Awele Elumelu
Awele Elumelu OFR | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Awele Vivien Elumelu 23 June 1970 Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Citizenship | Nigeria |
| Occupations | Physician, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist |
| Known for | Chairperson, Avon Healthcare, Avon Medical and Transcorp Hotels, Co-founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation and wife of Tony Elumelu |
| Spouse | Tony Elumelu |
| Children | 7 |
Awele Vivien Elumelu OFR (born 23 June 1970) is a Nigerian physician and business executive who chairs Avon Healthcare Limited and Avon Medical Practice, and holds non-executive positions at Heirs Holdings and other organizations.[1][2] She is also the co-founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which supports entrepreneurship in Africa.[3]
Early life and education
Elumelu was born in Lagos State, Nigeria, on 23 June 1970. She attended Queen's College, Lagos. and graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degrees from the University of Benin. She has practised medicine in both Nigeria and the United Kingdom, including at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Grantham and District Hospital.[4]
Career
Elumelu is a medical practitioner and healthcare executive. Her work and advocacy focus on healthcare infrastructure, medical insurance access, and healthcare service delivery.[5]
Avon Medical Practice
In 2013, she founded Avon Medical and began operations as a network of clinics and medical centres. Since its founding, the organisation has expanded to provide services in various specialities, including diagnostics, wellness, and preventive healthcare.[6]
Avon Healthcare Limited
In 2013, she founded Avon Healthcare Limited, a health maintenance organisation (HMO) in Nigeria. Through Avon HMO, she oversees the provision of health insurance products tailored to various sectors of the Nigerian population.[7][8][9]
Heirs Insurance Brokers
In addition to healthcare, Dr Elumelu has a strong presence in the insurance industry as the Chairperson of Heirs Insurance Brokers, further strengthening her impact on the business landscape.[10]
Heirs Holdings
She serves as a Non-Executive Director at Heirs Holdings, a pan-African family-owned investment company committed to driving economic growth across the African continent.
Heirs Holdings was founded in 2010 and maintains a portfolio of investments across several sectors, including Healthcare, Financial Services, Real Estate & Hospitality, Energy, and technology.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation
In 2010, together with her husband, Tony, they also co-founded the Tony Elumelu Foundation, an African-based philanthropy empowering a new generation of African entrepreneurs out of their commitment to fostering economic development and social impact initiatives in Africa in line with their economic philosophy of Africapitalism.[11] The Foundation has empowered over 400,000 young African men and women across all 54 African countries with non-refundable grants, mentorship, and business training.
Transcorp Hotels Plc
In 2026, she was appointed as the Chairperson of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Nigeria’s leading hospitality company, owner of the iconic Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, where she drives its commitment to redefining hospitality across the continent.[12] Transcorp Hotels is a subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc, Nigeria’s largest quoted conglomerate, with strategic investments in the power, hospitality, and energy sectors
Advocacy
Elumelu has participated in campaigns for universal health coverage, particularly focusing on maternal and child health and immunization programs.[4] She was appointed GAVI Champion for Immunisation in Africa, working to raise awareness about vaccine access and preventable diseases.[13]
She sits on several regional and global boards, including the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Centre,[14] Yale Institute of Global Health, and the African Union’s African High-Level Ministerial Committee on Global Health Architecture (AHLMC).[3][15]
Awards
In 2023, she was conferred Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) by President Muhammadu Buhari.[16][17][18]
In 2026, She was recognised in TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in Philanthropy of 2026[19][20]
Personal life
She is married to Tony Elumelu.[21][22]
References
- ↑ "Awele Elumelu at 55: A Prescription for Purpose". This Day. 29 June 2025. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "Awele Vivien Elumelu - EJS Center". 17 March 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- 1 2 Muaz, Hassan (27 November 2021). "Like Tony, Awele Elumelu is uplifting female entrepreneurs in Africa |". The Eagle Online. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- 1 2 Moses-Ashike, Hope (27 August 2019). "Awele Vivien Elumelu: Investing strategically to redefine healthcare delivery in Nigeria". BusinessDay. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ Ekechukwu, Ferdinand (29 June 2019). "Awele Elumelu Glows as She Adds One More Year". This Day. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "Dr Awele Elumlelu - Avon Medical Practice". avonmedical-wp.azurewebsites.net. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ "Board Members - AVON HMO". 14 October 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Donatus, Faith (9 April 2026). "Inside Avon Healthcare's mission to fix Nigeria's 90% insurance gap". BusinessDay. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ "Avon HMO appoints new CEO". Premium Times. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Enengedi, Victor (16 November 2024). "Billionaire Tony Elumelu's Wife Makes Case for Women, Demands Gender Equality in Insurance Sector - Legit.ng". www.legit.ng. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Aimuengheuwa, Joan (23 March 2026). "Tony Elumelu Foundation Unveils 3,200 Entrepreneurs for 2026 Cohort". Tech | Business | Economy. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Ikhaghu, Abigail (17 December 2025). "Elumelu to chair Transcorp Hotels board". The Guardian. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Ugbodaga, Kazeem (29 January 2018). "Elumelu appointed Gavi Champion for Immunisation in Africa". P.M. News. Lagos, Nigeria. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ "Dr. Awele Vivien Elumelu - EJS Center". 17 March 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Oduah, Henry (1 December 2020). "Elumelu's wife joins Yale health advisory board". QED.NG. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ Ajimotokan, Olawale (29 May 2023). "Buhari Confers Special National Honours on Anyaoku, Osoba, Akande, Emefiele, Wigwe, Wale Edun, Davido, 333 Others". This Day. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ Olisah, Chike (28 May 2023). "Buhari confers national honours on Emefiele, Anyaoku, Keyamo, Mrs Elumelu, others". Nairametrics. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ Odeniyi, Solomon (28 May 2023). "Buhari confers national honour on Anyaoku, Emefiele others". The Punch. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ BellaNaija.com (15 May 2026). "Tony and Awele Vivien Elumelu Named Among TIME100 Philanthropy Honourees for 2026". BellaNaija. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ "TIME100 Philanthropy: Tony Elumelu & Awele Vivien Elumelu". TIME. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 2 July 2026.
- ↑ Omenye, Alex (21 February 2025). "Decades After, Awele and Tony Elumelu's Love Is Still Waxing Stronger". The Culture Custodian (Est. 2014.). Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ↑ Enengedi, Victor (28 July 2024). "Meet Awele Elumelu, The Visionary Powerhouse Behind Tony Elumelu's Success - Legit.ng". Legit.ng. Retrieved 25 November 2025.