In the March 2012 Edition of Forbes Africa magazine, NLI Associate Lola Adesioye wrote a 10-page article entitled “Top Ten Africans Making it in New York.” The article features successful Africans – many of who are Nigerians – who have very inspiring life stories. These individuals have been described as great role models deeply passionate about and committed to being a part of shaping Africa’s future in a positive direction.

Senior Fellow, Bayo Ogunlesi is the Chairman & Managing Partner of Global Infrastructure Partners. He was former Executive Vice Chairman & Chief Client Officer of Credit Suisse, New York, USA. He ranked 7th in Fortune magazine’s list of most powerful Black Executives in the Americas.

Senior Fellow, Jide Zeitlin is a Private Investor and Founder, The Keffi Group. He was previously a senior investment banker and Partner, Goldman Sachs & Co until December 2005. He is also chairman of the Board of Trustees of Amherst College, USA.

NLI Associate, Lola Adesioye, is a socio-political commentator/writer for UK and US publications.

NLI Associate, Stella Duru, was admitted into the top-notch Commercial law firm, Banwo and Ighodalo on the 1^st of March 2012 as the 6^th Partner of the firm.

Stella, who joined the firm in 2001, has distinguished herself as a diligent, conscientious and dedicated individual; thus rising in the professional ranks within the firm, from a youthful and exuberant, albeit nervous, Junior Associate to a more mature, assertive and widely knowledgeable Senior Counsel and now partner of the distinguished firm.

Ms. Duru has enjoyed a great many successes and achievements, ranging from winning the award for ‘Best Team Leader’ for year 2007 (in the firm’s Partners & Associates Annual Retreat Awards) to closing challenging transactions. One of such achievements include being selected in 2005, following a very competitive selection process on merit as the only Lawyer qualified to Intern with the prestigious law firm of Edward Nathan (now known as Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs) situate in Sandton Johannesburg, under their African Visiting Lawyer Programme.

Whilst in South Africa, Stella authored an article titled “Conquering Nigeria’s Darkness”, (published in a leading South African publication) focused on the on-going reform of the Nigerian Power Sector. Stella also delivered a presentation titled “Corporate Governance- the Nigerian Case Study” to the Partners and Associates of Edward Nathan aimed at showing the strides achieved by Nigeria in tackling corporate governance.

Stella has an LLB from the renowned University of Lagos and holds several professional memberships, including the Nigerian Bar Association and the Association of International Petroleum Negotiators (AIPN).

At the 17^th edition of the Thisday Annual Awards for excellence, 3 Fellows and 1 Associate of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative were honoured as women of distinction. The award which was held on the 13^th of February 2012, sought to celebrate women who have broken barriers and made a difference.

Mariam Uwais: Honoured for Service to the Vulnerable

Senior Fellow, Mariam Uwais who is currently the Managing Partner of the Law Firm of Wali‐Uwais & Co , is a staunch advocate for the rights of women and children in Nigeria. Prior to her engagement at Wali-Uwais & Co., she worked at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from where retired from public service. A former prosecutor with the Kano State Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Uwais was also a member of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission. Amongst her numerous outstanding contributions, to the Nigerian nation and society, were membership on the Boards of several organisations and civil society groups, notably: the National Human Rights Commission (where she was a Special Rapporteur on Child Rights); LEAP Africa; Youth Business Initiative; Women in Successful Careers (WISCAR); the National Consultative Committee on Justice Sector Reform; the Working Group on Fiscal Responsibility Law; the Justice Research Institute; Coalition Against Tobacco; Nigerian Investment Climate Advisory Council; Technical Committees of the Constitutional Reform Dialogue Mechanism and the Gender and Affirmative Action Coalition; and the African Union Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Mrs. Uwais was also a founding member of the Nigerian Chapter of Musawah, a Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family. Moreover, Mrs. Uwais, through consultancy work, has lent her technical expertise of various issues and projects on children & women’s rights, entrepreneurship, education and justice sector reform. She has consulted for Open Society Initiative for West Africa [OSIWA], the United Nations Children Education Fund [UNICEF], the World Bank, and UK’s Department of Foreign Investment and Development [DFID]. Some of her writings included several papers and articles on rights (economic, social and cultural), child justice administration, children and women’s rights (especially on the misapplication of Sharia law in Northern Nigeria), and interfaith dialogue.

