What We Do

Africa Global is a consulting, advisory and project sponsor firm; providing services to selected clients, and sponsoring carefully chosen projects. Our mission is to be a trusted partner, providing independent and objective advice and execution excellence.

We believe in relationships, rather than just transactions; and only take on clients and projects where we feel it is in the best interest of the client or project partner, and where we are certain we can create value.

We therefore only accept a limited number of clients and projects at all times: to ensure that we treat each with deep focus, best-in-class service or project sponsorship, and the highest levels of confidentiality and discretion.

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Reputation and credibility are invaluable assets, which are essential to building an institution that can stand the test of time. We seek to maintain and build our institutional foundations on trust, reputation and credibility, and ensuring that client and partner interests come first.

This is one of our guiding principles, even where for instance, that means advising a client not to do a transaction that would generate revenues for our firm, or similarly, not sponsoring a profitable project.

This may be for a myriad of reasons: for example, because we feel that the transaction is not currently advisable for the client. A case might be a client requesting us to carry out an Initial Public Offering (IPO) for them; whereas we believe that taking more time to develop their business, strengthen corporate governance and other actions is in the client’s best interest. Comparably, we may chose not to sponsor a project because we believe it is not advisable for the project or asset owner.

We always give that objective advice even when we know it may not be what the client or partner wants to hear. It may lead to missing out on some transactions, but we do not compromise on always speaking the truth as we perceive it. Of course, we also listen and are completely open to debate and discussion. With clients and project partners who welcome our honesty and objectivity, we find that it establishes mutual trust and thereby allows us to deliver value.

Our Guiding Principles are:

• Our clients’ interests come first and foremost before any other consideration when accepting and implementing any mandate.

• We do not accept any client or project unless we believe it is in the best interest of the client or project owner, and we are certain that we can add value.

• We always provide independent, objective and frank advice.

• We aspire to be exceptional in all we do, including providing best-in-class service quality or project sponsorship, and world class execution excellence.

• We maintain the highest levels of integrity, confidentiality and discretion.

• A commitment to environmental sustainability is an integral element of our values, and we embed this commitment into our working practices and activities.

• We are dedicated to the highest duty of care for our team of employees and project personnel at all levels; and aim to support our colleagues in all ways possible.

• We also seek to provide opportunities for continuous development and growth to our colleagues and partners: both professionally and personally.

LEADERSHIP

China Danforth Onyemelukwe
Group CEO

China has over 35 years of experience in consulting, advisory, investment banking, and project management in the US, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. He founded Africa Global Consulting (AG) in 2014.

Prior to setting up AG, he was Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs in London, responsible for Sub-Saharan Africa coverage. In this role, he covered clients and products across all areas, including energy, financial institutions and industrial conglomerates.

He originally joined Goldman Sachs (GS) in 2011 as Head of Africa, in the Securities Division of the firm, which handles Sales and Trading of Commodities, Fixed Income and Foreign Exchange, before moving across to the Investment Banking Division. He left Goldman Sachs in 2014 to set up AG, though - at the request of GS - he also continued to work (through AG) as a consultant to GS for two further years, in order to assist GS in continuing to grow their Africa business.

Over his career, he has been responsible for leading a variety of transactions across the African continent:- including during his time at GS, raising over USD 2 Billion in Eurobond and other financings for African Financial Institutions, including Access Bank Plc, First Bank of Nigeria, Equity Bank Kenya and Zenith Bank Plc, amongst others. Other transactions he has led in Africa over the decades include consulting, advisory, fundraising and project management for a wide variety of clients, including industrial conglomerates, engineering, energy, manufacturing and private equity clients: such as Dangote Industries, Tullow Oil, Diageo and Helios Investments.

China began his career in 1986 at Chase Merchant Bank in Nigeria. He eventually left to pursue post-graduate studies in the UK and US, following which he joined Merrill Lynch in 1996 (NOTE: Merrill Lynch is now Bank of America, having been acquired by Bank of America in 2008).

