User:Maureen Lance

Maureen Lance-Onyeiwu is a social development specialist with over twenty (20) years of professional experience. Born and raised in Jos, Nigeria, her professional experience encompasses the design, implementation, management and evaluation of development programmes in women empowerment and gender equality, Governance, HIV/AIDS and Gender-based violence, gender mainstreaming, poverty, sexual and reproductive health. She was an individual grantee of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation from 2005 - 2007. Her professional working experience cuts across the United Nations System in Nigeria particularly UNWomen, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP and UNHCR, as well as civil society organizations, research institutions, international development agencies.

Maureen currently works as the Programme Coordination Officer at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria where she is responsible for ensuring effective coordination within and between European Union-funded projects implemented by UNODC, Nigeria. In addition, her responsibilities include ensuring effective gender mainstreaming in the United Nations Office.

Maureen is a skilled and articulate facilitator/trainer on a wide range of social development programmes. An accredited member of the International Students’ House (ISH), London and the Lagos Business School (LBS) leadership programmes, Maureen demonstrates undeniable leadership skills and qualities that clearly distinguish her. She is an amiable fellow of the prestigious British Council Chevening Scholarship under which auspices she studied for a postgraduate degree in Poverty and Development at the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom. During her study year (2007 - 2008) in the United Kingdom, Maureen was selected as one of 20 distinguished International Students following which she participated in the week-long leadership development programme at the Cumberland Lodge in the heart of the Great Park at Windsor, England.

In 2012, Maureen founded Greater Good Development Initiative, a registered NGO devoted to harnessing the capabilities of ordinary people for the development of their households and communities. Maureen lives in Abuja, Nigeria.

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