Panelist – Chat with the Pros

Olubankole “Banky W” Wellington is a multitalented and prolific Singer, Songwriter, Actor, Filmmaker, Businessman and Philanthropist, who has evolved over the years into becoming arguably the most versatile Entertainment and Media Mogul on the continent of Africa.

Mr W served as Executive Producer and Lead A&R for some of the continent’s most successful albums, including WizKid’s 2011 Smash hit-filled debut Album “Superstar”, and his 2014 follow up album “Ayo”, and the supreme hit-filled Label compilation cd “Empire Mates State of Mind”. Banky followed that up with two tremendously successful solo albums: “R&BW” in 2013, and 2017’s “Songs About U” – each album boasting of non-stop Afro-R&B hits like Yes/No, All I Want is U, Blessing Me, Love U Baby, and many more.

Not to be outdone by his exploits in the music world, Mr W is very accomplished in several other fields: he’s a published writer, as several of his articles and write-ups have been featured in numerous Nigerian Newspapers, blogs, magazines and media platforms. As a philanthropist, he launched the “Banky Wellington Organization (BWO)” through which he spearheads or partners with numerrous charitable and incredibly impactful initiatives.  He launched the “I am Capable” Scholarship Fund, which has provided tuition, room & board assistance for multiple deserving youth over the years in various tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the US, and Canada. Having survived 3 separate battles with Skin Cancer, he became a brand ambassador and major donor to the Pink Oak Cancer Trust Fund, which provides funds for the treatment of Cancer Patients in Nigeria who are unable to afford it. He’s an ambassador for “Teach 4 Nigeria”, and he funds the Back 2 School Adult Literacy Initiative in Eti-Osa, Lagos, which provides free education to illiterate adults in his constituency, who were unfortunate to never have gained basic literacy and numeracy skills. He has been  involved in many more initiatives including notable projects and organizations like “Enough is Enough” and “LightUpNigeria”; ever the Youth Ambassador, he was one of the most visible and vocal personalities involved in various citizen protests over the years, calling for good Governaance and active participation by Nigeria’s young people; he also jointly spearheaded the #Dream4Naija project with international organizations such as USAid and IRI, and has worked closely with the European Union in Nigeria in multiple annual Campaigns to combat the problem of Gender Based Violence and Sexual Assault.

In 2019, Banky Wellington made an inspiring foray into the world of Nigerian Politics, as a candidate of the Modern Democratic Party, for the House of Representatives in Eti-Osa, Lagos. Without the backing of any major party, or sponsor, Banky ran one of the most inspiring campaigns ever seen by a Political Candidate in the country, and inspired a generation of Nigerian youth to get involved in rebuilding Nigeria to be the kind of country they desire.  

Panelist: Chat with the Pros

Chinwe Egwim is a professional Economist that has 500+ published economic notes geared towards macro, development and financial economics. She is currently the Chief Economist at Coronation Merchant Bank.

Chinwe was appointed as a National Consultant by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa to lead the services trade project which is partly driven by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. 

She is a highly sought after thought leader and has spoken at, as well as delivered keynotes on several reputable platforms and expert panels. Her TEDx talk on Equipping the Female Economy has contributed to conversations around lifting women. On print, her views around economic trends are featured across media platforms – Chinwe’s article on the AfCFTA and Women was published by the World Economic Forum. She provides expert advice around economic trends on news channels such as CNBC Africa and the BBC.

Chinwe’s book- Understanding Economic “Jargon” has ranked as a bestseller on Amazon. It breaks down how economic indicators and the investment climate react to economic shocks and upswings.

Chinwe is an advocate for women empowerment. In 2020, Chinwe was appointed as an Executive Council Member of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ).

She has received reputable recognitions and awards for her work as an Economist and Advocate for Women Empowerment. Some of which include:
• Recognised as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) 100 under 40 in support of the UN International Decade for People of African Descent.
• Listed as one of the 100 most inspiring Nigerian women by Leading Ladies Africa.
• Recognised as a leading woman in banking by the Association of Professional Women Bankers.
• Won the HER Network Career Woman of the Year 2018.
• Featured on the cover pages of multiple business-driven magazines.

Chinwe is on the Executive Council of Africa Policy Conversations and an Advisory Board Member of Bookings Africa, 9 to 5 Chick and The Women International. Chinwe is a Founding Partner of DAS Hub Africa. She is a mentor to young professionals and a resource person for impact-driven initiatives geared towards Africa.

Dr Ola Brown is the founder of the Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Company (FDHIC).

Dr Ola studied medicine and surgery at the Hull York Medical School after which she worked in Acute Medicine in the UK. She then went on to be awarded the Japanese MEXT scholarship which allowed her to further her studies in Tokyo, Japan, the fellowship focused on lab-based research with induced pluripotent stem cells.

She also holds a Masters degree in Finance and Economic Policy (Major) from the University of London (Modules included: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Financial Markets, Capital Markets, Banking, Banking regulation & IMF/Economic policy).

