We are thrilled to announce LEAP Africa’s partnership with Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) and Impact Investing Ghana to host our 11th Social Innovators Programme and Awards (SIPA) at the West Africa Deal Summit 2024. With the theme Actions to Deepen Catalytic Capital in West Africa, the West Africa Deal Summit and 11th Social Innovators Programme and Awards are set to galvanise stakeholders, foster collaborative efforts, and mobilise action to accelerate the deployment of catalytic capital for positive social and environmental change.
The West Africa Deal Summit is a pivotal gathering of impact investment stakeholders that aims to drive actions that deepen catalytic capital in West Africa, creating an enabling environment for impactful investments that drive positive social and environmental change. Together, we are committed to driving sustainable development and fostering a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and social impact across West Africa.
The Social Innovators Programme & Award is the pioneer gathering of leaders from the private and public sector, civil society organizations and development community to find innovative sustainable solutions to Africa’s key developmental challenges.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole is currently the Special Adviser to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on PEBEC and Investment in the Office of the Vice President. She served in President Buhari’s Administration from November 2015 to May 2023, first as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment, where she was instrumental in the conceptualization and formation of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, and as Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business.
She and her team facilitated the mandate of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) from ideation, development, and implementation of measurable and impactful reforms and policies for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
Since 2015 she has been on loan to the Federal Government of Nigeria from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Nigeria where she taught International Economic Law. Under her watch, Nigeria moved up an unprecedented 39 places in the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings and was twice recognized as a top ten reformed economy in three years.
Dr Oduwole has served on various specialized committees for the implementation of reforms. She chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.
Jumoke is a global thought leader, and writer and has presented at several renowned institutions, conferences, and forums. From 2013 to 2015 she was holder of the Prince Claus Chair in development and equity at the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. She is a 2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, African Leadership Institute, South Africa, an inaugural member of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s Amujae initiative (2020), and a member of, the 6th cohort of Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA, AGLN).
Jumoke sits on the Board of Trustees of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), South Africa and previously served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria. From 2000 to 2004 she worked in investment and corporate banking. In 2022 she was appointed Governance Advisor to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab and has been the recipient of several awards, including a national honour, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Dr. Oduwole holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, an LL.M from Cambridge University, a JSM and JSD both from Stanford Law School, and is called to the Nigerian Bar. While an M-RCBG Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Jumoke will interrogate the role of businesses in strengthening government reforms.
Panelist
A global Nigerian and lifetime Afro-optimist, Adeolu Adewumi-Zer is deeply committed to coaching, mentoring, developing and empowering the next generation of African leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to drive
positive social change and economic development across Africa. Leveraging her extensive network and resources, Adeolu advises, advocates, and invests both time and treasure in critical issues such as financial inclusion, gender equality and quality education, and currently holds various influential positions, including:
● Board member for the Global Center on Cooperative Security
● Independent Non-Executive Director at Winock Solar
● Business mentor for both the African Diaspora Network and VC4A
● Founding circle member of Ashoka Africa Builders
Adeolu previously served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Nigeria Insurance Ltd, a subsidiary of the German multinational Allianz SE. Prior to this role, she made history as the first and only female member of the Allianz Nigeria board as Non-Executive Director. Simultaneously, she held the position Regional Head of Mergers, Acquisitions and Transformation Africa for the Allianz Group.
Adeolu is a US-trained actuary and international HR/management consultant with over two decades of professional experience in financial services. Her career has spanned continents, with executive positions held in the USA, Europe, Asia and now Africa. She is a proud member of various esteemed professional bodies, including the African Angel Academy, The Boardroom Africa, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Institute of Directors Nigeria, the Nigerian Actuarial Society, and Women in Management, Business and Public Service. She also generously volunteers her advisory and mentoring services to multiple organizations. In recognition of her contributions to the insurance sector, Adeolu was honored as one of the Top 50 Women in Insurance in Africa by the African Insurance Organization (AIO) in 2022.
