Meet Our 2019 Honorees: Oscar N. Onyema

Oscar N. Onyema, OON

NHEF Leadership in Business Award

Oscar has been CEO and member of the National Council of The Nigerian Stock Exchange since April 2011. In this role, he is responsible for superintending the general working of The Exchange. He is Chairman of Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), the clearing, settlement and depository for the Nigerian capital market; and Chairman of NG Clearing, which is in the process of developing a CCP.

He is a member of several advisory boards including London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) Africa Advisory Group (LAAG) and Thomson Reuters Africa Advisory Network.

Prior to relocating to Nigeria, Mr. Onyema served as Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at American Stock Exchange (Amex). He also ran the NYSE Amex equity business after the merger of NYSE Euronext and Amex in 2008.

Oscar completed the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program (AMP) in 2015. He got his MBA from Baruch College, New York in 1998; and BSc degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, in 1991.

February 4, 2019

NHEF Fundraising Cocktail Reception

The Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) hosted a Fundraising Cocktail Reception on September 25, 2018 at the Andaz Hotel located on New York’s Fifth Avenue. The event commemorated our celebration of the NHEF Scholars Program milestone of providing skills, training and real-world work experience to almost 100 Nigerian youth. The NHEF Scholars Program was launched

July 17, 2025

Building Resilient Universities for National Progress: Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa Addresses the 2025 NHEF Higher Education Forum

On July 12th, 2025, the Nigeria Higher Education Foundation (NHEF) hosted the 2025 NHEF Higher Education Forum in Lagos, Nigeria. The forum convened an esteemed gathering of policymakers, Vice Chancellors, faculty leaders, industry professionals, partners, faculty, scholars and graduate doctors to chart a strategic path forward for Nigeria’s tertiary education system under the theme “Developing Institutional Roadmaps for Growth and Impact in Nigeria’s Higher Education.”

July 31, 2019

NHEF Scholars Spotlight – Mustapha Abdullahi

Mustapha Abdullahi (NHEF Scholar ’19) and his team recently emerged as the third runner-up of the 3rd Annual Prof. Ayodele Awojobi Design Competition (PAADC) and were granted an investment portfolio of N700,000 to further develop the prototype of their idea for market entry. The PAADC which held on the 27th of July at the J.F