Heritage Board Member
With nearly 20 years of experience in communications strategy, broadcast journalism, media relations and public communications management, Ijeoma Onyeator a non-executive director of the Company, has planned and executed high-profile public communications projects for top international organizations and foreign missions.
Ijeoma is a graduate of the University of Lagos with a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Mass Communication and holds a Master of Arts degree with distinction in Media, Communication and Technology from Brunel University in the United Kingdom. She is the first female recipient of the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Media and Communication (PhD) from the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University. A recipient of the prestigious British Chevening Scholarship Award, Ijeoma has done extensive work within the development sector, such as running public engagement forums for the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme, the European Commission, the British Council, and other international organizations.
She currently works in the Communications Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat as the Communications Officer overseeing communications for the Social Policy Development directorate. She advises on media strategy for various work programmes. Ijeoma trained as a Media Officer in The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) and also worked for Channels Television – a multiple award-winning 24-hour news and media organization as a senior anchor, reporter, and producer.
She is a full member of The National Union of Journalists (London Independent Broadcasting and New Media Branch), a member of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) and the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). Her diligence has also earned her several leadership recognition awards, including the Producer of the Year at the Corporate Livewire Awards 2023 in the UK; Best Original Production (English Language) at the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria Awards 2023; the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and the Eko Star Film and TV Awards. She is listed as one of the most powerful women in journalism by the Women in Journalism Africa (WIJA).
She sits on the Board of Heritage Oil and Gas as a representative of Ellesmere Investments Limited (the SPV that replaced Prof. Uche Uko Uche as a shareholder of
the Company). She is happily married and blessed with children. When not working, her interests include scrabble, crossword puzzles and movie-going.