As an executive facilitator and speaker, Adeolu shares her unique insights at various conferences across Africa and beyond. Her focus areas include corporate governance, executive leadership, social impact, and gender empowerment, all aimed at shaping the new Africa.
Panelist
Tosin Dabiri leads SME.NG and the Venture Invest team at Chapel Hill Denham. A seasoned banker with over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, she is responsible for the company’s venture investment in startups and SMEs as well as women-led businesses.
Tosin served as a Relationship Manager in the Institutional Banking division of Guaranty Trust Bank where she was responsible for managing million dollar telecommunication corporate organizations and structuring multi-million dollar facilities for the corporate’s capex deployment projects. She was also instrumental in the development and implementation of the Dollar Credit Card Product for the bank.
Tosin then went on the Purple Group, a real estate development and financing company, where she was head of the Alternative Funding Desk including equity & debt, as well as Investor Relations. Under her leadership the team was able to secure multimillion-dollar investments from Institutional Investors which allowed the company to refinance its flagship retail development, ushering a new phase of stability and growth within the group.
Tosin moved on to serve as Head, Institutional Funding at VFD plc, a financial-services focused proprietary investment company, where she was instrumental in developing and coordinating the company’s institutional funding strategy, ensuring all six entities within the company’s group were able to access the right finance when required.
Tosin has a B.A and M.A in Economics from Old Dominion University in Virginia USA and an Executive MBA from University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
Panelist
Ejiro is a governance and sustainability professional of fifteen years’ experience with a background in law. She joined the Sahara Group as one of the pioneer graduate trainees of the organization. Ejiro was the first ever Group Company Secretary to be appointed in the history of Sahara Group, and also being the first graduate trainee in the history of the organization to be appointed a director.
In the course of her career, she was responsible for building the governance & compliance function of the Group as a key success driver of the institutionalization of governance practices across the Group’s multi-jurisdictional business landscape.
Ejiro has had the privilege of leading and collaborating with cross-functional and inter-organizational teams on strategic initiatives at organizational and national levels, in which she played key roles in ideating and executing tactical solutions to meet set goals.
Currently, she is the Executive Director – Governance & Sustainability of the Sahara Group and is primarily responsible for developing and implementing the Group’s corporate sustainability strategy and roadmap across the energy value chain. One of the key objectives of this mandate, is to drive the Group’s energy transition strategy in line with ESG reporting standards and best practices.
A member of the Women in Energy Network (WIEN), a leading advocacy platform for women in the energy industry value chain, Ejiro is focused on the need for effective advocacy that promotes a just and inclusive energy transition. Of particular interest is, energy transition that considers the plight of developing nations, in the intersection between the global climate change agenda and the need to close the energy and infrastructure gap in Africa. Ejiro is also a life member of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, a foremost non-governmental environmental and biodiversity
conservation organization in Nigeria.
Dr Oduwole has served on various specialized committees for the implementation of reforms. She chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.
Jumoke is a global thought leader, and writer and has presented at several renowned institutions, conferences, and forums. From 2013 to 2015 she was holder of the Prince Claus Chair in development and equity at the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. She is a 2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, African Leadership Institute, South Africa, an inaugural member of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s Amujae initiative (2020), and a member of, the 6th cohort of Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA, AGLN).
Jumoke sits on the Board of Trustees of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), South Africa and previously served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria. From 2000 to 2004 she worked in investment and corporate banking. In 2022 she was appointed Governance Advisor to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab and has been the recipient of several awards, including a national honour, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Dr. Oduwole holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, an LL.M from Cambridge University, a JSM and JSD both from Stanford Law School, and is called to the Nigerian Bar. While an M-RCBG Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Jumoke will interrogate the role of businesses in strengthening government reforms.
