By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Cynthia Ezinne Ohaeri graduated as Valedictorian with a First-Class Honours degree in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, earning several prestigious academic awards.
With over six years of professional experience across the global aviation and multinational energy sectors, she has held impactful roles spanning petroleum engineering, solar project management, carbon efficiency modelling and air traffic management.
She is a recipient of the Mastercard Foundation and AfOx Linacre (Norman and Ivy Lloyd) Scholarships and is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford.
Cynthia has made history as the first Nigerian at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment and is a member of Linacre College.
In 2025, she was named among the Top 100 Africa Future Leaders in recognition of her academic excellence and social impact.
She is further strengthening her leadership and expanding her impact by increasing access to edtech opportunities for young people from disadvantaged communities through her work in STEM and climate sustainability education. For her, lofty dreams have become a reality.
Cynthia is the Founder and Societal Impact Director of Nigerian Girl in STEM, a non-profit organisation championing youth empowerment and access to education and STEM opportunities for girls from underserved communities.
She is also Co-Founder and Project Manager at Hello Dreams, where she leads the development of edtech AI tools and advances sustainability solutions for corporate and individual clients. She actively champions climate education, speaks on global platforms and volunteers as a researcher. Her publications on curbing gas flaring and decarbonising aviation using hydrogen explore novel scientific innovations.
Her interdisciplinary research at the University of Oxford combines her passion for policy, climate finance, economics and environmental innovation, preparing her for long-term impact in global sustainability transitions.
Cynthia’s work spans sustainable finance, energy policy, decarbonisation and enterprise innovation, positioning her to influence inclusive and context-sensitive sustainability solutions globally.
A firm believer in the currency of expressed excellence, she is committed to contributing her ingenuity globally through her work at Oxford.
By connecting global innovation with local realities, she aims to champion the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, lead innovation in STEM, promote global energy access and security and drive sustainable finance and economic development through data, artificial intelligence and predictive modelling.