The First Lady of Ogun State and Founder of the AJOSE Foundation, Her Excellency Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Dr. Mojisola Florence Akinsanya, a highly respected development expert, gender specialist and former Executive Director of the AJOSE Foundation. 

Dr. Akinsanya served the development sector with distinction for more than twenty five years, working with leading international partners including the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia, the World Bank HPDP Two HAF CSO Grant and the Commonwealth Fund Foundation. She built a remarkable career dedicated to advancing gender equality, strengthening women’s leadership and promoting the protection and empowerment of women and girls in Nigeria, Africa and the Pacific.

Over the past three years, Dr. Akinsanya worked with the United Nations Development Programme and UN Women in Papua New Guinea under the Women Make A Change Project, where she contributed significantly to civic engagement, gender based violence prevention and women’s participation in governance. Since 2013, she served as a Gender Analyst in Elections with the African Union, participating in missions across eight countries and providing critical technical expertise on gender inclusion in electoral processes.

Her work extended across conflict, displacement and fragile settings, and she was widely recognized as an international consultant with deep expertise in civic engagement, gender mainstreaming and policy advocacy. She provided leadership at national and sub national levels in Nigeria and held key roles in civil society networks across the ECOWAS sub region. Dr. Akinsanya earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Gender Studies from Oregon State University in the United States.

During her tenure as Executive Director of the AJOSE Foundation, Dr. Akinsanya strengthened program architecture, deepened community engagement and brought unmatched passion and professionalism to the Foundation’s mission. Her leadership remains an integral part of the organisation’s growth and impact.

Her Excellency Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun described her passing as “a profound loss to the AJOSE Foundation family and to the development community as a whole. Dr. Akinsanya was an exceptional leader whose intellectual depth, compassion and commitment to justice shaped every space she walked into. Her absence will be deeply felt across Nigeria and beyond.”

The nonprofit sector has lost a respected voice, a courageous advocate and a champion of women and girls whose work will continue to influence generations.

The AJOSE Foundation extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Dr. Akinsanya and to the colleagues and partners who were shaped by her guidance and inspired by her service.