Bella Disu is a Nigerian business executive, arts enthusiast, author, and philanthropist with over 18 years of professional experience across industries.
In 2004, she joined Globacom and now provides strategic leadership as the Executive Vice Chairman of the multinational telecommunications company operating in Nigeria and Ghana. She is also the CEO of Cobblestone Properties and Estates Limited, a leading property development company with a robust portfolio of residential and commercial properties in Nigeria.
With her extensive experience in high-value contract negotiation and project management, Mrs Disu has successfully constituted and led notable projects. Her portfolio includes the development of luxury residencies, Sisi Paris, Lagos, and the Alliance Française Mike Adenuga Centre, commissioned by French President Emmanuel Macron on July 4, 2018, in Lagos, Nigeria.
Mrs Disu is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Abumet Nigeria Limited, a glass and aluminium manufacturing company. She is also a Non-Executive Director on the board of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Nigeria’s apex construction company. On both boards, she brings her enthusiasm for transformation to drive organisational productivity and profitability. At Julius Berger, she serves on the Board Audit and Remuneration Committees and the Shareholders Advisory Council.
A global thought leader renowned for her expertise in leadership, corporate governance, and business innovation, Mrs Disu holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and an M.Sc. in Leadership from Northeastern University, Boston. She is an associate of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ), and a member of the prestigious Institute of Directors, Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of Management.
Mrs Disu is the founder and chairperson of the Bella Disu Foundation (BDF), a non-profit organisation that improves socio-economic outcomes in vulnerable communities. BDF contributes to education, health, disaster relief, and other programmes. It has partnered with the International Women’s Society, LUTH Children’s Cancer Ward, Regalo Hope Foundation, amongst other organisations. Whether she is leading BDF, sharing her passion for self-development and learning, or serving as an ExCo and progress champion in her neighbourhood association, Mrs Disu lives out her values of altruism and wellness while contributing to Nigeria’s social development.
She is an avid sponsor of the arts and, in this capacity, a director of the Mike Adenuga Centre. She actively promotes French and Nigerian cultures through the Centre’s partnership with Alliance Française. In 2019, the French Government awarded her the prestigious Chevalier dans ‘l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres award in recognition of her efforts in promoting French culture. She is the youngest ever recipient. And in September of 2022, she was selected in the Choiseul 100 Africa ranking among young African leaders set to play a major role in the economic development of the continent.
A music lover, she plays the Piano and, occasionally, the Saxophone. She is a longstanding benefactor of the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON), which champions musical learning.
Mrs Disu is married with children. Her desire to see the return of the well-illustrated and richly narrated folktales she read as a child led her to write Soso and The Kako Leaf, a book for children aged 6-12. The book, which reflects Nigerian culture and characters, was published on June 19, 2022 and has since then received a GOLD Mom’s Choice Award and a 5-star review from Readers Favorite.
