Founder and Executive Director of Mazik Foundation for Consumer Rights (Nigeria) and Mazik Foundation for Consumer Rights Inc. (New York).

Zik Igbadi Boniwe, M.A, LL.M.

Founder & Executive Director, Mazik Foundation for Consumer Rights (Nigeria)

Founder & Executive Director, Mazik Foundation for Consumer Rights Inc. (New York)

Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Mazik Resources International Nigeria Limited

Zik Igbadi Boniwe is a Nigerian-American public policy professional, governance advocate, nonprofit executive, and business leader with more than three decades of experience spanning consumer protection, public administration, transparency and accountability, civil society leadership, community development, and private sector management.

He is the Founder and Executive Director of Mazik Foundation for Consumer Rights, a nonprofit organization established in Nigeria and the United States to promote consumer rights, combat financial fraud and online scams, advance digital and financial literacy, provide consumer support services, and promote economic empowerment for vulnerable populations. He is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mazik Resources International Nigeria Limited; a private sector enterprise focused on sustainable economic development.

Mr. Boniwe brings a unique combination of International Natural Resources Law expertise, government operational experience, donor-funded project management, grassroots advocacy, and organizational leadership. His career reflects a longstanding commitment to public service, accountability, citizen empowerment, and building institutions that protect communities from exploitation, corruption, and economic harm.

Educational Background

Mr. Boniwe holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in International Natural Resources Laws and Policies from the Faculty of Law and Accountancy, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom. He also holds a master’s degree in organizational management, with advanced knowledge in organizational leadership, strategic planning, institutional development, budgeting, and program implementation.

His multidisciplinary academic background has enabled him to work effectively across legal, governmental, nonprofit, and private sector environments, translating policy concepts into practical programs that create measurable social impact.

Public Service Experience

Mr. Boniwe has extensive public sector experience in the United States, including service within California state government as Associate Governmental Program Analyst and the New York State civil service, as a Program Operations Specialist.

Through his public service career, he has developed expertise in program administration, regulatory compliance, operational management, stakeholder coordination, performance monitoring, and government accountability systems. These experiences have strengthened his capacity to design, manage, and evaluate programs consistent with public sector and donor expectations.

Civil Society Leadership and Governance Advocacy

Prior to founding Mazik Foundation, Mr. Boniwe served in leadership roles as Director of Programs with the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), a respected Nigerian civil society organization recognized for its work in governance, transparency, anti-corruption, and public accountability.

During his tenure at ANEEJ, he developed and managed projects supported by international development partners, including the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Commonwealth Education Fund, Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), DFID, OXFAM, ActionAid, and PATH Nigeria.

He was responsible for project development, implementation coordination, partner engagement, reporting, and ensuring effective delivery of donor-supported interventions.

Mr. Boniwe also contributed to major governance initiatives, including:

·       Coordination of civil society efforts monitoring the utilization of recovered Abacha funds, supporting transparency and accountability in the management of repatriated public resources.

·       Management of the Publish What You Pay Campaign under the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), promoting openness and accountability in Nigeria’s extractive sector.

·       Engagement with civil society organizations, government institutions, and private sector stakeholders to strengthen citizen participation and governance reforms.

Following his service at ANEEJ, Mr. Boniwe served as the Founding Secretary of the Central Working Committee of the Partners for Peace (P4P) Network in the Niger Delta, in the nine oil-producing states of the Niger Delta; contributing to the establishment of a major multi-stakeholder peacebuilding platform supported by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and technical partners. Through P4P, he worked with civil society organizations, community leaders, government institutions, and development actors to promote collaboration, conflict prevention, and community resilience.

Mr. Boniwe combines public service experience, nonprofit leadership, entrepreneurship, and grassroots engagement to advance practical solutions in consumer protection, financial fraud mitigation, digital safety, and economic empowerment.

These experiences established Mr. Boniwe as a skilled coalition builder with practical experience working with communities, government institutions, development partners, and civil society networks.

Founding Vision of Mazik Foundation for Consumer Rights

Mr. Boniwe founded Mazik Foundation in response to the growing challenges of financial fraud, online scams, deceptive commercial practices, and consumer vulnerability in Nigeria’s increasingly digital economy.

He recognized that millions of consumers, particularly women, youth, elderly citizens, people with disabilities, small business operators, and low-income households, lacked adequate access to consumer education, fraud prevention information, legal support, and effective complaint resolution mechanisms.

