NERI (North East Regional Initiative).[11]
Sonnia Agu represented Nigeria in Gambia, at the African Youth Commission's 3rd Pan African Conference hosted by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), to analyze and brainstorm on methodologies for the achievement of the United Nation's 2063 United Africa Goal in 2019.[12]
In December 2019, Sonnia Agu represented Nigeria at the World Youth Forum, which held in Cairo, Egypt,[13] where she was selected by the Egyptian president Abdelfattah El-Sisi as an African Women Ambassador.[1]
In April 2022, she was given an award as "an Achiever per Excellence" by the National Association of Northern Nigerian Students (NANNS).[14]
On November 22, 2023 she was given a certificate for Award for Global Excellence for her exemplary service to humanity by Leadership Without Borders at The House of Lords Palace of Westminster London, UK.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ a b ANTHONY-ANWUNOR (January 11, 2020). "Sonnia Agu Honoured With African Women Ambassador". Leadership Newspaper.
- ^ Realwan Adesegun (June 14, 2018). "Sonnia Agu's Dream for Nigerian Youths". Daily Times Newspaper.
- ^ a b c d e Tope Templer Olaiya (April 15, 2017). "Sonnia… Living her dreams, loving her neighbours with #ProjectSamaritan17". Guardian Newspaper.
- ^ Tope Templer Olaiya (April 12, 2016). "Foundation donates to the needy in Ikorodu". Guardian Newspaper.
- ^ a b c IJEOMA-THOMAS-ODIA (December 1, 2016). "WHEN YOU HAVE TRY TO GIVE, WHEN YOU LEARN PLEASE TRY TO TEACH" – SONNIA AGU". Women of Rubies.
- ^ ANTHONY-ANWUNOR (January 11, 2020). "Sonnia Agu Listed Among Influential Youths in Lagos". Global Excellence.
- ^ Akinpelu Oluwafunmilayo (April 27, 2019). "Nothing is impossible with God - First class graduate says as she reflects on academic feats". Legit.
- ^ Murphy Alabi (July 7, 2019). "Popular Social Entrepreneur, Sonnia Agu Reaffirms Commitment To Touching Lives". News Explorers.
- ^ "Encomium as Famous Society Celebrity, Sonnia Agu Passes Grade to Study in Oxford University". TW News Magazine. May 21, 2022.
- ^ Jeremiah (June 26, 2019). "Sonnia Agu: A Passionate Community Worker". Leadership Newspaper.
- ^ a b c Murphy Alabi (July 11, 2019). "Sapio Club Takes Africans Through Mind Revolution". News Explorer.
- ^ a b c Bernard Taiwo (July 26, 2019). "Sapio Club Sets To Take Africans Through Mind Revolution As Abasi Ene-Obong, And Others Speak On Emerging Nigerian Leaders". TCB Associates.
- ^ FEMI-SHOLOLA (December 14, 2019). "Sonnia Agu Takes Nigeria To Next Level In Egypt". Leadership Newspaper.
- ^ "Another Feather for Society Celebrity Sonnia Agu". dereportorial. April 22, 2022.
- ^ "Double honors for Ambassador Sonnia Agu FCIML". saharaweeklyng.com. November 22, 2023.