Panelist
Olufunmilola ‘Funmie Aluko joined Union Bank in 2020 and currently serves as its Chief Brand and Marketing Officer. In this role, ‘Funmie is responsible for driving Customer Experience, Brand Management and Corporate Communications strategy for the Bank. She looks after Brand Management, Integrated Communications and Public Relations & Media Management, Corporate Affairs, Citizenship, Sustainability & Social Responsibility, Complaints Management, Experience Design, Consumer Protection and CX Strategy, Measurements, and Insights teams.
In addition, she is responsible for designing and executing an organisational marketing strategy to increase Union Bank’s brand and engagement among key target audiences and advance the Bank’s revenue, policy, and programmatic goals. ‘Funmie also drives the customer experience strategy across the Bank by working directly with the Functional Heads in charge of the different Strategic Business Units/Branch distribution channels to define and deliver expectations for each business and the bank. She also drives the organisation to collaborate for optimum customer experience delivery by creating a consistent ‘customer-first’ and brand compliance focus.
‘Funmie has over 23 years experience spanning Banking and Brand Management Consulting. Before joining Union Bank, she worked in several leadership roles in Customer Experience (CX) Management, Contact Centres, Corporate Strategy, Brand Management, Product Management, Business Process Management, Agent Banking, International Operations, and Sales and Marketing across various banks/organisations.
‘Funmie has an MBA from Warwick Business School of the University of Warwick, United Kingdom and a first degree from Lagos State University, Lagos. She is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) and a member of the global Customer Experience Professionals Association. She was recently named a global top 20 finalist in the 2022 CX Leader of the Year award by MyCustomer.com.
Panelist
Ronnie Murungu is an advocate for youth development and a specialist in multi-sectoral social development across the African and Middle Eastern regions. As the current Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East at the International Youth Foundation (IYF), Ronnie has committed over 25 years to humanitarian and social development initiatives in various thematic areas.
His enduring commitment to the empowerment and realization of young people’s rights has been a central motivation throughout his professional journey, influencing his choice of organizations and collaborations. A researcher and writer in the field of development, Ronnie also holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Management.
Fireside Speaker
Jonas Tesfu is the Founder of Pangea Accelerator. He has extensive experience in Business and Startup Development Services and helps startups and corporations innovate faster. He has advised 500+ startups with the implementation of their business strategy.
A life-long entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience building startups in the Tech sector, food industry and impact startups from Berlin, Stockholm, Silicon Valley, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda startup ecosystems.
He has developed a unique approach to start-up development bringing together invaluable knowledge and expertise in business linkages facilitation, and investment access including diaspora investment strategies and corporate-startup engagements.
Fireside Speaker
Everyone deserves the opportunity to prosper, free from poverty, and ensuing violence. Yet in West Africa, a downward spiral of increased violence is destabilizing local economies, increasing migration, and threatening the stability of the broader region and potentially Europe. At the heart of it all are unemployed youth at the risk of being recruited to conduct violent acts. At Babban Gona we believe that the best way to disrupt this downward spiral of poverty and violence is to create opportunities for dignified and fulfilling work for the very demographic at the risk of being led astray: The Rural Youth. To address this challenge, we make farming much more profitable for these rural youth.
Located at the epicenter of this crisis in Northern Nigeria, Babban Gona’s innovative technology platform and program makes farming much more profitable for smallholder farmers, turning at-risk youth into successful entrepreneurs. This, in turn, stimulate local economies, disrupting the cycle of poverty and violence. To date Babban Gona has cumulatively supported over 200,000 smallholders and created over 350,000 jobs.
The Babban Gona solution begins with enabling our smallholder members to achieve double the profitability of the average farmer in Nigeria, by improving crop yields per hectare, reducing cost of production, and increasing unit price at market. This in turn halts the cycle of poverty and violence, by turning unemployed youth at risk of conducting violent acts into successful agricultural entrepreneurs. Finally, we create prosperous communities as life improves once iolence is reduced enabling individuals, families and economies prosper. We co-created this solution with our partners that include the Mastercard Foundation, His Highness Muhammad Sanusi II, the German Government, FMO, DfID, USAID, GIZ, AGRA, BMGF, Skoll, Kiva, FMCB, Mulago, and Rockefeller Foundation amongst others.