He joined Merrill in New York in the Global Investment Banking Division and subsequently moved to the London offices covering EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). He returned to Nigeria in 2006 as the pioneer Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Capital, at the time, the investment banking subsidiary of Zenith Bank Plc. He left Zenith to join Goldman Sachs in London.

China holds professional certifications in Petroleum Economics, Project Management, Oil & Gas Engineering Metrics and Risk Management.

He also holds a Bachelor’s degree (BSc) in Economics from the University of Benin in Nigeria; a Master’s degree (MSc) in International Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK; and a Master’s in Business Administration degree (MBA) from Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.

Charles Davidson
Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Charles has over 25 years of professional experience in Consulting, Operations, Business Analysis and Engineering.

He began his career at ExxonMobil in 2001 as an Operations Engineer, gaining invaluable insights into both technical engineering aspects, and as operations and management, and working on projects across the globe; including in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

He subsequently worked with Wells Fargo as a Senior Business Analyst, focused primarily on Energy, Telecommunications and Technology clients. In this role, he garnered strong industry knowledge and experience, building upon his technical and operations expertise, along with broad financial services experience.

He joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world’s premier consulting firms, as a Senior Vice President in Operations, managing the operations of BCG across various disciplines and geographies.

This also involved providing consulting and operations management services to priority global clients seeking to outsource or optimize relevant business areas.

Charles joined AG in 2015 as Head of Operations. He became COO in 2020, and has held that position to date.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree (B.S.) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, USA, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA), with a specialization in Management & Operations - from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, USA.

Kelvin Garner
Head of Projects

Kelvin has over 30 years of professional experience in Consulting and Advisory Services, including Project Management, Project Finance and Project Development/Project Sponsorship.

He began his career in 1992 as a Consultant with ICF International in the US, a leading global consulting firm, covering energy policy, power markets, regulatory advisory and infrastructure consulting.

He spent 10 years with ICF, focusing on global energy and infrastructure, before joining Bain Capital as a Managing Director, covering emerging markets in Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

In this role, he was responsible for project management, project development and sponsorship and project finance, for a broad spectrum of clients and projects across the full range of industries and EMEA geographies.

Kelvin departed BC to work with the Global Energy Alliance as an Advisor; and subsequently joined AG in 2015 as Head of Projects, overall responsible for project technical & commercial strategy and project management - both for our clients and where we act as a project sponsor.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree (B.S.) in Energy Management & Systems Technology from the University of California, USA.

Kelvin also holds a combined Dual Master’s degree (Master of Science in Project Management & Masters in Business Administration) from the Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey, USA.

He also holds numerous professional certifications, including in Business Analysis, Economic Modelling, Project Finance and Engineering Systems.

Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr
Consulting Lead

Chidiogo has over 15 years’ experience in Consulting, Project Management, Strategy, Business Development and Management Consulting.

Over her career, she has worked and lived across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, North America and Europe. Chidiogo speaks 7 languages: English, Igbo, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian and Spanish.

She previously worked at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Geneva, Switzerland, as a World Economic Forum Global Leadership Fellow, and the Senior Community Manager, Global Shapers Africa Community, responsible for pan-African coverage across the continent.

Her other professional experience prior to AG includes working with Roland Berger Strategy Consultants in Dubai and Nigeria; with Dalberg Global Consulting in Washington D.C. and with the Frontier Strategy Group also based in Washington, though covering Africa.

Chidiogo also previously worked with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as Analyst-Regional Bureau for Africa; as Emerging Markets Consultant at T&D Associates Consulting in Beijing, China, and Program Director for Africa at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin, Germany. She began working with AG in 2019.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) in International Relations & Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania, US and a Master’s Degree (M.A.) in International Relations & Economics from the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University, US.

She also holds a Master in Global Leadership from the World Economic Forum: with certificates from INSEAD, Columbia University, Wharton School, London Business School, China Europe International Business School, and Cornell Tech.

Chidiogo is also a published author, and has founded and participates actively in a number of pan-African and international nonprofit organisations and communities.