Ngozi Okonjo-Oweala: Honoured for being Nigeria’s Global Champion

Senior Fellow, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, since her appointment as the Co-ordinating Minister of the Economy/Minister of Finance, has introduced measures that will help put the Nigerian economy on the path of sustainable growth.

Before this appointment, she was the managing Director, World Bank, Washington D.C; Economist. Distinguished Fellow, Brookings Institution, United States.

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala was educated at Harvard and has a PhD in Regional Economics and Development from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is fluent in French, Ibo and English with working knowledge of Yoruba. She has received numerous awards, including Honorary Doctorate of Letters from University of Dublin, Trinity College, 2007, Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Colby College, 2007 and Brown University, 2006, Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Northern Caribbean University, Mandeville, Jamaica, 2005, Time Magazine’s European Hero of the Year Award, 2004, for her work on economic reform in Nigeria, Euromoney Magazine Global Finance Minister of the year, 2005, Financial Times/The Banker African Finance Minister of the year 2005, This Day (Nigeria’s premier newspaper) Minister of the Year award 2004 and 2005.

Omobola Johnson: Honoured for Life of Service to Good Governance

Mrs. Omobola Johnson is the Minister of Technology and Communications. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the University of Manchester and a Masters degree in Digital Electronics from King’s College, London.

Before her appointment as Minister, she served as the Country Managing director at Accenture.

Toyosi Akerele: Honoured for Standing up for the Youth

Twenty-eight-year-old Toyosi Akerele is a youth advocate and education expert.

A University of Jos, Nigeria trained Lawyer, she has pioneered countless youth/ professional initiatives and is a very intriguing and most sought after speaker, trainer, panelist and facilitator at several Youth and Professional programs. Partnering several Frontline Corporate Organizations and Multi-Nationals, she is the Convener of what has now undoubtedly become the most attended youth event in Nigeria with about 50 000 participants in 12 Nigerian States; the annual RISE Interactive Youth Forum
She has been actively involved in Local, National and Regional projects and processes on the need to provide a platform for youth inclusion in policy formulation and project implementation. She is a role model to many youths in Nigeria with her ability to initiate and implement youth-led, youth-focused projects aimed at developing the potentials of young people in Nigeria.

Partnering several frontline Corporate Organizations and Multi-Nationals, Toyosi, the phenomenal CEO of Nigeria’s first and most prominent youth interest organization, RISE, is a consummate young professional and an outstanding Manager. RISE itself has become a fast growing driving force and skill providing concern for several young people in Nigeria. She is the major driver of Nigeria’s leading Online Youth Interaction Centre. Click here to visit the RISE website.

TUNDE Ajia, an APM member of the Thames Valley Branch, has recently been inducted as an Associate of the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI). These associates are emerging leaders and influencers in Nigeria and the Diaspora.

The NLI currently has a network of over 200 Associates globally; all professionals cut across all sectors of industry and from diverse backgrounds. Tunde was lucky to be one of the 25 newly inducted NLI Associates picked in October 2011.

When asked what it meant to successful for the NLI, Tunde said:

“As a professional, who is an advocate of young professionals contributing their quota to social change and developmental projects, I feel very elated, inspired and at the same time honored to be found worthy to be selected as an NLI Associate.

The NLI is a platform for credible, accomplished and uniquely patriotic Nigerian future leaders to develop and express values-based leadership skills with the aim of assuming a transformative role in the continuous development of Nigeria.”

The NLI was established in January 2006 as an international non-profit, non-partisan organisation registered as a charity in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Nigeria.

It’s mission is to create a growing, global network of credible, accomplished community spirited leaders, committed to taking responsibility for driving positive change in Nigeria and Nigerian communities.

Emerging leaders are nominated by distinguished individuals annually and afterwards a thorough selection process is carried out by a management consulting firm select the class delegates that would eventually attend the NLI’s Future Leaders Seminar. The seminar is usually a three day leadership colloquium, which draws on inspiring and thought-provoking events such as historical lessons on nation building, speeches from prominent guest speakers from all walks of life, lesson learning sessions that critically analyse how other once developing nations have evolved into developed nations and lastly brainstorming sessions amongst class delegates.