Prior to co-founding Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a subsidiary in the Notore Group, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural conglomerates, where he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business. In addition, he led the effort to raise $130 million in equity. Kola brings significant leadership experience in corporate finance, business development, sales and marketing, product development and operations, across four continents with multiple global companies, including GE, Notore and Abiomed (listed as one of the top 10 stocks of the decade by Kiplinger).
In addition, Kola brings extensive public sector experience as Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture. Kola has received numerous awards including being the first leader in history of a for profit social enterprise to win the prestigious $1.2M Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.
Babban Gona currently is focused in Nigeria only.
Fireside Speaker
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole is currently the Special Adviser to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on PEBEC and Investment in the Office of the Vice President. She served in President Buhari’s Administration from November 2015 to May 2023, first as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment, where she was instrumental in the conceptualization and formation of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, and as Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business.
She and her team facilitated the mandate of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) from ideation, development, and implementation of measurable and impactful reforms and policies for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Since 2015 she has been on loan to the Federal Government of Nigeria from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Nigeria where she taught International Economic Law. Under her watch, Nigeria moved up an unprecedented 39 places in the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings and was twice recognized as a top ten reformed economy in three years.
Dr Oduwole has served on various specialized committees for the implementation of reforms. She chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.
Jumoke is a global thought leader, and writer and has presented at several renowned institutions, conferences, and forums. From 2013 to 2015 she was holder of the Prince Claus Chair in development and equity at the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. She is a 2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, African Leadership Institute, South Africa, an inaugural member of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s Amujae initiative (2020), and a member of, the 6th cohort of Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA, AGLN).
Jumoke sits on the Board of Trustees of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), South Africa and previously served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria. From 2000 to 2004 she worked in investment and corporate banking. In 2022 she was appointed Governance Advisor to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab and has been the recipient of several awards, including a national honour, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Dr. Oduwole holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, an LL.M from Cambridge University, a JSM and JSD both from Stanford Law School, and is called to the Nigerian Bar. While an M-RCBG Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Jumoke will interrogate the role of businesses in strengthening government reforms.
Fireside Speaker
Amal Hassan is the Founder and CEO of Outsource Global – Nigeria’s leading business process outsourcing giant, servicing countries in Africa, the United States, UK, Canada, European Union, and Japan.
Her passion to unlock Nigeria’s developmental potential through technology-driven innovation and value addition led her to build, capitalize and restructure a series of technology-related businesses that succeed in developing talents and creating employment for young Nigerians.
In 2013, she founded Outsource Global and currently leads a team of 1,500+ staff in 3 locations across Nigeria. Outsource Global is a gender-balanced company focused on inclusion and empowerment: over 50% of senior management staff are female, and over 65% of staff are women – all driving a relentless vision to increase staff to 6,000 in the next 5 years.
Amal’s entrepreneurial prowess and business acumen continue to set her apart as a highly regarded emerging business leader in Nigeria. In 2018, Amal was named one of the 16 women business leaders by the Fortune-US Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. She has also been recognized as one of Nigeria’s star by the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria for her outstanding impact to nation-building.
Over the years, she has participated in local and international business missions and attended various professional and leadership courses, conferences and seminars both locally and abroad. Widely regarded as a role model for the girl-child and women especially in northern Nigeria, she has continued to mentor young leaders across her industry.
Amal earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administrations from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria and a Master degree in Business Administration from the same university. Amal is a partner in Bluetag Group the holding company for Parkway Projects, HealthStation, Bluetag Technologies, Bluetag Synergy and Outsource Global.
Proposed Twitter Bio
Founder and CEO @OutsourceGbl. An Alumna of Fortune-Us Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Programme. #NigerianStar by US Embassy Nigeria. Visionary and accomplished technopreneur. Passionate about women, youths and technology.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole is currently the Special Adviser to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on PEBEC and Investment in the Office of the Vice President. She served in President Buhari’s Administration from November 2015 to May 2023, first as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment, where she was instrumental in the conceptualization and formation of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, and as Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business.
