Hyeladzira James Mshelia

Programs Manager

Hyeladzira James Mshelia is a Programs Manager at Connected Development with technical and programmatic management skills in designing and implementing gender equality, environmental and climate-related projects, policy influencing, and WASH campaigns in Africa.

In a country where corruption thrives and accountability and transparency are reprehensible, her role in CODE spurs transparency and accountability in governance while urging citizens to track and monitor government projects in their communities. In CODE, she has over time continuously led strategic campaigns that address issues affecting women and girls including gender-responsive budgeting, girl-child education campaigns, and campaigns to eliminate all forms of violence targeted toward women and girls.

Hyeladzira has a Bachelor’s degree (B.SC) in Environmental Biology which she has used to develop targeted programs/ interventions on environmental sustainability and climate action. Passionate about promoting the culture of environmental Sustainability in Nigeria and West Africa to achieve SDGs 13, 14, and 15,  Hyeladzira is responsible for spearheading the activities of  Earth Hour yearly. She is part of the  Climate Reality Leadership Corps,  a global network of activists and influencers who advocate for climate crisis and justice. She is a member of the World Economic Forum; a Global Shaper with the Abuja hub where she is the grants manager and co-chairs the “Abuja Dialogue Series” aimed at policy development from community/stakeholder engagement, mobilization, and dialogue.

Hyeladzira also has experience developing and influencing communication interventions through data storytelling and strategic use of program-related information for advocacy for non-profit and profit organizations. She has consulted for the likes of Plan International to design and develop USAID E-WASH toolkits for E-WASH media and CSO partners in five States respectively. 

She has been featured on various international platforms where she spoke about discrimination, inequality, and sexual harassment (OXFAM Novid Wall of Voices), World News Today etc