Founder & Chair, Board of Trustees
LL.M. International Economic Law, Queen Mary University of London · ACIArb
Board of Trustees
Mmaobi Nwafor-Orizu is the Founder of Synia Aid Foundation, a humanitarian and development organisation established in December 2018 to address poverty, inequality and social exclusion among vulnerable populations in Nigeria. Driven by a commitment to social justice, human dignity and sustainable development, she founded the Foundation with the vision of a society in which indigent persons, particularly internally displaced persons, have access to education, empowerment opportunities and safe living conditions.
The story behind the Foundation
A trained legal professional, she holds a Master of Laws in International Economic Law from Queen Mary University of London. Her academic background, combined with a commitment to humanitarian service, shapes her approach to complex social challenges through advocacy, education and community-driven development.
The inspiration for the Foundation emerged from her research into the conditions faced by internally displaced persons in Nigeria. While studying law she undertook a project titled Conditions of Persons Internally Displaced by Conflict and Natural Disaster: The UN Perspective and the Need for More Protective Legislation in Nigeria. That work exposed her to the realities of displacement, poverty and systemic inequality affecting millions of vulnerable Nigerians, and she transformed those academic insights into practical intervention through the establishment of Synia Aid Foundation.
Under her leadership the Foundation was built on the conviction that poverty is most effectively addressed through interconnected pillars of education, economic empowerment and shelter. She believes education is the most powerful instrument for liberation and social transformation, and guided by the philosophy that to educate the mind is to liberate it, has positioned education as the cornerstone of the Foundation's mission.
Her leadership philosophy emphasises partnership with communities, recognising that lasting solutions emerge when vulnerable populations participate actively in identifying challenges and shaping responses to them. Her vision extends beyond temporary assistance: she advocates long-term, systemic solutions addressing the root causes of poverty and social exclusion, consistently promoting community ownership, capacity development and sustainable interventions designed to empower individuals rather than foster dependency.