She and her team facilitated the mandate of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) from ideation, development, and implementation of measurable and impactful reforms and policies for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
Since 2015 she has been on loan to the Federal Government of Nigeria from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Nigeria where she taught International Economic Law. Under her watch, Nigeria moved up an unprecedented 39 places in the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings and was twice recognized as a top ten reformed economy in three years.
Dr Oduwole has served on various specialized committees for the implementation of reforms. She chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.
Jumoke is a global thought leader, and writer and has presented at several renowned institutions, conferences, and forums. From 2013 to 2015 she was holder of the Prince Claus Chair in development and equity at the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. She is a 2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, African Leadership Institute, South Africa, an inaugural member of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s Amujae initiative (2020), and a member of, the 6th cohort of Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA, AGLN).
Jumoke sits on the Board of Trustees of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), South Africa and previously served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria. From 2000 to 2004 she worked in investment and corporate banking. In 2022 she was appointed Governance Advisor to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab and has been the recipient of several awards, including a national honour, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Dr. Oduwole holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, an LL.M from Cambridge University, a JSM and JSD both from Stanford Law School, and is called to the Nigerian Bar. While an M-RCBG Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Jumoke will interrogate the role of businesses in strengthening government reforms.
Panelist
A global Nigerian and lifetime Afro-optimist, Adeolu Adewumi-Zer is deeply committed to coaching, mentoring, developing and empowering the next generation of African leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to drive
positive social change and economic development across Africa. Leveraging her extensive network and resources, Adeolu advises, advocates, and invests both time and treasure in critical issues such as financial inclusion, gender equality and quality education, and currently holds various influential positions, including:
● Board member for the Global Center on Cooperative Security
● Independent Non-Executive Director at Winock Solar
● Business mentor for both the African Diaspora Network and VC4A
● Founding circle member of Ashoka Africa Builders
Adeolu previously served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Allianz Nigeria Insurance Ltd, a subsidiary of the German multinational Allianz SE. Prior to this role, she made history as the first and only female member of the Allianz Nigeria board as Non-Executive Director. Simultaneously, she held the position Regional Head of Mergers, Acquisitions and Transformation Africa for the Allianz Group.
Adeolu is a US-trained actuary and international HR/management consultant with over two decades of professional experience in financial services. Her career has spanned continents, with executive positions held in the USA, Europe, Asia and now Africa. She is a proud member of various esteemed professional bodies, including the African Angel Academy, The Boardroom Africa, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Institute of Directors Nigeria, the Nigerian Actuarial Society, and Women in Management, Business and Public Service. She also generously volunteers her advisory and mentoring services to multiple organizations. In recognition of her contributions to the insurance sector, Adeolu was honored as one of the Top 50 Women in Insurance in Africa by the African Insurance Organization (AIO) in 2022.
As an executive facilitator and speaker, Adeolu shares her unique insights at various conferences across Africa and beyond. Her focus areas include corporate governance, executive leadership, social impact, and gender empowerment, all aimed at shaping the new Africa.
Panelist
Tosin Dabiri leads SME.NG and the Venture Invest team at Chapel Hill Denham. A seasoned banker with over a decade of experience in the financial services industry, she is responsible for the company’s venture investment in startups and SMEs as well as women-led businesses.
Tosin served as a Relationship Manager in the Institutional Banking division of Guaranty Trust Bank where she was responsible for managing million dollar telecommunication corporate organizations and structuring multi-million dollar facilities for the corporate’s capex deployment projects. She was also instrumental in the development and implementation of the Dollar Credit Card Product for the bank.
Tosin then went on the Purple Group, a real estate development and financing company, where she was head of the Alternative Funding Desk including equity & debt, as well as Investor Relations. Under her leadership the team was able to secure multimillion-dollar investments from Institutional Investors which allowed the company to refinance its flagship retail development, ushering a new phase of stability and growth within the group.
