Ambassador Oma Djebah, is an accomplished journalist-diplomat, prolific writer, consummate entrepreneur, exemplary policy expert, author and enterprising public intellectual. Ambassador Djebah’s distinguished career straddles both the private and public sectors. With over 30 years’ professional experience and expertise spanning journalism, public administration, diplomacy, international law, business development, reputation audit and management, international organizations and cross-sector development, investment and trade facilitation, leadership, communications, negotiations, public policy design and implementation, stakeholders’ management and peace-building, planning and evidence-based market research, data analytics, crisis/emergency readiness strategy/management and government relations, he brings on board enormous hands-on knowledge and multidisciplinary skill-set.
Ambassador Djebah was educated in Nigeria, Sweden and the United States of America, where he earned two Master’s degrees, a Bachelor’s degree and a post-graduate Certificate-Masters of International Law and Diplomacy (MILD, University of Lagos, Nigeria), Masters of Global Journalism (MA, Orebro University, Sweden), Certificate in Creating Collaborative Solutions (Harvard Program), and a Bachelor’s Degree (BA, University of Calabar, Nigeria) in Theatre Arts.
Djebah began his journalism career at Classique magazine in 1991, winning laurels on account of his proficiencies. Thereafter, he joined The Guardian, and later ThisDay, among others, where he rose to the pinnacle of his professional career as Senior editor. At Thisday, he was Group Politics editor, deputy editor, Senior editor and member of the newspaper’s Board of Editors at different times. In 2006, he was the only Nigerian journalist and 2nd African journalist invited by the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, USA, to serve on an expert panel of four on a public policy template for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). In 2002, he served on the Federal Government of Nigeria’s NEPAD Country team.
After an excellent career in journalism, he joined the public sector in 2007 following his appointment as Delta State Honourable Commissioner for Information (2007-2011). During his tenure, he successfully conceived and implemented Delta State brand campaign (True Face of Delta) locally and internationally in Asaba, Lagos, Geneva, New York and introduced performance indicators for measuring its effectiveness, as well as established effective lines of communications between stakeholders and the Delta State government. He conceived and established the department of public Orientation in the ministry of Information, to among other things, encourage citizens and stakeholders’ participation in public policy processes. Between 2011-2015, he served as the Senior Adviser on Foreign Relations to the Delta State Governor. From 2013 to 2015, he concurrently coordinated the Delta State high-level United Nations (UN) Performance Report, focusing on key sectors such as Agriculture, Education, Health, Water, Environment and Food Security.
Between 2021-2023, he served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Thailand with concurrent accreditation to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Bangkok as well as Myanmar. Among his key accomplishments, were the reformation of Mission’s administrative processes, simplifying steps with which citizens obtain various consular services, introduction of same day passport and travel document processing and collection system, enhancing intercountry G-to-G, B-to-B partnerships, deepened Nigeria-Thailand bilateral relations, and successfully facilitated business cooperation between Thailand’s energy giant, PTT and Nigeria’s NNPCL in specific areas of the energy value chain, which was previously in limbo for over a decade. In carrying out these roles, Amb. Djebah evinced the attributes of professional integrity, team leadership, public spiritedness, creativity, competence and diligence. And his performances have been widely adjudged meritorious, exemplary and creditable.
Previously, he served as Chairman of the Board of The New Diplomat, (A company with specialty in media content, training and market research). In 2015, he co-founded Stockholm Oil and Gas to offer advisory services to indigenous Nigerian energy companies on cross-jurisdictional business dynamics. He also serves on the Board of P-3 Farms Ltd, an agricultural solutions company. Currently, Ambassador Djebah, serves as Chairman of the Board of Mayor Jacob Concepts Ltd. Happily married with two children, Amb Oma Djebah has researched, written and presented papers on governance, diplomacy, public policy, trade and investment, leadership and media, among others. When he is not writing in his spare time, Oma is mentoring young writers at the Worthy Support Foundation (WSF), a non-profit committed to transforming lives.