Hon. Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete FCE, PFD is a trailblazer in education and leadership, born on April 20th, 1984, in Warri, Delta State. Her academic journey is marked by a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from Benson Idahosa University (Nigeria), a Diploma in Law from the Rivers State College of Arts and Sciences (Nigeria), and a Master’s degree in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from the National Open University of Nigeria and an ongoing Executive Master’s in Business Administration (EMBA) from the esteemed University of Abuja (Nigeria). Her dedication to continuous learning is evident through numerous certificate programs from prestigious institutions such as Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (USA), the University of Virginia (USA), INSEAD Business School (France), University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School (UK), Pan Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Center (Nigeria), and Columbia Business School in New York (USA).

Simi Olusola is a t-shaped professional passionate about Africa and committed to doing the hard things to build a great continent. You’ll find her working in the intersections of young people, technology, entrepreneurship, governance, and politics.

She is the Head of Innovation at the Centre for Journalism, Innovation & Development where she leads product management and supports strategic innovation. Prior to her work with CJID, she co-founded and served as the executive director of The Nigerian Alliance, a political action committee whose mission is to elect servant politicians to political offices across Nigeria; a new kind of leadership that puts people before party interests – with a keen focus on improving governance and transforming politics.

She founded and up till 2 021 served as the executive director of Aspilos Foundation, a youth-led non-profit using technology & digital inclusion to drive economic growth and good governance in Nigeria where she expanded the organization’s projects from 1 to 23 states in the country. She was also the Programme Manager, Software Engineering at the African Leadership Group managing the implementation and growth of their online software engineer training program from 100-person cohorts every 6 months to 1,000 person cohorts every 2 months , generating +$2.5mm in revenue

Along with her co-director, Simi also runs Nuach Consulting, a small & niche consulting firm that provides high-level solutions in the areas of Strategy, Process Management, Organization Development, and Project Management. The team has a cumulative experience of over 13 years in these areas and has deployed solutions for clients in technology, development, transport, and agriculture.

Simi serves as a mentor in the startup impact space working directly with hubs to provide advice and support to new entrepreneurs. Some of the hubs/entities she works with include Impact Hub Lagos, Wennovation HubAbuja, Founder Institute Abuja, VC4A, and the African Entrepreneurship Award.

She is a lifelong volunteer with a passion for societal development. She has a B.Sc. in Physiology from the University of Ibadan, a certificate in Social Sector Management from the Pan Atlantic University, and a MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Development Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

She is a 2020Acumen West Africa Fellow, a Strategy Advisor for TechHer NG, a 2019 Fellow of the African Women Startup Entrepreneurship Cooperative, a 2016 LEAP Africa Social Innovators Program fellow, a 2017 member of the Young African Leadership Initiative RLC West Africa, and an International Citizen Service volunteer.

Dr Seun Fakorede, R.Eng, MNSE, M.ASCE, IIHP, JP, is a distinguished leader who has served as the Hon. Commissioner for Youth & Sports in the Oyo State Government, Nigeria and holds the title of United Nations Ambassador for Peace. He is the visionary Founder of Home Advantage Africa, a nonprofit organisation committed to driving Social Development and Youth Empowerment Advocacy.

Noteworthy achievements include, Network of Young Decision-Makers by Club de Madrid, the prestigious Politician Of The Year Award 2022 from One Young World and the esteemed Future Awards Africa Prize for Governance in 2020. Furthermore, he has been honoured as the “Irawo Oodua” of Yoruba Land and received the Royal African Young Leadership Award from the Ooni of Ife, HIM, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

Dr. Fakorede is devoted to guiding African youth as key architects of the future. His mission involves fostering leadership development and accountability among Millennials, underscored by his initiatives, such as seminars and conferences that advocate for robust leadership.

Professionally, Dr. Fakorede is a registered Engineer, Entrepreneur, and Consultant and holds an honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration. He has a fellowship with the Institute of Intrapreneurship Management and Human Resources Development Professionals. He is deeply invested in grassroots community development and advocacy in Nigeria, exemplified through his nonprofit, Home Advantage Africa, which aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 2, 4, 5, and 8, emphasising early engagement of young leaders in social entrepreneurship, governance, and politics.