Tosin moved on to serve as Head, Institutional Funding at VFD plc, a financial-services focused proprietary investment company, where she was instrumental in developing and coordinating the company’s institutional funding strategy, ensuring all six entities within the company’s group were able to access the right finance when required.
Tosin has a B.A and M.A in Economics from Old Dominion University in Virginia USA and an Executive MBA from University of Chicago, Booth School of Business.
Panelist
Ejiro is a governance and sustainability professional of fifteen years’ experience with a background in law. She joined the Sahara Group as one of the pioneer graduate trainees of the organization. Ejiro was the first ever Group Company Secretary to be appointed in the history of Sahara Group, and also being the first graduate trainee in the history of the organization to be appointed a director.
In the course of her career, she was responsible for building the governance & compliance function of the Group as a key success driver of the institutionalization of governance practices across the Group’s multi-jurisdictional business landscape.
Ejiro has had the privilege of leading and collaborating with cross-functional and inter-organizational teams on strategic initiatives at organizational and national levels, in which she played key roles in ideating and executing tactical solutions to meet set goals.
Currently, she is the Executive Director – Governance & Sustainability of the Sahara Group and is primarily responsible for developing and implementing the Group’s corporate sustainability strategy and roadmap across the energy value chain. One of the key objectives of this mandate, is to drive the Group’s energy transition strategy in line with ESG reporting standards and best practices.
A member of the Women in Energy Network (WIEN), a leading advocacy platform for women in the energy industry value chain, Ejiro is focused on the need for effective advocacy that promotes a just and inclusive energy transition. Of particular interest is, energy transition that considers the plight of developing nations, in the intersection between the global climate change agenda and the need to close the energy and infrastructure gap in Africa. Ejiro is also a life member of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation, a foremost non-governmental environmental and biodiversity
conservation organization in Nigeria.
Dr Oduwole has served on various specialized committees for the implementation of reforms. She chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.
Jumoke is a global thought leader, and writer and has presented at several renowned institutions, conferences, and forums. From 2013 to 2015 she was holder of the Prince Claus Chair in development and equity at the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. She is a 2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, African Leadership Institute, South Africa, an inaugural member of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s Amujae initiative (2020), and a member of, the 6th cohort of Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA, AGLN).
Jumoke sits on the Board of Trustees of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), South Africa and previously served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria. From 2000 to 2004 she worked in investment and corporate banking. In 2022 she was appointed Governance Advisor to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab and has been the recipient of several awards, including a national honour, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Dr. Oduwole holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, an LL.M from Cambridge University, a JSM and JSD both from Stanford Law School, and is called to the Nigerian Bar. While an M-RCBG Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Jumoke will interrogate the role of businesses in strengthening government reforms.
Panelist
Olufunmilola ‘Funmie Aluko joined Union Bank in 2020 and currently serves as its Chief Brand and Marketing Officer. In this role, ‘Funmie is responsible for driving Customer Experience, Brand Management and Corporate Communications strategy for the Bank. She looks after Brand Management, Integrated Communications and Public Relations & Media Management, Corporate Affairs, Citizenship, Sustainability & Social Responsibility, Complaints Management, Experience Design, Consumer Protection and CX Strategy, Measurements, and Insights teams.
In addition, she is responsible for designing and executing an organisational marketing strategy to increase Union Bank’s brand and engagement among key target audiences and advance the Bank’s revenue, policy, and programmatic goals. ‘Funmie also drives the customer experience strategy across the Bank by working directly with the Functional Heads in charge of the different Strategic Business Units/Branch distribution channels to define and deliver expectations for each business and the bank. She also drives the organisation to collaborate for optimum customer experience delivery by creating a consistent ‘customer-first’ and brand compliance focus.
