Mercy Olorunfemi is a project management specialist with a multifaceted background in food systems transformation, digital innovation, entrepreneurship development, gender, and partnership. Her impressive career spans over eight years, during which she has managed portfolios exceeding 20 million euros across Africa, impacting the lives of over 10,000 women, youth, and children.
Currently, Mercy leads the Nutrition Impact at Scale (NIS) Project, which operates in six African countries—Nigeria, Benin, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Kenya This project aims to enhance food systems by working with Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs) to integrate a nutrition lens into their support for agri-food SMEs. Mercy previously served as Project Manager - Business Support at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). In this role, she led the business support component of the Strengthening Nutrition in Priority Staples Project (SNIPS) in Nigeria. This project, a collaboration with GIZ and the Green Innovation Centre, supported by the German Government, focused on improving access to nutritious foods and commercializing nutrient-enriched foods with a budget of 10 million euros.
Before GAIN, as a West Africa Consultant for the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), Mercy co-facilitated gender equality initiatives and led sector knowledge development projects. Her tenure as Program Manager at Connect Lab showcased her ability to design and implement impactful livelihood development programmes in northern Nigeria, aiding the transition from emergency to development.
Additionally, Mercy's role as Business Operations, Development, and Programs Lead at the Network of Incubators and Innovators in Nigeria (NINE) saw her lead the launch of the USD 10 million Jack Ma's Africa Business Heroes (The Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI)) in West Africa.
Mercy Olorunfemi
Project Manager, Nutrition Impact at Scale, GAIN