Under his leadership, Mazik Foundation has developed an integrated consumer protection model focused on:

·       Consumer rights education and advocacy.

·        Financial fraud prevention and digital safety awareness.

·       Online scam prevention.

·       Consumer complaint management and referral services.

·       Community-based fraud prevention networks.

·       Policy advocacy and institutional collaboration.

·       Economic empowerment initiatives.

The Foundation is currently developing the Delta State Financial Fraud Mitigation, Online Scams Prevention and Economic Empowerment Initiative, a pilot program designed to establish a scalable model for strengthening consumer protection and digital resilience across Nigeria.

Demonstrated Early Impact

Since its registration by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2024, Mazik Foundation has demonstrated measurable impact despite operating primarily through founder-supported resources.

Under Mr. Boniwe’s leadership, the Foundation has:

·       Received and managed more than 100 consumer complaints, successfully resolving over 80 cases through mediation, negotiation, consumer education, and engagement with businesses and service providers.

·        Referred unresolved cases to appropriate government agencies mandated to address specific consumer issues, ensuring that affected individuals receive access to appropriate institutional support.

·       Prevented at least 15 incidents of financial fraud and online scams by providing timely intervention, fraud awareness, and guidance to potential victims.

·       Trained more than 20 Point-of-Sale (POS) operators on financial fraud prevention, secure transaction practices, consumer protection, and fraud risk awareness.

·       Six individuals assisted in identifying and avoiding online scams before financial losses occurred through targeted guidance and digital safety education.

These achievements demonstrate the Foundation’s ability to deliver practical consumer protection services and provide evidence of its readiness to implement larger-scale programs with support from development partners.

Strategic Partnerships and Institutional Engagement

Under Mr. Boniwe’s leadership, Mazik Foundation has built relationships and engagement with key institutions, including:

·       Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC)

·       Nigeria Police Force

·        Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)

·       National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)

·       Legal Aid Council of Nigeria

·        National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)

·       Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON)

·       Delta State House of Assembly regarding efforts to domesticate the FCCPC Act in Delta State

·       Market associations and trader groups

·       Nigerian Union of Journalists and media stakeholders

·       Women and youth community organizations

These partnerships demonstrate the Foundation’s collaborative approach and ability to convene stakeholders around shared public interest objectives.

Organizational Stewardship

Since the establishment of Mazik Foundation, Mr. Boniwe has personally supported the organization’s early development, including office operations, staffing, advocacy activities, consumer support services, training programs, Board meetings and institutional development.

He has also led the development of governance systems designed to align with international nonprofit standards, including financial management procedures, safeguarding frameworks, conflict of interest policies, whistleblower protections, strategic planning processes, and organizational accountability mechanisms.

Leadership Philosophy

Mr. Boniwe believes sustainable social change requires integrity, accountability, evidence-based programming, collaboration, and empowerment.

His leadership approach emphasizes:

Integrity: Maintaining ethical standards in organizational leadership and public engagement.

Accountability: Ensuring transparency, responsible resource management, and measurable results.

Evidence-Based Action: Designing interventions based on research, data, and community needs.

Partnership: Building cooperation among government, civil society, private sector, and communities.

Empowerment: Equipping citizens with knowledge and tools to protect their rights.

He views consumer protection not only as a regulatory responsibility but as a critical component of economic justice, digital inclusion, and human dignity.

Vision for the Future

Mr. Boniwe’s vision is to transform Mazik Foundation into a leading African institution for consumer protection, financial fraud prevention, and digital resilience.

His long-term priorities include:

·       Expanding the Delta State pilot initiative to other Nigerian states.

·        Establishing technology-enabled consumer support systems.

·       Developing digital learning platforms for fraud prevention.

·       Training community-based fraud prevention ambassadors.

·        Supporting policy and legislative reforms.

·       Building systemic partnerships with international development organizations, financial institutions, and technology companies.

Through Mazik Foundation, Mr. Boniwe is committed to building safer, more inclusive economic systems where citizens can participate confidently in the digital economy.

Mr. Boniwe’s Expertise: Consumer protection, financial fraud prevention, digital safety, governance and accountability, nonprofit leadership, public administration, donor-funded project management, policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and organizational development.

Mr. Boniwe continues to dedicate his professional experience, leadership capacity, and personal commitment toward advancing consumer rights, strengthening accountability, and improving economic security for communities in Nigeria and beyond.