Princess Philomena Desmond-Ogugua is an international development professional who promotes US-Africa trade and investment and advises investors and companies on doing business in Africa. Princess Philomena has successfully built relationships and strategic partnerships between US investors and companies interested in exploring the African market. She is an accomplished executive with over twenty years of experience in Africa market entry, project and deal identification, investment facilitation, and in-depth work in infrastructure,
energy, agribusiness, financial services, healthcare, and the education sectors.
Princess Philomena has a global corporate and government clientele that ranges from Nigerian State governments to clients in the United States, India, Nigeria, Guinea, Congo, Togo, Mali, DRC etc. Princess Philomena is responsible for developing new business opportunities through strategic relationships and joint ventures through integration and cooperation in her business development capacity.
Previously, Princess Philomena was a Senior Consultant for the Business Women Network on International Business, where she headed their international product strategy, including global product research, brand development, and market entry strategy implementation. She was a member of the private sector coalition that worked on and lobbied for the passage of the Africa Growth and Opportunities (AGOA) Act into law during President William Jefferson Clinton's administration and was invited by President Clinton to the White House to witness the first signing into law the AGOA Bill. She has organized numerous successful trade missions from the United States to Africa and vice versa.
She was a member of the private sector delegation that traveled with then-President Clinton during his State visit to Nigeria. She has consulted on Foreign Affairs for key politicians in Africa. She crafted their foreign policies and managed their international public relations. She has strong and in-depth knowledge of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially the ECOWAS, COMESA, and SADC regions. She has solid relationships with the government of the Republic of Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo-Brazzaville,
Republic of Angola, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome &Principe, Republic of Liberia, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, and South Africa, The Republic of India and the People’s Republic of China; to name a few.
She also has excellent and in-depth knowledge of the United States of America. She holds dual citizenship in The United States of America. The Federal Republic of Nigeria Princess Philomena is an experienced leader and has led international advocacy and diplomacy groups
that raised funds for various organizations through her global network. She is an experienced corporate director and is on the board of numerous companies, including Good Custodian LLC, Horizon Africa Corporation, Hudson Consulting Group, Threadstone, Desmond Global Energy,
Ogugua & Sons Ltd, and Friends of the Children of Angola, to name a few. She is also aconsultant to the Africa Business Roundtable and has been appointed a consultant to the Institute of Governance and Leadership in Abuja, Nigeria.
She is also a precinct chair of the Democratic Party in Virginia (VA Dems, Prince William County) and was appointed to lead Africans for the National Democratic Ethnic Coordinating Council (NDECC) of the Democratic National Committee. She was a Co-National Chair of the
Biden/Harris campaign for the African Diaspora in the United States of America. She is the Chair of the Virginia African Diaspora Committee and Chair of the State Steering Committee of the Virginia African Diaspora Committee. Princess Philomena is a philanthropist passionate about helping the disenfranchised and people experiencing poverty. She has helped raise awareness for various causes, including the “Get out the Vote” campaign in various African countries and the United States.
She has been appointed as the liaison and representative of the International Cooperation Platform, Turkey (ICP), the organizers of the Bosphorus in Summit for Africa and the United States of America. She serves on the Virginia African America Advisory Board appointed by the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, and on the Boards of the League of Minority Voters, BPUR International (A Global organization working to enact an “International Treaty to Ban the Political Use of Religion”) and also on the Advisory Board of Anouar Association of Marrakesh, Morocco.
She received her undergraduate degree from Rowan State University in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a concentration in Microbiology. She has a Master’s degree in Business and Public Administration with a concentration in International Business and public Administration from Southeastern University in Washington, DC, and also did graduate work at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on Public Health and Howard University in Microbiology.
