By Ogochukwu Isioma
Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo has approved the appointment of Dr. (Mrs.) Loretta Oduware Ogboro-Okor as the Director-General of the Edo State Diaspora Agency (ESDA).
The appointment was confirmed in a letter addressed to the new ESDA DG and signed by Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq., Secretary to the State Government, dated March 10, 2025.
It will be recalled that Dr. Ogboro-Okor served as a member of the eight-man Steering Committee for the establishment of the Edo State Diaspora Agency.
The agency was established to cater to affairs concerning Edo indigenes living outside the country.
Edo currently has one of the largest communities in the Nigerian diaspora.
About Dr. (Mrs.) Loretta Oduware Ogboro-Okor
Dr. (Mrs.) Loretta Oduware Ogboro-Okor is a United Kingdom-trained Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Medical Simulator, Educationist, Researcher, Author, Policy Developer, Politician, Global Goodwill Ambassador, and United Nations Eminent Peace Ambassador.
She is currently completing her PhD in Law and Criminology at the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom.
A great-great-grandchild of Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi, the 35th Oba of the Ancient Benin Kingdom, Dr. Ogboro-Okor’s ancestral roots, both paternal and maternal, span six out of the eighteen Local Government Areas of Edo State.
From a young age, she demonstrated leadership, serving as Head Girl of Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Benin City, and Vice-President of the University of Benin Medical Students’ Association (UBMSA). Today, Dr. Ogboro-Okor leads multiple organizations, including the Edo Diaspora Working Group, Edo State Focus Group Worldwide, and the Diaspora Akpakomiza Movement.
She is also the President of the University of Benin Alumni Association, United Kingdom, a member of Umagba n’Edo ne Prayer Ministries, and Edo State Women’s Association.
For over two decades, Dr. Ogboro-Okor has mobilized Edo communities globally, promoting cultural heritage, integration, and development across 60 countries. In 2022, she became the first female keynote speaker at the Edo National Association Worldwide Convention in its 30-year history, held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 2024, Dr. Ogboro-Okor contested for the Governorship of Edo State, championing policies aimed at unity, cultural integration, and progress.
Dr. Ogboro-Okor is a passionate advocate for advancing 21st-century healthcare in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa. This commitment led to the co-founding of the Ashanti Graham Health & Education Initiative Foundation (AGHEIF) in 2010 with her husband, Dr. Douglas E. Okor, a United Kingdom-trained Consultant Neurosurgeon now based in Nigeria.
She also established the Loretta Health Initiative (https://lorettahealth.com) to provide free primary healthcare to rural Edo State communities.
Since 2016, her motivational platform, Loretta Reveals (http://www.lorettareveals.org.uk), has inspired individuals globally to lead purposeful lives.
Her book, My Father’s Daughter, has sold many copies worldwide, further spreading her message of resilience and empowerment.
A strong woman of faith and an epitome of humility, Dr. Ogboro-Okor, along with her husband and children, continues to advocate for unity, progress, and humanity.
Guided by her mantra, “Our shared humanity is the true religion,” she remains committed to building bridges across communities and fostering cross-border collaboration.