‘Funmie has over 23 years experience spanning Banking and Brand Management Consulting. Before joining Union Bank, she worked in several leadership roles in Customer Experience (CX) Management, Contact Centres, Corporate Strategy, Brand Management, Product Management, Business Process Management, Agent Banking, International Operations, and Sales and Marketing across various banks/organisations.
‘Funmie has an MBA from Warwick Business School of the University of Warwick, United Kingdom and a first degree from Lagos State University, Lagos. She is a Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) and a member of the global Customer Experience Professionals Association. She was recently named a global top 20 finalist in the 2022 CX Leader of the Year award by MyCustomer.com.
Panelist
Ronnie Murungu is an advocate for youth development and a specialist in multi-sectoral social development across the African and Middle Eastern regions. As the current Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East at the International Youth Foundation (IYF), Ronnie has committed over 25 years to humanitarian and social development initiatives in various thematic areas.
His enduring commitment to the empowerment and realization of young people’s rights has been a central motivation throughout his professional journey, influencing his choice of organizations and collaborations. A researcher and writer in the field of development, Ronnie also holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Management.
Fireside Speaker
Jonas Tesfu is the Founder of Pangea Accelerator. He has extensive experience in Business and Startup Development Services and helps startups and corporations innovate faster. He has advised 500+ startups with the implementation of their business strategy.
A life-long entrepreneur with 15+ years of experience building startups in the Tech sector, food industry and impact startups from Berlin, Stockholm, Silicon Valley, Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda startup ecosystems.
He has developed a unique approach to start-up development bringing together invaluable knowledge and expertise in business linkages facilitation, and investment access including diaspora investment strategies and corporate-startup engagements.
Fireside Speaker
Everyone deserves the opportunity to prosper, free from poverty, and ensuing violence. Yet in West Africa, a downward spiral of increased violence is destabilizing local economies, increasing migration, and threatening the stability of the broader region and potentially Europe. At the heart of it all are unemployed youth at the risk of being recruited to conduct violent acts. At Babban Gona we believe that the best way to disrupt this downward spiral of poverty and violence is to create opportunities for dignified and fulfilling work for the very demographic at the risk of being led astray: The Rural Youth. To address this challenge, we make farming much more profitable for these rural youth.
Located at the epicenter of this crisis in Northern Nigeria, Babban Gona’s innovative technology platform and program makes farming much more profitable for smallholder farmers, turning at-risk youth into successful entrepreneurs. This, in turn, stimulate local economies, disrupting the cycle of poverty and violence. To date Babban Gona has cumulatively supported over 200,000 smallholders and created over 350,000 jobs.
The Babban Gona solution begins with enabling our smallholder members to achieve double the profitability of the average farmer in Nigeria, by improving crop yields per hectare, reducing cost of production, and increasing unit price at market. This in turn halts the cycle of poverty and violence, by turning unemployed youth at risk of conducting violent acts into successful agricultural entrepreneurs. Finally, we create prosperous communities as life improves once iolence is reduced enabling individuals, families and economies prosper. We co-created this solution with our partners that include the Mastercard Foundation, His Highness Muhammad Sanusi II, the German Government, FMO, DfID, USAID, GIZ, AGRA, BMGF, Skoll, Kiva, FMCB, Mulago, and Rockefeller Foundation amongst others.
Prior to co-founding Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a subsidiary in the Notore Group, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural conglomerates, where he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business. In addition, he led the effort to raise $130 million in equity. Kola brings significant leadership experience in corporate finance, business development, sales and marketing, product development and operations, across four continents with multiple global companies, including GE, Notore and Abiomed (listed as one of the top 10 stocks of the decade by Kiplinger).
In addition, Kola brings extensive public sector experience as Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture. Kola has received numerous awards including being the first leader in history of a for profit social enterprise to win the prestigious $1.2M Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship.
Babban Gona currently is focused in Nigeria only.