She has a certificate in Public-Private Partnership from Harvard University, a Project Finance and the Public Private Partnership Professional Certificate from the New York Institute of Finance, a certificate in Business execution and strategy from Wharton, Economic policy making from IE business school, Spain , a certificate in Accounting for decision making from the University of Michigan in the United States and a certificate in Finance & Investing in Infrastructure (Project Finance) from Universita Bocconi in Milan.

She currently teaches economics and finance at the School of politics, policy and governance in Nigeria.

Along with two other directors, Dr Ola co-founded and runs leading a early stage venture capital firm, Greentree investment company which provides growth capital to some of Africa’s most exciting tech start-up’s.

She has published four books ‘EMQ’s in Paediatrics’, ‘Pre-Hospital Care for Africa’ , ‘Fixing Healthcare in Nigeria; a guide to public healthcare policy and Banking, Finance & Economics in Emerging Markets: an essay collection.

She co-authored the ‘Impact investing for healthcare financing report’ alongside Stears business and authored the’ Project financing and healthcare infrastructure’ report.

Professor Fabian Ajogwu is the Principal Partner of Kenna Partners, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and a Professor of Corporate Governance at the Lagos Business School. He is an Alumnus of both the Saïd Business School of Oxford University and the Lagos Business School. He holds a doctorate degree in Law from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland; an MBA from the IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona; and Law degrees from the University of Nigeria, and University of Lagos.

The Learned Senior Advocate has been Lead Counsel to the Federal Government of Nigeria and its Agencies in several cases of national importance. He has extensive experience in deal structuring and has advised on complex transactions in several industries including Energy, Maritime, Banking and Financial services, Real estate and Infrastructure. He chairs the Board of the Novare Group in Nigeria (owners of the Novare malls), ARM Harith Infrastructure Ltd (Nigeria’s pioneer infrastructure fund), and NES Global, amongst others. He is a Non-Executive Director of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc, a Non-Executive Director of Guinness Nigeria Plc, and has served as Honorary Counsel to the State of Israel and the Republic of South Africa, in Nigeria. He assisted the Securities and Exchange Commission in drafting Nigeria’s pioneer Code of Corporate Governance. He chaired the Nigerian Communications Commission Committee (NCC) on Corporate Governance that produced the pioneer NCC Code of Corporate Governance for the Telecommunication sector in the year 2014 and assisted with the Code’s review in 2016. He also served on the Committee of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria that produced the 2018 National Code of Corporate Governance.

He is a member of the Editorial Board of the ‘Journal of Corporate Governance’, a publication of the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria and a member of the Editorial Board of the ‘Journal of Law Practice’ of the body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

Exhibitor – Arts, Heritage and History (Photography) Days 1 & 2

Olowu, Ifeoluwa Oluwaseun was born in Lagos, Nigeria. He attended Yaba College of Technology primary and secondary school. Having grew up surrounded by art, watching cartoons, movies and reading comics, his love for art grew. At the tender age of 10, he started drawing from comics and nature. This interest was cultivated during his childhood and further developed, when he opted to take his Bachelors Degree in Visual Arts. He attended the University of Lagos, where he majored in painting, under the Visual Arts unit. After completing his degree, Ife delved more into Painting and acquired skills in Designs and printing. His practice is a combination of drawing, designs and paintings, to create visually appealing works, using the expressionism style. His love for colours, new ideas and form made he delve into Augumented Reality; The possibilities of experience a traditional painting in another form. He currently runs his own Business, which involves Art, Designs and Print Ife’s greatest motivation is to be better at what he does. He has over 5 years experience in his field.

Exhibitor – Arts, Heritage and History (Photography)

Akinlabi Akinbulumo is a visual storyteller and brand strategy/ideation expert. An ardent follower of the Sun Tzu philosophy, Akinlabi is constantly driven by the maxim: “The true product of a company, regardless of its resources, is the quality of its thinking”.

As a Visual storyteller, Akinlabi goes by the alias MrPhisha and uses a unique style of photography and, art and videography to build and tell real and passionate stories. Amongst his various projects is “Genii” a mini documentary series focused on demystifying the creation process but yet telling stories of ordinary people who give themselves wholly to ideas that make them become truly extraordinary. The first season features some celebrity guests including Praiz, Osa Seven, Darey Art-Alade and Mai Atafo. He is the author of PHINC!, a book aimed at getting readers to think in a way that produces great results and offers guidance on  living life on purpose.

Guest – Live Podcast Recording

Noble Chibuike Igwe ( AKA Nobs ) is a doting husband and father of two beautiful daughters. The Abamade man hails from Umuomaku in Orumba South Local government, Anambra state but was brought up in Aba, Abia state. There is more to Noble being a style enthusiast , he holds a certificate in Entrepreneurship Management from the prestigious Pan African University and bachelor of science in Urban and Regional Planning from University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

His career journey started immediately after completing his NYSC program as a customer service officer at Virgin Nigeria Airways . During his time in the aviation sector he developed an interest in Publicity and creative promotion and landed his first gigs working with SWE Bar and Don Jazzy led music group, Mo’hits. This led to the birth of his company 360Nobs group.

