Alumni and Supporters

Graduate Diploma of Business (Management Studies) (2003)
Master of Business Administration (2003)
Doctor of Philosophy (2009)

“I have always had big dreams about my career and longed to work for an international development organisation. During my time at ECU, I attained three degrees and graduated finally with a PhD in hand, ready to make my contributions on the international stage.”

Nalishebo studied at ECU between 2001 and 2009. By the time she completed her studies, she had already started making inroads into the international development arena and found an opportunity in Africa’s agricultural policy and investment agenda.

“ECU really supported me and helped me realise my dreams – my career in international development was truly born at ECU.”

After leaving ECU, Nalishebo was hired to work at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as a CAADP Facilitator. In that role, she facilitated the first ever Conference of African Ministers of Agriculture and Land (CAMA) in 2009.

She has since worked in the international development policy arena, supporting African governments in developing holistic national and regional agricultural sector strategies, promoting evidence-based analyses in support of policymaking toward enhancing poverty reduction, eliminating hunger, and boosting food security and nutrition in the continent.

She currently heads the secretariat of a network of national agricultural policy research institutes based in 11 countries of east, central, southern, and west Africa, working closely with institutions in the continent and other similar think tanks and partners in the global north.

"Dream big. Once you know your passion, make yourself relevant by aligning your skills to the sector that appeals to you as much as possible.”

With multiple degrees and vast international experience, Nalishebo maintains her greatest achievement is raising two good citizens as a single mother.

“My two children are incredible people and I now have four grandchildren who are such bundles of joy.”

“My other great achievement is that I have made a difference as a result of the work that I do.”

“ECU staff were fantastic, as I juggled study with parenting two young children on my own. The uni is etched into my resume for life, and gave me the necessary tools and the confidence that I needed to step out into the world to work in areas that I had only dreamt of working in.”

“To anyone thinking of studying or looking at progressing in their career, I strongly encourage you to dream big. Once you know your passion, make yourself relevant by aligning your skills to the sector that appeals to you as much as possible.”

“Once you have done that, you can let your passion drive change. You can impact humanity everyday in the things that you do, whether big or small, you will make a contribution and will feel great about it.”

“I love what I do and get so much satisfaction from seeing my work changing lives, particularly so when I see statistics confirming that poverty and hunger is reducing in Africa. For me, there is no greater satisfaction in one’s work than when you know that you have contributed to making a positive difference.”

“As I think about what’s next for me, I will continue providing my contribution wherever it is required. I have also started writing a little, in recent times, and I would certainly like to mentor young people who seek to build their careers as leaders, as a way of giving back to community.”

“It is such an incredible honour to receive the International ECU Alumni Award. I thank ECU for all their support over the years and this ongoing acknowledgement.”