Drawing from nearly a decade of experience, Dr. Fakorede is a proactive professional skilled in providing comprehensive administrative, operational, and managerial support. Strong communication and multitasking capabilities underpin his adeptness in coordinating and leading functions for senior-level personnel and executives. He consistently drives superior outcomes, efficiency, and success.

Dr. Fakorede’s profound commitment lies in effecting national socio-economic transformation through Sustainable Development and Leadership. His unwavering dedication to Youth Empowerment, Good Governance, and Nation Building is evident. Beyond his professional endeavors, he engages in intellectual pursuits, gastronomic exploration, and global travel, all underscored by his passionate interest in Africa and its intercontinental networking potential.

Samson is an experienced community organizer and development practitioner with over a decade of experience in constitution building, governance reform, electoral governance, civic engagement, and political organising. He serves as the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa and Founding Convener of the Not Too Young To Run Movement. Over the last decade, Samson has promoted electoral integrity and constitutional and electoral reforms and facilitated the inclusion of young people in politics. One of his most significant achievements has been the successful campaign #NotTooYoungToRun to lower the minimum age for elective office in Nigeria. He provides strategic policy advice to parliamentary committees, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organisations, and academic institutions. In 2018, he was appointed by the Gates Foundation as a Goalkeeper and honoured by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Washington DC as the 2018 Rising Democracy leader in Africa. He was also inducted into the 100 Most Influential Young Africans by the African Youth Awards in 2017. Samson is a member of the Board of Kofi Annan Foundation and the Board of Advisors of International IDEA; he previously served as lead consultant for International IDEA on developing a strategy for mitigating electoral and political violence in Africa. He also served as a Research Facilitator for the United States Institute for Peace (USIP) and the National Assembly’s institutional reforms committee. He served on the Steering committee established by Nigeria’s federal government to design Nigeria’s Medium-Term Development plan (2021 – 2025) and Nigeria’s Agenda 2050.

Samson holds Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees in Law, both from the University of Jos, and a Master of Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. He teaches Election Law at the Nassarawa State University, where he currently serves a Visiting Scholar on Election Law.

Samson is invested in building strong democratic institutions, promoting people-centred legislation and policies, and building communities of active citizens to drive social change. Under his leadership, Yiaga Africa has emerged as a leading civic organization promoting political inclusion, electoral integrity, and public accountability in Africa through citizens’ engagement, data, technology, and policy advocacy. He has initiated numerous democracy and citizens engagement projects in Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ethiopia. He has also led international election observation missions to Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the United States of America and South Africa. Samson is building the next generation of leaders with the requisite capacity, character, and competence to transform Africa. He is a recipient of several local and international awards, and his work has been featured by local and international media stations such as Aljazeera, CNN, BBC, RFI, CCTV, SABC, etc. He won the Future Africa Award Young Person of the Year 2018 award and the Leadership Newspaper 2018 Outstanding Young Person of the Year award. He was also inducted into the 100 Most Influential Young Africans by the African Youth Awards in 2017. He is a recipient of numerous prestigious fellowships such as the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellowship, Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at the University of Cape Town, International Visitors Leadership Program of the US Department of State, Swedish Visitors Leadership Program, European Union Visitors Program (EUVP) and the UK International Leaders Program. In 2020, he was recognized by the United Embassy in Nigeria as a Nigerian Star for his achievement and service to Nigeria and Nigerians.

Rose Keffas is a Special Assistant in the Office of the SSA to the President of Nigeria on SDGs. Her role involves coordinating and integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Nigeria’s national development plans and priorities. She also provides leadership and guidance on the SDGs and serves as the secretariat to the Presidential Committee on the Assessment and Monitoring of the SDGs (PCAM-SDGs).

Before this role, Rose worked as a Principal Consultant at Team HR Services Ltd, where she specialized in human resources consulting. Her responsibilities included advising management on HR policies and procedures, developing HR policies, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, and conducting audits of HR activities.

Rose also has experience working as a Client Services Advisor at Barclays Partner Finance, where she provided excellent customer service and exceeded targets. Additionally, she served as a Training Coordinator at dbrown consulting, where she was responsible for meeting training targets, developing client relationships, and resolving client queries.

