The Safety Chic
Ugochi Obidiegwu is a Social Development Strategist with a specialty in developing products, programmes and providing policy advisory on pressing development issues affecting African children and youths. Her major work pillars are ensuring child safety, reducing substance abuse in youths and providing strategic direction for founders of social impact initiatives. She is the Founder of The Safety Chic (a child safety social business) and UGIP Foundation (a faith-based nonprofit organisation).
At The Safety Chic, she is the author of a child safety story book series self-published on Amazon which is available in English and French, co-creator of a COVID-19 online safety game for children and developer of a safety education app. Her child safety training and products have been experienced by children in 11 countries. Her work in child safety has been recommended as good practice for member countries of the European Network for Education and Training in Occupational Safety and Health (ENETOSH). Her work in safety education during the pandemic was featured by the UN OHCHR. She has shared her expertise with safety professionals at key industry events like the 2019 World Safety Organisation Symposium in Las Vegas, 2021 World Congress Canada and 2021 West Africa IOSH conference. She convenes the annual School Safety Summit where teachers get trained and relevant stakeholders proffer solutions to safety challenges affecting school children.
At UGIP Foundation, she leads a team to provide digital skills training to recovered drug users in Northern Nigeria in order to ensure smooth reintegration into society. Her team has also provided free safety education resources to children in public and low-income schools in Nigeria to ensure they are carried along on the safety education campaign. Her Christian fiction novel, God’s Own, was distributed for free to young women in higher institutions across the country in order to help them heal from emotional hurts and past mistakes. Her mentorship community equips young Africans with practical tools and resources to thrive and become better versions of themselves.
Ugochi Obidiegwu’s work has been featured in both local and foreign media such as the YALI Network, Tony Elumelu Foundation blog, She Leads Africa, Bellanaija, Guardian. In 2016, she became a YALI Regional Leadership Centre Fellow for Emerging African Leaders. In 2017, she was a finalist for the McKinsey Next Generation Woman Leader Award. In 2018, she became a Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur and was selected by the US government as one of Africa’s promising leaders through the Mandela Washington Fellowship. She sat on the 2018/19 West African Regional Advisory Board to IREX and USAID on matters relating to the Mandela Washington Fellowship. In 2019, she won the Africa Safety Awards for Excellence (AFRISAFE) in the “Shining Star” category for raising awareness through various health and safety initiatives. In 2020, she was listed alongside Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Angelique Kidjo, Peace Hyde and others on the WeForGood list of 100 women creating a better Africa in commemoration of International Women’s Day. In 2021, she was listed in the PowerWoman Network list of women changing the status quo and making a difference. She is also a TEDx speaker.
Ugochi is committed to ensuring that young people become better versions of themselves through her work in social development.