The aim is to identify gaps in the developmental process of Nigeria as a nation and empower the emerging leaders with the requisite understanding of how they all individually and collectively can effect change.

The theme for the most recent seminar in October 2011 was “Thoughts to Actions; Significance to Success.” The highlight of the seminar was where the associates class unit identified two projects that were felt would address a pressing need within the Nigerian society.

One of the projects identified was to produce a music video. The aim is for this to be a song that Nigerians will compose on their own, by directing them to an online portal where they can register their lyrical inputs which would then be screened. The very best would be collated, consolidated and tweaked to professional standard by one of the class associates, who is one of Nigeria’s music sensations.

They are seeking to ensure the song highlights the expectations the youths have of their government, where Nigeria currently is as a nation and were they envisage it should be in the foreseeable future.

When asked how it felt to be part on the ongoing class projects, Tunde added:

“It is a thrilling experience working alongside promising and vibrant professionals on our specific class projects; the energy is like that of an agile connection of speed boats.

Collaborative working alongside other likeminded future leaders, to actively promote the process and practice of leadership is an awesome experience, also a viable and sustainable way to give back to the society and I’m hoping that our actions will inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more.

Above all, as an ambassador of the project management profession, being able to positively transfer project management knowledge and practices as a discipline to other professionals in a social manner is an opportunity I will always welcome and forever cherish.”

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NLI Associate, Adeola Austin Oyinlade has been named by the African Union to popularize and digitize the African Youth Charter. While unveiling him and speaking to the young African Leaders at the AU Youth Experts’ meeting in Addis Ababa, Dr. Raymonde Agossou, Head of Division Human Resources and Youth Division of African Union, announced that Adeola , a United Nations’ Young Ambassador for peace and President, Know Your Constitution Initiative in Nigeria, has successfully used law, social media, radio and mobile applications successfully as tools of Social Engineering and problem- solving.

Adeola, a law graduate of the University of Lagos, was invited by the African Union Commission in April 2011 as a guest speaker at the plenary session of the African Youth Forum where he addressed the forum on Readiness to reform National Laws and Legislation in compliance with the African Youth Charter. His recommendations were part of the Forum resolutions presented to the Africa Union Head of States at the Malabo, Equatorial Guinea AU summit, in July 2011.

The thrust of the agreement signed on 4th November, 2011 at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia between the African Union Commission, Youth Division and Adeola for Know Your Constitution Initiative, is that he will develop mobile and facebook applications of the African Youth Charter in the six (6) African Union Official Languages: English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Swahili and Spanish and genarally popularize the African Youth Charter so that every phone user in Africa can have access to the Charter at the push of the button on their palms.

“The African Youth Charter enshrines the rights and duties that are critical to the survival of African Youths. Being an international treaty, it has to be signed, ratified, and transformed into the local laws by the African Union member- states before implementation. Many countries have not yet ratified the charter, not to talk of domestication,” Adeola observed in Addis Ababa.

He carried out opinion polls online alongside other Young social developers scattered across Africa in 2011 and realized that about Eighty Five percent (85%) of African Youths had not heard about the charter, let alone engaging their government to sign, ratify, transform into local law and implement the charter. He was of the view that African Youths cannot engage their leaders on the content of the charter because they are ignorant of their rights and duties contained in the document.

Speaking on the expected results of the project, Adeola said, “it will go a long way in making youths across Africa understand their Civil/Political rights and socio-economic rights alongside their duties towards national and international development. Moreover, it will go a long way in making all African Union member- states sign, ratify, transform into local laws and implement the charter in order to empower youths to get involved in the drive towards sustainable development in Africa.”

Adeola added that it would take twelve months to complete the project as it would not only involve mobile applications but also massive awareness campaigns. “My team will work with young technocrats, Young Africans who have distinguished themselves in important areas of life, Pan African Youth, National Youth Council of AU member- states and others” while responding to questions at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa.

