Speaker Faculty
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Nkiru Asika
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Toyin Odulate
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Toyin M. Odulate – is the Founder & CEO, Olori Cosmetics, an African-themed cosmetics manufacturing start-up, based out of Lagos, Nigeria. She is a seasoned Consumer Goods and FMCG senior management professional with over 16 years of corporate experience in retail management & distribution, strategic development, operational planning, risk management, business development, product development, branding and marketing across the telecoms, management consulting & Consumer Goods /FMCG industries. She has held past senior roles including missions at L’Oreal, MTN Nigeria & Accenture and most recently as Regional Director Anglophone West Africa at Danone ELN where she worked for the last 7 years.
Toyin is also an entrepreneur and one of the pioneers of organic beauty products made exclusively with African ingredients in Nigeria. Over the last decade, she has gained extensive experience in the international beauty industry including a senior executive role with the French cosmetics giant, L’Oréal. In this role, which included missions in Paris and Accra, Ghana, she managed beauty brands – including Softsheen Carson, LASCAD and Garnier – across Africa and the Middle East, where she honed her skills in beauty, brand marketing, product & business development and distribution and logistics with a focus on the African consumer.
Toyin’s natural affinity for entrepreneurship may be tied to her grandfather, Jacob Soboyega Odulate, the inventor and founder of the iconic Nigerian household headache remedy, Alabukun Powder. As a young girl, she observed this long heritage of blending natural products, and through these calculated experiences, Toyin has quickly become an authority in the business of beauty in Africa. Her company, Olori Cosmetics, was recently featured and awarded in the Companies to Inspire Africa 2019 Report by the London Stock Exchange Group.
Toyin was recently appointed on to the board as an Independent Non-Executive Director of ABInBev West Africa (International Breweries PLC) in May 2019 and is also a Non-Executive Director at Afrinvest West Africa Limited since May 2018.
Fluent in French and Yoruba, she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration degree from INSEAD.
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Nkechi Obi
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Nkechi Nneka Obi is a Sports Management Consultant with over 30 Years experience and accomplishment in sports management, marketing and administration. Her experience spans a variety of projects especially with start-up operations in Marketing and Communication, Exhibition Design and Promotion, Event Design and Management, Media Content Development and Broadcast (Politics, Music and Sports), Political Media Campaign Management as well as Products Merchandising and Marketing. Nkechi’s expertise is derived from her international network of contacts and knowledge of the business of sports, garnered from years of training at major sports seminars and sporting events including the Sports Business Campus Series in London, from 2000 to 2006, SPORTELMONACO, Monaco from 1998 to 2008, Leaders in Football and Leaders in Sports (UK) from 2009-2011, among others.
Through her companies Premium Sports Management Services Limited (PSMS) and Sportspro Nigeria Nkechi has been primarily involved in the design and management of sports projects targeted at engaging the private sector as a pre-eminent partner in sports development in Nigeria, and has initiated several projects to deliver on this objective, chief of which was the Team Nigeria project (2003-2007)–to harness private and public sector funding for the training and participation of Nigeria’s athletes at international multi-sport events such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games and a host of other events.
Over the past 30 years, Nkechi has promoted capacity development in sports administration as a key component of sports development and has acted as Consultant on development of bespoke content and projects for several clients. These include government agencies such as the Federal Ministry of Sports / National Sports Commission, The Nigeria Police Force, The Nigerian Army, Kwara State Football Academy, The Nigerian Nationwide League One (the bedrock of grassroots football in Nigeria), as well as a host of blue-chip companies.
Nkechi sees the private sector as the chief driver of the development of sports as an industry and in January 2018 was appointed the first Thematic Lead of the Sports Industry Thematic Group of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), where she has put together a team of professionals in various economic sectors to midwife the process of developing a new National Sports Industry Policy to harnessing a minimum of US$5 Billion in Investment over a 10-year duration (2020-2030) that will reposition the sports industry as a private sector-led contributor to the economic and social development of Nigeria. She is also a member of the Technical Working Group on Youth & Sports of the 2021-2030 Medium and Long Term National Development Plan and the Nigeria 2050 Agenda.
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Chichi Nwoko
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Chichi Nwoko is the Executive Producer of Hey, What’s ON (HWO), a New York and Lagos-based multi-media consulting and production company. She began her career in the media and broadcast industry over 20 years ago in the United States working for ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX TV Network Affiliates.
Nwoko also worked as the Country Manager of Kwese Free Sports, a Free-to-Air broadcast channel in Nigeria. She has worked with major sports franchises like the FIFA World Cup, Premier League, NBA and NFL. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Sports Rights and Media Partnerships for Integral, a sport marketing company and as a consultant for Livespot360.
