Career Biography

Ms Chisom Obiudo is a corporate governance specialist and an admitted legal practitioner of the High Court of Namibia with more than a decade of experience in the legal sector.

She serves as chief legal officer at the Namibian Law Reform and Development Commission, where she leads transformative legal reforms and shapes national policy frameworks to modernise Namibia’s legal landscape.

She conducted a thorough review of Namibia’s statute book, resulting in the repeal of over 100 outdated laws, many of which were based on colonial-era discrimination and conflicted with the Namibian Constitution.

She is currently seconded as a legal advisor to the National Assembly of Namibia, where she provides legal counsel on legislative processes and parliamentary procedures.

On an international level, Chisom is a member of the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime, where she served as Namibia’s legal expert, contributing to the negotiation of the landmark UN Convention against Cybercrime, the first international criminal justice treaty in over 20 years, adopted by the General Assembly in December 2024.

Leveraging her expertise in generative AI, she founded Directed Governance Consultancy, redefining board advisory services and corporate training through innovative, technology-driven solutions. The consultancy bridges the gap between traditional governance practices and emerging technologies, equipping leaders to make informed decisions in an evolving digital landscape.

Through the Women in Focus initiative, she was among five African women leaders awarded a scholarship by the African Observatory on Responsible AI to participate in the AI Ethics and Policy in Africa course, designed to advance responsible and inclusive AI development across the continent.

She also serves on the Namibian National AI Technical Advisory Committee, where her focus is on law and AI governance. As part of the Committee’s mandate, extensive research is being undertaken to inform and develop Namibia’s national strategy on artificial intelligence.

As a governance thought leader, she contributes influential columns to leading Namibian publications and develops educational material for the Namibian Institute of Corporate Governance, promoting enhanced boardroom practices and strengthening governance standards nationwide.

Chisom holds a master’s degree in Corporate Governance and professional certifications in Non-Executive Directorship, Legislative Drafting, AI Professional Skills, and Artificial Intelligence: Technology, Governance, and Policy Frameworks from DiploFoundation.