He is not only a pioneer of style and fashion but he has over a decade experience in marketing, publicity and
other lending institutions. He is the founder and chief marketing officer of the
360Nobsgroup which houses 360Nobs PR, event promotion and production. He also runs a clothing line called Tribes by Nobs, which provides luxury affordable traditional clothing in modern styles. When he is not strategizing he is into sports and politics.

 

 

Shody who is popularly known as ‘THE TURN UP KING’ is Nigeria’s no 1 hype-man in Nigeria. He is known for making parties, concerts and huge throwdowns one to remember. His ability to carry the crowd along and make them have the time of their lives is second to none. He is known for his high energy, deep voice and electrifying dance moves.

Some people liken him to the legendary fat man scoop. Shody is also not just a hype-man, he is also a top notch compere/ master of ceremony known for hosting corporate events, dinners, weddings and so much more. His ability to engage any crowd is absolutely amazing due to his diverse nature and charisma that brightens up any event. Shody has hosted numerous corporate and social events all over Nigeria and in different countries like USA, England, Canada, Malaysia, Ghana, South Africa,Dubai to mention but a few. Shody is also the official hypeman for Falz the Bahd Guy.

What most people don’t know is the flip side to Shody. Shody is one of the best radio producers in the country. A powerhouse when it comes to voice overs in Nigeria. He was the assistant head of production for three radio stations: Beat 99.9 FM, Classic FM 97.3 and Naija FM 102.7. He is responsible for most of the radio imaging on these stations(sweepers and stingers). Shody also produces quite a number of magazine shows. He is also responsible for creating concepts and writing scripts for a lot of commercials for different brands. Both radio and television commercials.

Shody is very resourceful and driven by passion and strives to be the best at whatever he does. HE has also worked with so many brands across the years hosting their events e.g. Remy Martin, UBA, MerryBet, Real Estate Unite, Alico Insurance, MTN, Coca Cola, and many more.

Eric Brown is an ex military seasoned combat, unarmed combat instructor with a background in security management from university of Lagos.
He is a certified fitness consultant. Head instructor and owner of lafitgym, a gym that has maintained a glowing record of not only successfully managing 3 gymnasia within Lagos over the past ten years and counting, organizing over 40 fitness events, in amongst which is the Gbagada fitness festival.

The Gbagada fitness festival has over the years been the largest gathering of
fitness enthusiast on the Lagos Mainland. A vision that other fitness instructors have thus far adopted. He has to his professional credit, hundreds of personal fitness testimonials and within the same domain, has set up various corporate and private gyms. the Lagos country club gym, MTN staff /workout plan.  He has featured in various fitness tv shows, e.g., fitness on Rave tv, plus tv, celebrity edition of workout it out on spice tv. OAP" on HEALTH TALK On traffic FM 96.1, Team building/Health week for Inotech international on prevention of venous diseases, Jumia health week and more. 

He also provides training for clubs and individuals in addition to security and fitness consulting. Eric is principled and disciplined, he is driven by passion and the love to see people fit and healthy.

Seyi Olusore is the MD/CEO of Shedams Fitness, a Computer Engineering Graduate of Covenant University (B.Eng), Certified Health & Wellness Expert (Arizona State University, USA) and holds a Certificate in CPR/AED/First–Aid from the National CPR Foundation USA, and a Fellow, Institute of Registered Exercise Professionals. He is an author of two books- I AM ME and WHAT TIME IS IT? 

He is the brain behind Nigeria’s 1st Weight-loss Reality TV Show- the fastest shedder, and also one of the Show’s Official Trainers. 

Being a Fitness Brand that Champions and Pioneers awareness on Health & Wellness, he has featured on CNN African Voices, FOX, NBC, CBS, BBC News Pidgin, CCTV China, The Doctors Nigeria, Fitness Segments of various TV Shows: Vox Africa UK, 360 Nigezie TV, Good life on STV, Ditch The Gym on Pulse TV, Health & Wellness Segment on Rave TV, Work It Out on 

Spice TV, Frank Talk on AIT, and Wake Up Nigeria on TVC. He did play the role of the Fitness Trainer in Papa Ajasco Reloaded Comedy Series– Mr. & Mrs. Talented. 

Shedams, through his fitness brand enjoys quite a few affiliations, as a Fitness Ambassador/ Influencer with Brands like Friesland Campina Wamco (Three Crowns Milk), Samsung, Supradyn, Malta Guinness Maltavator Challenge, Mall for Africa, MooveTV, Power Oil and Mastercard wellness month powered by Kamdora. He is the official Health & Wellness consultant for Pastors’ Seeds Fellowship (PSF) of RCCG. 

He was one of the Two Wellness Experts selected to represent Nigeria at the 2020 Global Wellness Day. 

He was the Official Fitness Partner & Trainer for Miss Nigeria 2018, Miss Tourism Nigeria 2019 Pageants, and Nigeria’s 1st Teens Reality TV Show – Star Scholar Naija. 

Shedams has a home weight loss/work–out DVD DITCH THE GYM, a Card Game – Shedams Fitness Card Game, the Convener of a Fitness Event – Blast With Shedams, also Shedams And The Kids Fitness Tour, a School Project aimed to raise awareness against Obesity in Children.