Diezani Alison-Madueke was born on 6th December, 1960, in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, to the family of His Royal Majesty, late Frederick Abiye and Chief Mrs Beatrice Agama from Yenaka, Yenagoa Local Government Area, of Bayelsa State.

Mrs Alison-Madueke completed her early education in Nigeria and the United Kingdom before proceeding to study Architecture in the United States. She completed her 5-year professional Architectural degree at Howard University, Washington D. C.

She began her working career at Charles Szoradi Architects, moving on to American Interior Builders Inc. as Project Engineer, both in Washington D.C. In 1988, she joined Furman Construction Management Inc. Rockville, Maryland, as Design Coordinator, returning to Howard University as an in-house Project Manager and a member of the Planning and Development team responsible for the design and implementation of a comprehensive master building and renovation plan for the University.

Mrs Alison-Madueke joined Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1992 as Head of the Project Unit of the Estate Development Division in Lagos, supervising the refurbishing and Maintenance of the company’s real estate in Lagos, Abuja and Jos. She later moved to the External Affairs Directorate as Head of the newly instituted Corporate Issues Identification and Management Department.
In 2002, Mrs Alison-Madueke was awarded the prestigious British Foreign and Commonwealth Chevening Scholarship and proceeded on sabbatical leave to the Cambridge Judge Business School (then called “Judge Institute of Management”), Cambridge University Hughes Hall, UK, where she obtained an MBA in 2003.

On her return, she was appointed Shell Nigeria’s Senior JV Relations Adviser for Strategy and Planning and then Lead Ventures Relations Adviser, managing the company’s relations and reputation amongst its Joint Venture partners. In 2006, in recognition of her track record of excellence, she was appointed to the board of Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited, as External Affairs Director, making her the first female to be so appointed in the history of Shell Petroleum Development Company’s business practice in Nigeria.

Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke has held three significant Federal cabinet positions in the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria since 2007:
1.     Appointed first female Honourable Minister of Transportation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in July 2007, charged with the responsibility of over-seeing the Maritime, Aviation, Railways, and Road Infrastructure of the Nation;
2.     Following a cabinet reshuffle in December 2008, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke was appointed the Honourable Minister of Mines and Steel Development in which she held the primary responsibility for directing the ministry’s mandate in the exploitation of the nation’s solid minerals and steel endowments;
3.     After a cabinet dissolution in March 2010, Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke was appointed Nigeria’s first female Honourable Minister for Petroleum Resources in which she holds the primary responsibility for the stewardship of Nigeria’s vast oil and gas resources.
A key responsibility in each of the Ministerial positions held by Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke was her participation as a member of Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council and the attendant responsibility for making presentations to the Federal Council on behalf of the respective Ministries.

Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke is married with children to Rear Admiral Alison-Madueke (rtd), a former Governor of old Anambra and Imo States and a former Chief of Naval Staff of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

APPOINTMENTS:
·        Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2010 –  Date)
·        Honourable Minister of Mines and Steel Development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2008 – 2010)
·        Honourable Minister of Transportation of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2007 - 2008)
·        External Affairs Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company Ltd. (2006-2007)
·        Director, Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator (SNCPFA) 2006 -  2007)
·        Member, Board of Trustees, Society for Family Health (SFH) (2005 - 2008)
·        Board Member, Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF) – Bayelsa State (1998/1999)
·        Member, Oil and Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) Coordinating Committee, Bayelsa State (1998 – 1999).

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
·        Institute of Directors, Nigeria
·        Nigerian Institute of Management
·        American Institute of Architects

SCHOOLS:
·        2002 – 2003, University of Cambridge, Hughes Hall, UK, The Judge Institute of Management (MBA)
·        1983 – 1987, Howard University, Washington DC, USA, (B. Arch)
·        1982 – Architectural Association School of Architecture, Royal Institute of British Architects, UK (Professional Course Credits)