With a background in economics and strategic planning, Rose holds a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from the Enterprise Development Centre through a World Bank Scholarship for Women. She is also certified in Bringing the 2030 Agenda to life for sustainable development from The United Nations System Staff College.

Her career has allowed her to develop expertise in coordination, strategic planning, economics, policy support, result monitoring, and partnerships. Rose is dedicated to contributing to the achievement of the SDGs and promoting sustainable development in Nigeria and beyond.

Remi Ogunkayo’s work has helped to define the political strategy for candidates across the continent. He has worked on successful presidential campaigns in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal, as well as gubernatorial and senatorial elections in Nigeria. Remi also successfully completed the Seed Transformation Program from the Stanford University, Graduate School of Business and the Digital Analytics Program of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is a 2022 candidate for an MBA from The Fletcher School, Tufts University, USA.

Dr. Rabiu Olowo is a seasoned financial expert and the former 22nd Honourable Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, overseeing the economic strategy of one of Africa’s largest economies. With a diverse background in finance and accounting, he holds a Ph.D. in Forensic Accounting & Auditing and numerous professional certifications.

Before entering public service, Dr. Olowo gained extensive experience in both local and multinational organizations, including Zenith Bank Plc and GlaxoSmithKline, contributing to various industries across the globe.

During his tenure as Commissioner for Finance, he played a pivotal role in enhancing Public Finance Management (PFM) in Lagos State, focusing on process improvement, digital transformation, and fiscal responsibility. His efforts led to Lagos State’s recent AAA (nga) rating by FITCH.

Oluseun Onigbinde is a highly accomplished professional and the co-founder/Global Director of BudgIT, Nigeria’s civic organization. He has been recognized for his work with several prestigious awards including Ashoka Fellowship, Future Africa Awards, Quartz Africa 30 Innovators Award, Aspen New Voices Fellowship, Melvin Jones Fellowship, and Stanford Draper Hill Summer Fellowship. His expertise in social entrepreneurship was further demonstrated by his participation as a Knight Innovation Fellow at International Center for Journalists/Gates Foundation to rethink health journalism in Nigeria. Oluseun has also worked on various projects funded by MacArthur Foundation, Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, OXFAM & Omidyar Network. In addition to this, he completed an Executive Education program at Stanford University Graduate School of Business on Social Entrepreneurship as part of the Obama foundation scholarship at Columbia University. He also had the privilege to be invited as a pioneering visitor from Nigeria to the United Kingdom under the British Government’s International Leaders Program (ILP). With an Engineering degree from The University Of Agriculture Abeokuta behind him; Oluseun Onigbinde continues to make invaluable contributions towards development through technology & innovation within Nigerian society.

Olumide Oworu, a versatile talent in the world of entertainment and a dedicated advocate for his community, made a remarkable foray into Nigerian politics by running for a seat in the House of Assembly for Surulere Constituency 1 on the Labour Party (LP) platform during the 2023 election.

A product of prestigious educational institutions such as King’s College, Lagos, and the University of Lagos, Olumide Oworu furthered his academic journey, graduating from Babcock University in June 2017.

His career in the entertainment industry began at a tender age of six when he joined the cast of the television series “Everyday People.” However, he is best known for his iconic role as Tari in the Africa Magic Series “The Johnsons.” Olumide has also showcased his acting prowess in various television series, including “The Patriot,” “The Men In Her Life,” “Hammer,” “Stolen Waters,” and “New Son.” He portrayed the character ‘Weki’ in MTV Base’s acclaimed “Shuga” series during its third and fourth seasons.

Beyond acting, Olumide is a charismatic television presenter, captivating audiences with his engaging personality.

Rinu Oduala, is the executive Project Director of Connect Hub NG, a human rights platform that documents, defends and advocates against police brutality and state violence in Nigeria.

She was at the forefront of EndSARS, the biggest civil demonstration of the 4th Republic of Nigeria.  and was a member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution on police brutality.

She has spoken at over 100 events globally and frequently appears on national and international broadcasting stations and her opinions on National Dailies.

She is the winner of Woman of the year, Advocacy, HerNetwork 2021, HerEconomy 2022, and has been nominated for Future Prize for Advocacy and Activism.

She is passionate about social justice, governance, public policy and democracy and is a 2023 Hurford Youth Fellow with the World Movement for Democracy.