Nwanneka Onwuka
Senior project manager
Nwanneka Onwuka is a senior project manager with experience managing complex international development and environmental projects. She specialises in project and portfolio management, financial oversight, donor compliance, partnership coordination and delivery across multi-country programmes.
Her work focuses on advancing equity, rights and effective governance in nature conservation, alongside emerging areas of nature finance and sustainable development.
After joining IIED in September 2023, Nwanneka moved into project management in the Natural Resources research group in June 2024.
She gained project management professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute in 2026.
Expertise
Complex project and portfolio management; international project delivery; financial management and forecasting; donor compliance and contractual management; partnership and stakeholder coordination; equitable governance and nature conservation; nature finance and biodiversity markets.
Before IIED
Nwanneka held roles at IO Furniture Ltd and Sterling Bank, including as digital ecommerce and branding manager, project manager and customer service manager.
Education
MSc, project management, University of Sunderland, London (2023)
BA, English and literature, Abia State University, Abia, Nigeria (2006-11)
Current work
Nwanneka manages a portfolio of complex projects supporting IIED’s work on equity, rights and locally-led action in nature conservation. Her work includes projects on the equitable governance of protected and conserved areas, governance and rights, debt-for-climate and nature swaps, and the development and application of approaches to assess governance and equity in conservation.
Her role covers the full project lifecycle, including planning and delivery, budget management and forecasting, donor reporting and compliance, risk management, contracts and partner coordination.
She works closely with research teams, international partners, funders and IIED’s specialist functions to support effective project delivery. She also contributes to IIED’s work on transforming conservation and nature finance.