Nwoko also worked with Optima Media Group (OMG) as the Deputy Director of International Sponsorship and Sales and Group’s Development Strategy where she spearheaded the production of the Fremantle franchise, Idols in Nigeria with Rapid Blue. She built the framework that allowed the company to produce X Factor and Nigeria’s Got Talent. She was the Executive Producer and the Producer of the CBS franchise “Kids Say The Darndest Things” in Nigeria.
Nwoko is one of the producers of the feature film, “Lion Heart”, Netflix’s first West African original acquisition. She is the recipient of the 2016 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards for her role as a producer in the feature Film “Road To Yesterday”.
Her achievements have been recognized by numerous organizations and media, including Forbes Africa Magazine and The National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME) in New York, who named her as an “Executive to Watch”. In 2018, she was named top 100 Most Influential People of African Descent.
She is an Ivy League graduate from Columbia University in New York City, where she studied International Politics and African Studies.
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Azu Nwagbogu
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Azu Nwagbogu is the Founder and Director of African Artists’ Foundation (AAF), a non-profit organisation based in Lagos, Nigeria. Nwagbogu was elected as the Interim Director/Head Curator of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art in South Africa from June 2018 to August 2019. Nwagbogu also serves as Founder and Director of Lagos Photo Festival, an annual international arts festival of photography held in Lagos. He is the creator of Art Base Africa, a virtual space to discover and learn about contemporary African Art. Nwagbogu served as a juror for the Dutch Doc, POPCAP Photography Awards, the World press Photo, Prisma Photography Award (2015), Greenpeace Photo Award (2016), New York Times Portfolio Review (2017-18), W. Eugene Smith Award (2018), Photo Espana (2018), Foam Paul Huf Award (2019), Wellcome photography prize (2019) and is a regular juror for organisations such as Lensculture and Magnum.
For the past 20 years, he has curated private collections for various prominent individuals and corporate organisations in Africa. Nwagbogu obtained a Masters in Public Health from The University of Cambridge. He lives and works in Lagos, Nigeria.
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Ngoc Nguyen
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Ngoc oversees all entertainment strategy, talent relations, and entertainment industry programming for TIME’S UP. With a background that spans across entertainment, sports, and philanthropy, Ngoc is a strategist who uniquely merges expertise as a publicist and experience as an independent producer, to impact culture through creative storytelling. Ngoc worked for over a decade in publicity at Miramax Films, Creative Artists Agency, and Paramount Pictures in addition to TEDx, US Open, XPRIZE, Bad Robot, and Google. As an independent filmmaker, Ngoc produces film, television, and online content that champions women-focused narratives.
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Ngozi Ngoka
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Ngozi Ngoka is the Vice President of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) with oversight functions for Nigeria’s South-East States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States. She is a passionate advocate for community tourism as a tool for economic emancipation of rural communities.
She began her professional career at the logistics department of a construction company but soon realized her passion was for people, travel, history and culture. She decided to pursue a career in tourism and consequently proceeded to study for a postgraduate degree in Tourism, Culture and Society at the University of Westminster, UK. She also took professional courses in Creating Attractions, Global Festivals and Events Management.
After working at Choice Holidays and Thomas Cook in the United Kingdom, she returned to Nigeria in 2001 to establish Zigona Travel and Tours Ltd, a travel management company with a niche for bespoke travel experiences and destination events for the upscale market.
Ngozi is well known and recognized on the African continent and internationally for her mentoring work and contributions to the Travel and Tourism Industry. She frequently participates in global tourism trade shows and conferences and has provided tourism advisory services for two State Governments in Nigeria and to South African Tourism.
She is a member of the Nigeria Mirror Committee, set up by the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) to make recommendations for grading and standardization of hotels and tourism facilities in Nigeria. Her previous roles include Director General of the Imo State Tourism Board and Trustee Board Chairperson of the Touristry Consultants Forum. She is also the recipient of The Pyne Awards for Tourism and a judge for the World Travel Market Awards which holds every year in Capetown.
She holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Benin, Nigeria.
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Stephen Newton
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Stephen A. Newton Esq. is Chairman of The Illuminate Africa Group Ltd., a firm assisting businesses in their African expansion goals. Previously the Founder & CEO, he is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience leading businesses and has held various C- level roles within the industry.
During his time at IAG, he served in interim executive roles for biNu where he served as interim CEO. At Universal Music Group Africa, he was interim Chief Operating Officer for Africa amongst others.
