Our Team

Team


Ekaete Alfred

Education Programme Manager

Parselelo ole Kantai

African Arguments Politics & Society Editor

Kantai brings with him a wealth of journalistic experience. Since beginning his career in the magazine world of 1990s Nairobi, he has reported from numerous African capitals for various media houses and edited several publications. Notably, he was an East Africa correspondent for The Africa Report, and editor-in-chief of the New African. He was most recently, a recipient of a Miles Morland Fellowship grant, through which he is writing a book on exiled liberation movements in 1960s and ‘70s Dar es Salaam.

Nicodemus Leo

Admin & Finance Manager (maternity cover)

@NicodemusLeoASM

Nicodemus joined the Royal African Society as the Admin and Finance Manager in September 2022 and is preparing for the current stage of his AAT Level 2 Qualifying Exam.

Between 2010 and 2018, he held Operations roles at MRS Independent Living and Millbrook Healthcare where he managed The London Borough of Hackney's Home Improvement Agency and Telecare projects. Responsible for a 24-person team, the team provided non-emergency care and managed the delivery of essential small and large-scale adaptations to the homes of residents with disabilities.

In late 2019, he spent several months in Melbourne, Australia, fundraising for Berry Street, and Care International.

In 2020, he relocated back to London, UK and took on Admin and Finance responsibilities at Hubbub, working primarily on their Social Enterprise project on their Plastic Fishing project (running volunteer fishing trips to remove plastic waste in the River Thames in an electric boat built from the recycled waste) and the Ballot Bin (An award-winning voting ashtray used to encourage behaviour change and reduce public littering).

In addition to the Admin and Finance responsibilities at RAS. He also supports the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Africa, the African Studies Association of the UK and the Mark Kingsley Zochonis Lecture Trust. He is also responsible for the day-to-day running of our office and operations support, including dealing with general enquiries, billing, payroll, and HR.

Natacha Mendes

Events Manager

Nwora Emenike

Digital Communications Manager

Sonia Foday

Fundraising Manager

Janet Rogan

CEO/Driector

@JanetRoganRAS @royafrisoc

Janet joined the Royal African Society as CEO in 2023. She is an accomplished UK and UN diplomat with over 35 years of experience in Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans and China. She was the UK's climate ambassador for Africa and the Middle East, bringing a strong focus on implementation on the ground. She has wide policy, sustainable development, climate and humanitarian credentials and works extensively with governments, private sector and investors, civil society and youth.

The Royal African Society is a membership organisation whose core mandate is to improve understanding of Africa and its 54 countries in the UK and to promote engagement of all sorts between them. We are honoured that HRH Prince William is our patron. We undertake activities to support business and investment, cultural exchanges, education and academic research, and policy influence. We provide the secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary group on Africa in the UK Parliament.

Hoda Dahir

Corporate Relations Manager

@hoda_dahir

Hoda Dahir is the Society’s Corporate Relations Manager. Prior to joining the Royal African Society, Hoda spent the last eight years working as a Strategic Communications Specialist in humanitarian and peace-keeping operations in East Africa with organisations including the Norwegian Refugee Council, the African Union and the United Nations. Directly dealing with governments, civil society organisations and international donors, Hoda helped establish effective communication channels and coordinated successful working relations for the UN and the AU missions across the Horn of Africa. Hoda holds a BA in Broadcasting Journalism from Middlesex University and an MA in Social Anthropology from SOAS - University of London.

Lizzie

Admin & Finance Manager

Lizzie is the Society's Admin and Finance Manager and is responsible for the finances as well as the smooth running of the office. With an active interest in arts and culture, the Royal African Society provides a perfect opportunity for her to further develop her passion for Africa's past, present and future.

Hetty Bailey-Morgan

Policy and Advocacy Manager

Hetty is our Policy & Advocacy Manager. A key part of her role is providing the secretariat to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Africa which aims to facilitate mutually beneficial relationships between Africa and the UK and to further understanding within the UK parliament of contemporary UK-African relations. Hetty has over 12 years experience of working with Members of Parliament and Ministers on improving international development and foreign policy. She has managed multiple parliamentary enquiries which have led to positive changes in policy and has led parliamentary delegations to various countries including Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Namibia. Hetty has a Law degree from Cardiff University and an MSc in Migration, Mobility and Development from SOAS.

James Wan

Editor, African Arguments

@jamesjwan

James Wan is Editor of African Arguments, the Royal African Society's pan-African news and analysis site. He is a British-born Mauritian. James was previously Acting Editor of African Business magazine and Senior Editor of Think Africa Press. He has written for the likes of AlJazeera, BBC, IRIN and the Guardian and was recently listed as one of the leading journalists on aid and development. James is a fellow of Wits University China-Africa Reporting Project and was shortlisted in the Guardian's International Development Journalism Competition in 2013.