Thirty (30) year- old Adeola Austin Oyinlade is the President of ‘Know Your Constitution Initiative’, an organization that educates Nigerians and non- Nigerians alike to know their legal rights and provides solutions to legal issues that arise in people’s daily activities free of charge. It has been carrying out this project through on-air programes and international conference

His immense contribution to expanding the frontiers of Liberty, Human rights, democracy and happiness of Nigerians and Non- Nigerians alike through the Initiative has fetched him recognitions and awards from many national and international organizations and recently, the US Department of state in May, 2011 featured him on the US Government blog for helping Nigerians know their rights and immense contribution to the development of Africa. For details about the US department of state recognition, kindly click here.

Adeola was invited as a speaker at the African Parallel session of the 7th UNESCO Youth Forum on October, 2011 in Paris, France to give a testimony on youth- led social innovations from the perspective of his Initiative.

He was commended by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navanthem Pillay last year for his ‘work to promote understanding and awareness of human rights in Nigeria when he distributed 10,000 copies of the Nigerian Constitution to Lagosians to mark the International Human Rights Day 2010 and demonstrated the relevance of the provision of the constitution to their daily life activities.’ He also organized a two- day Human Rights international Conference to empower Nigerians and Non-Nigerians alike free with 22 National and International lawyers as resource persons.

He has written many articles in contribution towards debates on national and international issues such as good governance in economic and social development, peace and security, Human rights, democracy, rule of law and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals which have been published in Nigeria and international print and online media. For details about Adeola, click here.

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) recently honoured Mr. Gbenga Oyebode, NLI Fellow and Managing Partner, Aluko & Oyebode for a distinguished contribution to the advancement of legal practice in Nigeria.

Mr. Gbenga Oyebode is the managing partner of Aluko & Oyebode and in that capacity coordinates the various practice areas of the Firm. In addition to his managerial role, he heads the Firm’s corporate and energy practice areas. Mr. Oyebode has also been involved in the negotiation of complex commercial agreements for a wide variety of transactions and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He was conferred with the distinguished National Honour of Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (MFR) in December 2001. Mr. Oyebode was a former partner at Ajumogobia, Okeke, Oyebode and Aluko [Barristers, Solicitors and Notaries], having previously worked at the Gulf Oil Company, Lagos and Houston and also associated with White and Chase, New York.

Mr. Oyebode was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 1980 and to the New York Bar in 1983. He holds an LL.M from Pennsylvania as well as LL.B Hons from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife.

NLI recently inducted 24 new associates. These associates include:

1. Yemi Lawani – Vice President, Helios Investment Partners, LLP, Lagos
2. Amina Cephas Gadzama – Executive Director, MANA Foundation for Grassroot Development, Yola; Founder, Act for Conceptual Change Initiative
3. Chidiebele Iwuchukwu – Management Associate ( Associate Director), Standard Chartered Nigeria, Lagos
4. Clara Ohakim – Finance Operations , Reporting/Compliance – Team Member, SHELL, Lagos
5. Damilola Olawuyi – Doctoral Fellow, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
6. Judith Onugu – Research Engineer, Caterpillar, Inc., Chicago, USA
7. Mary Olushoga – Program Manager, Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, New York, USA
8. Michael Omidiora – Researcher, Aalto University, Finland
9. Mohammed Mijindadi – Commercial Director for East & West Africa, General Electric Company, Abuja
10. Muktar Gadanya – Senior Registrar, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano
11. Olubankole Wellington – Founder and CEO, Empire Mates Entertainment, Lagos
12. Sani Aliyu – Managing Partner, Nouvea Delice Private Equity Firm, Abuja; Co-Founder and Director, Grassroot MFB
13. Saude Abdulfatah – Progrect Supervisor, Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), Sokoto
14. Taofeek Siyanbola – Associate & Head, Structured Finance Desk, CardinalStone Partners Limited, Lagos
15. Tokunbo Koiki – Executive Director -Programs, Emotional Development Academy, Mental Health Foundation, Lagos
16. Tolulope Abari – Practice Manager, Tope Adebayo LLP, Lagos
17. Tunde Ajia – Rollouts and Initiative Manager, Visa Europe, United Kingdom; Founder, Confluence Corner, United Kingdom
18. Luqman Edu – Director, Fortis Project Services, Lagos; Joint Ventures Planning Department, NAPIMS, Lagos; Founder, We Talk Nigeria
19. Damilola Olubanwo – Investment Banking Analyst, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Lagos
20. Oladayo Olagunju – Founder and CEO, Nyoombl, California, USA
21. Charlotte Ashamu – Associate Operations Officer, Business Advisory Services, International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group, Johannesburg, South Africa
22. Chinedu Odebeatu – Business Manager, Retail, First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Lagos
23. Adebimpe Ihekuna – Product Manager for Mortgages and Personal Loans, First Bank of Nigeria, Plc, Lagos
24. Chike Anikwe – Senior Associate, Aluko & Oyebode, Lagos