An American native, Stephen has spent the last 21 years living and working across LATAM & EMEA developing deep business ties within the regions. During this time Stephen has held various positions and assisted large corporates. He has served as CEO e-commerce Platforms for MIH Internet, a division of Naspers, VP & MD of inMobi Africa, MD of Google South Africa, MD of Google Analytics and Checkout EMEA, VP & MD of the Ad Exchange for DoubleClick EMEA (sold to Google); and GM Hitwise EMEA. (sold to Experian). Stephen has also taken part in two successful exits; Hitwise to Experian and Double Click to Google and has equally assisted in acquisitions and setting companies up for the same. Additionally, Stephen serves as an active senior-level board member of numerous businesses that focus on the African continent.
Stephen resides in South Africa, is married with 3 children, and holds a Juris Doctorate in Law from Loyola Law School Los Angeles, with a focus on Bio-Ethics and the Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and French from University of Washington, Seattle. He speaks English, French and is conversant in Spanish, Portuguese, and learning Swahili.
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Eddie Ndichu
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Eddie has been a leader in transforming how financial services are delivered in Kenya and Africa over the last 15 years for some of the largest local and global banks such as Standard Chartered and KCB. He has led multiple mobile money integrations, mobile banking deployments, online banking deployments, and new digital products, as well as launch the first teller less branch and mobile virtual network (MVNO) fully dedicated to financial services. He has also performed the highest digital banking transaction in Africa when climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to attempt it successfully on a mobile phone.
His most recent posting was the Managing Director for Opera Software, leading deployment of Opera News, Opay and Okash platforms across Africa against the Opera mini browser base of over 150 million users. He has since founded and runs Wapi Pay, the first Africa Asia payment gateway supporting trade and cross border commerce.
Previous to that he spent 10 years in Australia undergoing his education and work experience in developing mobile technology software. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems and Applied Statistics from Murdoc University in Perth Australia and is completing an MBA in technology and Innovation and holds multiple certificates in change and transformation.
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Wangeci Murage
- January 15, 2021
- Posted by: Michael Umoh
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Wangeci Murage is a digital content media executive with over 20 years experience in broadcast management, business development, content production and project leadership. She is the Founder and Executive Director at Media Pros Africa, where she formulates business strategies that provide innovative media solutions to multiplatform broadcast networks, content providers and distributors across Africa.
Wangeci has been a driving force in the media industry through development of content and channel strategies for Pay TV, Free-To-Air and Online media networks, which have contributed to the growth and development of production and distribution of local content. She is the first Regional Head of MNET East Africa where she set up and managed its operations and played a significant role in the rebranding of the MNET East Africa channel and launch of Africa Magic Swahili on
DSTV. She also managed the development of popular programs including Idols East Africa, Big Brother Africa, Changes, Comedy Cub and The Patricia Show.At Wananchi Programming, (ZUKU TV), Wangeci led the team as the Head of Business Development where she developed strategies that led to the launch of ZUKU Swahili Movies and ZUKU Kids channels through acquisition and production of local content. Programs such as Tales From The Bush Larder, Groove Theory and BAQE on ZUKU Sports received local and international recognition that attracted advertising and sponsorship contributing to revenue growth, in addition to sales in distribution from external media networks such as Fox International Channel and local Free-To-Air TV stations.
Wangeci is a member of the International Emmy Awards and continues to serve as a jury member since 2011. She has also actively participated as juror in the Zanzibar International Film Festival, the Coast Film Festival, Africa Magic Viewer Choice Awards, Riverwood Academy Awards, Machawood Short Film Festival, Lake International Pan African Film Festival, Mashariki Film Festival, International Festival of Cinema and Audiovisual of Burundi, Women in Film Awards, and Kalasha Awards where she also co-directed the first TV and Film Festival. She has coordinated content pitching sessions at DISCOP. Africa in Nairobi and Johannesburg, and held a collaborative production workshop in Côte d’Ivoire. Wangeci has contributed to local and international market forums as a panelist at DISCOP, AfricaCom, East African Film Network, and the Deutsche Wella Global Forum.
Having begun her career as a radio and television producer and presenter on NTV and KTN, Wangeci has extensive knowledge on the broadcast media landscape in Africa and has formed strategic partnerships with local governments and funding institutions in and around East Africa. Being an active member in the media industry, Wangeci also holds membership with the Content Distribution Guild of Kenya and is the Vice Chair of the Pan African Film Consortium Committee.
Wangeci’s passion was also featured on-stage where she acted in several productions at the Phoenix Players Theatre, and appeared in the local films, Dangerous Affair and Project Daddy. She is an alumnus of the University of Cumbria graduating with an MBA in Media Leadership.