World Food Day

Keynote Speaker Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli

We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli will deliver the keynote address at World Food Day 2026, taking place on 20 October at the Fokker Terminal, The Hague. A serial social entrepreneur, business leader, and author, Ndidi brings three decades of experience spanning international development, consumer goods, food systems, strategic consulting, and philanthropy. Across Africa, she has driven business growth, shaped policy, and mentored the next generation of leaders — as founder of LEAP Africa and African Food Changemakers, and co-founder of Sahel Consulting, AACE Foods, and Wealth4Impact. Most recently, Ndidi served as President/CEO of ONE, leading teams across the US, Europe, and Africa and mobilizing billions in investment toward healthier lives and economic opportunity on the continent. She began her career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company in Chicago. She currently sits on the boards of the Rockefeller Foundation, Fondation Chanel, Stanbic IBTC Group, and the Bridgespan Group, and has previously served on the boards of Nestlé Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries (Heineken), GAIN, and the African Philanthropy Forum, among others. Ndidi holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an undergraduate degree from the Wharton School, and a PhD from the University of Cape Town's Graduate School of Business. A TED speaker and Young Global Leader (World Economic Forum), she is the author of Social Innovation in Africa and Food Entrepreneurs in Africa, among other works. Her keynote will bring a compelling, first-hand perspective on building resilient partnerships across food systems — a fitting anchor for this year's theme, "Partnerships that Feed the Future."