The Aspen Institute and Anne Welsh McNulty, Institute trustee, today announced journalist Dele Olojede as the winner of the fourth annual John P. McNulty Prize. A committee of judges including Madeleine Albright, Olara Otunnu, Shashi Tharoor and Anne McNulty selected Olojede in recognition of his groundbreaking work to deliver unbiased information to the Nigerian public, demand government transparency and advance journalistic standards in the country.

Dele Olojede is the Executive Chairman of Timbuktu Media. He has over 25 years of extensive experience in journalism. He is the former Foreign Editor for New York Newsday where he worked until 2004. He founded Timbuktu Media later that year after relocating temporarily to South Africa. In 2005, he won the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for his retrospective on Rwanda a decade after the genocide.

Please click here to read more:
http://www.aspeninstitute.org/news/2011/10/25/john-p-mcnulty-prize-announces-2011-winner
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204777904576651481119112252.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

The Huffington Post recognizes NLI Associate, Idris Bello as ‘the Greatest Person of the Day’ for working towards the program to create Libraries across Africa. The goal of the program is simply to: “empower individuals through access to information.” By establishing low-cost infrastructure for libraries and connecting people directly with computer training, even the poorest communities can become more self-sustaining. He explained to the post that there’s not always an easily accessible location for young Africans to meet and discuss ideas, to utilize everything people in the U.S. take for granted on the Web. These libraries can also serve as their de facto “Starbucks,” or their “FedEx Kinko’s,” as he put it. Africans need to become more self-sustaining, and should be fully aware of the world outside their own villages, he said.

Idris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, where he was a NNPC/ChevronTexaco Scholar. He also obtained a Master’s of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Houston, and was the recipient of the TPEG Grant Award. He also has an Executive MBA in Global Strategy from Rice University and serves on the Executive Lecture Series Council of the Jones Business School

Idris is on the Board of Directors of several business and non-profit organizations, including Mumineen Foundation Inc., The Small Kindnesses Fund (SKF), and Bell & Gems Resources, Inc.

Read more >>>

The United States First Lady, Michelle Obama recently delivered a message before leaving on her trip to Africa, urging young people to engage with each other in order to find commonalities. In her message, she said: “When it comes to meeting the challenges of our time whether it is climate change or extremism, poverty or disease, the world is looking to African Nations as vital partners. We will be looking across the continent to young people just like all of you to help lead the way. We’ll be looking to women like Toyosi, she’s a 28 year old from Nigeria who every year gathers 50,000 people for the largest youth conference in the country”.

A University of Jos, Nigeria trained Lawyer, she has pioneered countless youth / professional initiatives and is a very intriguing and most sought after speaker, trainer, panelist and facilitator at several Youth and Professional programs. Partnering several Frontline Corporate Organizations and Multi-Nationals, she is the Convener of what has now undoubtedly become the most attended youth event in Nigeria with about 50 000 participants in 12 Nigerian States; the annual RISE Interactive Youth Forum
She has been actively involved in Local, National and Regional projects and processes on the need to provide a platform for youth inclusion in policy formulation and project implementation. She is a role model to many youths in Nigeria with her ability to initiate and implement youth-led, youth-focused projects aimed at developing the potentials of young people in Nigeria. Partnering several frontline Corporate Organizations and Multi-Nationals, Toyosi, the phenomenal CEO of Nigeria’s first and most prominent youth interest organization, RISE, is a consummate young professional and an outstanding Manager. RISE itself has become a fast growing driving force and skill providing concern for several young people in Nigeria. She is the major driver of Nigeria’s leading Online Youth Interaction Centre (www.risenetworks.org).

Please click here to watch video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SMIxX2zZMms
http://www.whitehouse.gov/youngafrica