ICA-Africa Regional Board

 

President

High Chief Ayeola Tajudeen Oriyomi - (Nigeria)

High Chief AYEOLA is a Nigerian and an accomplished cooperative leader, development advocate and community builder with over 26 years of distinguished service in strengthening the Cooperative Movement in Nigeria, Africa and at the international level.

He is the current President of the International Cooperative Alliance–Africa (ICA-Africa), where he provides strategic and visionary leadership in promoting cooperative enterprises as key drivers of socio-economic development, financial inclusion, and sustainable livelihoods across the continent. Before his election as the President, Alliance Africa, he served as a member-at-Large on the Board of ICA-Africa and was the head of the Audit and Risk Committee.

He served two consecutive terms as President of Lagos State Cooperative Federation (LASCOFED) (2012–2020), where he spearheaded reforms that strengthened cooperative governance, financial sustainability and youth/women inclusion in cooperative enterprises. He is a member of the Board of Cooperative Mortgage Bank Ltd and Heads the Cooperative Development Committee of the bank.

AYEOLA is a MEMBER of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT); Fellow, Institute of Professional Managers and Administrators of Nigeria; Patron, Association of Nigerian Authors (Lagos Chapter) and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Cooperative Professionals of Nigeria (ICOPRON). 

He is the President of Cooperative Federation of Nigeria (CFN), the apex body for cooperative organizations in Nigeria, where he championed policies and initiatives that reinforced cooperatives as key actors in national development. He holds a National Certificate in Education (NCE) and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. He joined the Lagos State Civil Service in 1993 as an Economics and Mathematics teacher; and has taught in various schools in the State. 

Vice President

Mr. Macloud Malonza - (Kenya)

Mr. Macloud is the current chairman of the Co-operative Alliance of Kenya (CAK) elected to lead the umbrella body representing the entire of Kenya's Co-operative Movement which is made up of over 22,000 co-operative societies and unions with over 15 million members. 

Mr. Malcoud Macloud is a veteran of the Cooperative Movement and has served in numerous key responsibilities, including serving as Vice Chairman of the CAK Board.

He continues to serve as Chairman of Harambee Sacco Society Limited, one of the largest and most successful savings & credit co-operatives in Africa. He is also Chairman of Co-op Holdings Co-operative Society Limited, the majority shareholder and strategic investor in the Co-operaitve Bank of Kenya. 

Mr. Macloud is a highly-trained technocrat in Management and Organizational Development and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree, a Masters in Organizational Change and Development, Masters in Business Administration, Post- graduate Diploma in Management and Information Systems, a Certificate in Strategic Planning and Management among other qualifications. He has also attended Senior Management and Strategic Development Courses. He has served in various senior roles in the Kentan Government Civil Service. 

Mr. Malonza has been recognised with Presidential medals namely the Moran of the Order of the Burning Spear (MBS) and Head of State Commendation (HSC) for his exemplary service to the Kenyan nations.

 

Mr. Mesfin Gebreslassie Gereger - (Ethiopia)

Gereger Gebreslassie is the chairperson of the Board of Directors/ Executive committees at AWACH Savings and Credit Cooperative. He has served in the banking sector of Ethiopia for 24 years from clerk up to Vice-President level. Worked as Director of the Ethiopian Institute of Banking and Insurance for 12 years before joining Awach SACCOS in 2012 where he has served as a Deputy Chairperson for two years and now the Chairperson for the past two and half years. He is also the Managing director of Tentag Consultancy.

Under his leadership and guidance, Awach has secured tremendous achievements in size of members, savings mobilization, quality of loan portfolio, capital increase and good image and acceptance by the society.

Mr. Gebreslassie holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Planning and a BA Degree in Economics.

Mr. Waindim Timothy Ntam- (Cameroon) 

Waindim Timothy Ntam is the General Manager of the biggest and possibly the oldest cooperative in Cameroon called the North West Cooperative Association (NWCA) Ltd created in 1950 with a membership of over 35,000 small holder peasant farmers’ spread throughout the North West Region of Cameroon. He has over 30 years’ experience in the development sector - 22 of which are with the cooperatives. 

