Professor of Medical Microbiology; Provost, College of Postgraduate Studies, David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences; and Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Ebonyi State University. Alexander von Humboldt fellow and author of 180+ publications.
Talk about gender equity in the abstract and the conversation stays comfortable. Look at governance — who actually sits at the decision-making table, in cabinets, on boards, in university senates and council chambers — and it gets specific fast. That is exactly where the Affectionate Hands Leadership Summit (AHL Summit) 2026 is pointing one of its featured keynotes.
The keynote question
Prof. Ifeanyichukwu R. Iroha opens Day 2 of the summit as keynote speaker with a session titled “Gender equity and women’s inclusion in governance: a case study across developed and developing nations.” Rather than treating equity as a single global story, the talk compares how women’s inclusion in governance actually plays out in different national contexts — what advances it, what stalls it, and what travels across borders.
Why his vantage point matters
Prof. Iroha leads postgraduate education at two institutions: he is Provost of the College of Postgraduate Studies at David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences and, since June 2021, Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies at Ebonyi State University. As an Alexander von Humboldt fellow and visiting professor at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in Germany, he has built and led institutions on two continents. That cross-continental experience is the foundation of the comparison at the heart of his keynote.
What delegates will take away
This is a leadership learning summit, so the session is built to be used, not just admired. Expect to leave with:
- A comparative lens: how inclusion in governance differs — and rhymes — between developed and developing nations.
- Structural insight: the policies, pipelines, and institutional habits that move women into real decision-making roles.
- Transferable practice: what leaders in any sector can adapt for their own boards, teams, and institutions.
Where it fits in the program
The keynote anchors the summit’s Inclusive Governance theme and connects directly to the academic side of the event: Prof. Iroha also anchors the research and academic showcase, where graduate students and scholars submit work for serious postgraduate-level review. His fellow 2026 faculty include Yvonne Igbinosa Osagie, Dr. Mary Grogan, H.E. Dr. Amb. Isoken, and Prof. Ifeanyichukwu R. Iroha.
Join the room
The AHL Summit 2026 runs October 2–4, 2026 at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel, Brampton, Ontario — in the GTA, near Toronto. Explore the program, meet the faculty, and review your ways to attend. Traveling from outside Canada? See the international details.