The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has appointed Maryam Uwais as a member of an advisory group to accelerate progress of the sustainable development goals (SDG).
The advisory group was formed to help shape the direction of ‘Goalkeepers’, an initiative dedicated to accelerating progress on the United Nations SDGs (Global Goals).
Maryam Uwais (MFR) is the current Special Advisor to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investments. She is a legal practitioner and human rights activist with almost 40 years cognate law practice experience, consisting of public service at the Kano State Ministry of Justice, the Nigerian Law Reform Commission, the Central Bank of Nigeria and subsequently, private legal practice.
Mrs. Maryam Uwais, MFR served as a Principal Partner of Wali-Uwais & Co, an Abuja-based law firm, before it merged with Sterling Partnerships to form Primera Africa Legal. She has also served on the Council of the National Human Rights Commission, where she was appointed as Special Rapporteur on Child Rights; the Boards of the Justice Research Institute, Leapafrica, Women in Successful Careers, the Nigerian Leadership Institute as well as the Coalition Against Tobacco, amongst others. She has also served on State Government, Federal Government, Regional and Continental Committees such as the Kano State Government’s Almajiri Committee, President Goodluck Ebele Johnson’s Presidential Advisory Council, The Northern Nigeria Committee on Reconciliation, Security Healing, as well as the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, for a period of 5 years.
Maryam served on the Editorial Board of THISDAY newspaper, as well as a Non-Executive Board Director of Stanbic IBTC Bank. She is also currently a member of the Lagos Business School Advisory Board. She founded the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative in December 2009, which targets the conditions of women and children in education, healthcare, access to justice and empowerment.