Timothy holds an Executive Master Degree in Business Administration. He has equally done post graduate studies and short courses on Food and Agribusines, Cooperative Management, Leadership and governance, Livelihoods and Markets, cooperative and project management, microenterprise and microfinance development and HIV/AIDS within and out of Cameroon. He recently successfully completed a 3-month Secondment Program with the International Cooperative Agricultural Organization (ICAO) with headquarters in Seoul, South Korea. Mr. Waindim is also the Vice Chairperson Central Africa Sub Region, Alliance Africa Agricultural Cooperative Organization (AAACO) and Executive Committee Member of Consumer Cooperatives Worldwide (CCW) 

 

  Mr. Thapelo Obateng - (Botswana) 

Mr. Obateng is currently serving as an Accounting Officer at the Diamond Trading Company Botswana (DTCB). He is an active member of several recognized professional bodies, including the Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Association of Accounting Technicians, the Botswana Institute of Bankers, and the International Computer Driving License–Africa.

Beyond his professional practice, Mr. Obateng has played a significant role in cooperative development and governance across Africa. He currently serves as a Board Member at Large for ICA-Africa and as a board member of the Botswana Cooperative Association (BOCA). In addition, he is a Certified African Cooperative Development Educator (ADE).

Mr. Obateng is the co-founder and former chairperson of the Ditsweletse Housing Cooperative Union and has also served as a board member of the Ditswammung Savings and Credit Cooperative Society. His contributions to the movement extend regionally and internationally, having participated in key events such as the Africa Sacco performance management system in Kampala, Uganda (2016), the World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) Convention in Denver, USA (2015), and the Africa Sacco regulatory framework discussions in Nairobi, Kenya (2014).

 

Women Representative

Ms. Nelisiwe Prudence Mbatha Moerane - (South Africa)

Ms. Nelisiwe Moerane is a seasoned leader, public servant, and community activist with extensive experience in governance, politics, and the built environment. Her career spans over three decades, beginning in the labour movement as a senior shop steward for the South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU) before transitioning into local government as a councillor in Lekoa Vaal Metro Municipality (1995–2000) and later Speaker of Sedibeng District Municipality (2000–2007).

She went on to serve in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature as a Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) and held several leadership positions, including Chair of the Governance Cluster and Secretary of the Women’s Caucus. From 2009 to 2011, she was appointed MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture, Recreation, and Heritage in Gauteng, where she was responsible for policy formulation, implementation, and monitoring. She has also contributed nationally as part of the Ministerial Task Team on Foster Care (2015–2016).

Nelisiwe is deeply committed to education, community upliftment, and women’s empowerment. She has chaired school boards, community learning institutes, and ANC structures, and played a critical role in overseeing councillor candidate selection for the 2021 local government elections. In the construction sector, she is the Director of DNB Successive Group and has been a prominent leader in the South African Women in Construction (SAWIC & BE) Gauteng division, serving as Chairperson since 2020. She also founded Divas on the Wheels, a cooperative promoting women’s opportunities in building and agriculture.

Her academic journey includes studies in governance, leadership, financial management, law, human resources, and digital entrepreneurship, with qualifications from the University of Witwatersrand, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Regenesys, NEMISA, and international institutions.

In 2024, she joined SANACO as a co-operator and helps in coordinating the representation of women in the ICA South African Sub-Region.

Youth Representative

 

 Mr. Ronald Nyamukuwa – (Zimbabwe) 

Mr. Ronald is Zimbabwean with a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and a Master of Technology in Strategy and Innovation.

He is currently the Youth Chairman of, Zimbabwe National Association of Housing Cooperatives (ZINAHCO). He has dedicated himself to advancing the cooperative movement through technology, innovation, and grassroots development, with a strong focus on youth empowerment and participation. 

He is a multi-award-winning business leader and advocate, working with young people across communities to create sustainable, locally-driven solutions that open doors to education, employment, and entrepreneurship. One of his most impactful contributions is co-founding TechUnity, Zimbabwe’s first ICT cooperative, where he currently serves as Secretary. In this role, he champions youth inclusion by ensuring young people play an active role in governance, innovation, and cooperative growth. He has also collaborated with national stakeholders to establish a national cooperative database, connecting grassroots initiatives with wider markets—an effort that highlighted the power of youth-led digital solutions to strengthen the cooperative ecosystem.

He believes that the future of the cooperative movement depends on engaging and empowering young people as leaders, innovators, and partners. He is committed to ensuring that ICA Africa becomes a stronger platform for youth voices, ideas, and aspirations—laying the foundation for a cooperative future that is inclusive, resilient, and forward-looking.