Fireside Speaker
Dr. Jumoke Oduwole is currently the Special Adviser to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on PEBEC and Investment in the Office of the Vice President. She served in President Buhari’s Administration from November 2015 to May 2023, first as Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade, and Investment, where she was instrumental in the conceptualization and formation of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, and as Special Adviser to the President on Ease of Doing Business.
She and her team facilitated the mandate of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) from ideation, development, and implementation of measurable and impactful reforms and policies for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Since 2015 she has been on loan to the Federal Government of Nigeria from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Nigeria where she taught International Economic Law. Under her watch, Nigeria moved up an unprecedented 39 places in the World Bank’s Doing Business rankings and was twice recognized as a top ten reformed economy in three years.
Dr Oduwole has served on various specialized committees for the implementation of reforms. She chaired the Technical Working Team on Legislative Imperatives for the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) 2021-2025.
Jumoke is a global thought leader, and writer and has presented at several renowned institutions, conferences, and forums. From 2013 to 2015 she was holder of the Prince Claus Chair in development and equity at the International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague. She is a 2013 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Fellow, African Leadership Institute, South Africa, an inaugural member of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s Amujae initiative (2020), and a member of, the 6th cohort of Africa Leadership Initiative West Africa (ALIWA, AGLN).
Jumoke sits on the Board of Trustees of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies (MINDS), South Africa and previously served on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria. From 2000 to 2004 she worked in investment and corporate banking. In 2022 she was appointed Governance Advisor to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Governance Lab and has been the recipient of several awards, including a national honour, Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR).
Dr. Oduwole holds an LL.B from the University of Lagos, an LL.M from Cambridge University, a JSM and JSD both from Stanford Law School, and is called to the Nigerian Bar. While an M-RCBG Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, Jumoke will interrogate the role of businesses in strengthening government reforms.
Fireside Speaker
Amal Hassan is the Founder and CEO of Outsource Global – Nigeria’s leading business process outsourcing giant, servicing countries in Africa, the United States, UK, Canada, European Union, and Japan.
Her passion to unlock Nigeria’s developmental potential through technology-driven innovation and value addition led her to build, capitalize and restructure a series of technology-related businesses that succeed in developing talents and creating employment for young Nigerians.
In 2013, she founded Outsource Global and currently leads a team of 1,500+ staff in 3 locations across Nigeria. Outsource Global is a gender-balanced company focused on inclusion and empowerment: over 50% of senior management staff are female, and over 65% of staff are women – all driving a relentless vision to increase staff to 6,000 in the next 5 years.
Amal’s entrepreneurial prowess and business acumen continue to set her apart as a highly regarded emerging business leader in Nigeria. In 2018, Amal was named one of the 16 women business leaders by the Fortune-US Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. She has also been recognized as one of Nigeria’s star by the US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria for her outstanding impact to nation-building.
Over the years, she has participated in local and international business missions and attended various professional and leadership courses, conferences and seminars both locally and abroad. Widely regarded as a role model for the girl-child and women especially in northern Nigeria, she has continued to mentor young leaders across her industry.
Amal earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administrations from Bayero University Kano, Nigeria and a Master degree in Business Administration from the same university. Amal is a partner in Bluetag Group the holding company for Parkway Projects, HealthStation, Bluetag Technologies, Bluetag Synergy and Outsource Global.
Proposed Twitter Bio
Founder and CEO @OutsourceGbl. An Alumna of Fortune-Us Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Programme. #NigerianStar by US Embassy Nigeria. Visionary and accomplished technopreneur. Passionate about women, youths and technology.
One alumni who has achieved significant growth and impact and has continued to maintain the organizational systems and structures developed during the fellowship.
Three fellows who have distinguished themselves during the course of the fellowship year and recorded significant growth in their enterprises.
One fellow who has translated the learning and professional insights acquired from the fellowship programme into upholding financial accountability, transparency and sustainability in their social enterprise.
One of the alumni on the Social Innovators Programme will be given this award in recognition of their contribution to gender empowerment and youth mobilization in the south eastern part of Nigeria.
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