Alison-Madueke Turned Fifty Two on 6th December 2012

Diezani was born on 6th December, 1960, in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, to the family of His Royal Majesty, late Frederick Abiye and Chief Mrs Beatrice Agama from Yenaka, Yenagoa Local Government Area, of Bayelsa State. She completed her early education in Nigeria before proceeding to study Architecture in the United States. She completed her 5-year professional Architectural degree at Howard University, Washington D. C. Thereafter, she began her working career at Charles Szoradi Architects, moving on to American Interior Builders Inc. as Project Engineer, both in Washington D.C. In 1988, she joined Furman Construction Management Inc. Rockville, Maryland, as Design Coordinator, returning to Howard University as an in-house Project Manager and a member of the Planning and Development team responsible for the design and implementation of a comprehensive master building and renovation plan for the University.

In time, she joined Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1992 as Head of the Project Unit of the Estate Development Division in Lagos, supervising the refurbishing and Maintenance of the company’s real estate in Lagos, Abuja and Jos. She later moved to the External Affairs Directorate as Head of the newly instituted Corporate Issues Identification and Management Department.

In 2002, she was awarded the prestigious British Foreign and Commonwealth Chevening Scholarship and preceded on sabbatical leave to The Judge Business Institute (then called “Judge Institute of Management”) Cambridge University Hudges Hall, UK, where she obtained an MBA in 2003. On returning, she was appointed Shell Nigeria’s Senior JV Relations Adviser for Strategy and Planning and then Lead Ventures Relation Adviser, managing the company’s relations and reputation amongst its Joint Venture partners.

Alison-Madueke has held three significant Federal cabinet positions in the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since 2007:

She is married with children to Rear Admiral Alison-Madueke (rtd), a former Governor of old Anambra and Imo States and a former Chief of Naval Staff of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.