Irene Mbanefo is an enterprising, highly motivated, media savvy, self-starter with a charismatic personality, possessing highly developed managerial, interpersonal and creative skills.

A seasoned educator, high achiever, an astute administrator, a seasoned manager with excellent public relations skills and a firm believer in self- improvement.

A Science degree holder, with a post graduate degree in Education and a Masters degree in Administration, began her career as a science teacher. She pioneered 2 Model schools in Abuja. Presented/moderated weekly television and radio programs; including “Schools Challenge” (NTA Channel 5), “How it works” (NTA Channel 5) and Schools Quiz Programs (Aso Radio 93.5) all under the Mamser regime.

Astute and well versed in Human Resource Management, she headed the press division while doubling as the image maker of the Education Resource centre, FCT, that produced the very newsy, pictorial and glossy “F.C.T. Education quarterly newsletter” and the other information handbooks of the centre.

A retired Director (FGN) of the Federal Ministry of Education. While in the FME she headed the Education Informatics and Documentation Division which involved initiating projects/programs from policy directives, organizing advocacy programs with the National action committee on Read campaign, for taking Reading to all levels including the grass root, as well as the planning, researching, sourcing of information/news, collation, publication and dissemination of same within the Education sector. Was on the Governing councils of the College of Education special, Oyo; University of Technology, Akure; National Mathematical Centre, Abuja and the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; representing the Federal Ministry of Education. Mbanefo also chaired the Planning Reference committee on the JCCE of the National Council on Education (NCE).

She is a past president of the Reading Association of Nigeria now LiPAN (2016-2018). Also coordinated the 10th PALFA Conference (2017) in Abuja. She is a member of the Board of trustees of LiPAN, an author and member of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA). Member of International Literacy Association (ILA).  She attended PALFA conferences in South Africa, Uganda, Kenya amongst others.

She is a fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration of Nigeria (FCAD); whose abilities were recognised for organizational administration, efficiency in resource management and visionary leadership. Irene is currently a Fellow of theNigerian Institute of Management (FNIM). She is an author, avid reader, a golfer, a member of the Girls Guide Society of Nigeria and is into creative sewing.