Meet Chiamaka Nnake, Anambra’s first female SSG

Chiamaka Nnake is the newly appointed Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Anambra State, becoming the first woman to occupy the position following her selection by Governor Chukwuma Soludo.

Background

Chiamaka Nnake, 39, hails from Nawfia in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Nnake holds an MBA from Lagos Business School and graduated with first-class honours in accounting from Benson Idahosa University.

She is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and a member of its national advisory committee, and has also passed level one of the Chartered Financial Analyst programme.

Private sector experience

Before joining government, Nnake worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers Nigeria as a senior strategy consultant, where she handled more than 30 client engagements across sectors including finance, agriculture, and public sector advisory.

Her performance earned her the firm’s CEO award in 2021. Earlier, she worked as a business analyst at IHS Towers and as an equity research analyst at Meristem Securities Limited.

Public service track record

At 39, Nnake has built a reputation in governance, most recently serving as commissioner for budget and economic planning.

In that role, she coordinated the mobilisation and allocation of state resources to drive development.

She has also worked with key agencies such as the Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, the Internal Revenue Service Board, and the Small Business Agency.

She doubles as the state’s reform champion for ease of doing business and focal person for social investment programmes, while serving as Nigeria chairperson for the Human Capital Opportunities for Prosperity and Equity (HOPE) Programme.

Policy influence and development work

She contributed to the Anambra Vision 2070 blueprint and has undergone executive training at Harvard Kennedy School, where she completed the Implementing Public Policy programme. She is currently pursuing a PhD in public policy.

Personal life

Nnake is married with three children.