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 >>>

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Mrs Maryam Uwais (NLI Fellows) are some of the appointed members of the newly reconstituted Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspapers and were inaugurated on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 in Abuja.

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai was the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and member of the Federal Executive Council, the highest decision making body in Nigeria from 2003 – 2007. He attended various academic and professional programmes at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, University of London, Harvard Business School, Arthur D. Little School of Management in Massachusetts, Georgetown University School of Foreign Services in Washington, D.C. and the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He established and ran what became a successful consulting practice, el-Rufai & Partners, between 1982 and 1998. He also held management positions with two international telecommunications companies, AT&T Network Systems International BV and Motorola, Inc. In October 2001, he was conferred a national honour, OFR (Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) by the Federal Government of Nigeria while serving as the director general of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the secretary of the National Council of Privatisation where he spearheaded the privatisation of many government owned companies. In 2005, he was conferred D.Sc (honoris causa) by the University of Abuja, Nigeria.

Mrs Maryam Uwais obtained an LLB (Hons) has been practicing law from the private Firm of Wali‐Uwais & Co from the capital city of Abuja, Nigeria since 1998, after retiring from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Before working at the CBN, she worked as a prosecutor at the Kano State Ministry of Justice and the Nigerian Law Reform Commission.She has been a member and has served on the Boards of several organisations and civil society groups, including the National Human Rights Commission (also serving as Special Rapporteur on Child Rights, thereat); Leapafrica, 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; the Nigerian Investment Climate Advisory Council (an initiative of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, World Bank & DFID); Technical Committees of both the Constitutional Reform Dialogue Mechanism and the Gender and Affirmative Action Coalition, (both Committee’s being funded by the DFID, through Coalition for Change); The African Union Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and is also a founding member of the Nigerian Chapter of Musawah, a Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family. Additionally, she has worked as a Consultant for Open Society Initiative for West Africa, UNICEF, the World Bank and DFID, in projects relating to children & women’s rights, entrepreneurship,education and justice sector reform. Maryam has written several papers; articles relating to economic, social and cultural rights, child justice administration, children and women’s rights (especially on the misapplication of Shari’a law in Northern Nigeria), interfaith dialogue and alsoprepared the Working Paper on Justice Sector Reform. She was also part of a collective of networkers in the formulation of a handbook titled ‘Knowing Our Rights; Women, Family, Laws & Customs in the Muslim World.’

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

The symposium is held annually in honour of NLI’s Founding Patron, Dr. Christopher Kolade CON and brings together eminent public-spirited Nigerians to discuss a topic of national importance. This year’s theme is “Building a New Road Map for Nigeria – Conversations on Values & Nationhood”. Guest Speakers and Panelists include Ms. Megan Hiller, the Head of the UK Parliamentary Committee on Nigeria, Mr. Segun Aganga, NLI’s Founder, Nigeria’s Minister of Trade & Investment, and Chairman of the World Bank and the authors of the NLI White Papers

The Tony Elumelu Foundation is an African-based and -funded not-for-profit institution dedicated to the promotion and celebration of excellence in business leadership and entrepreneurship across Africa. As a 21st century catalytic philanthropy, the Foundation is committed to economic transformation in Africa through investments that enhance the competitiveness and growth of the African private sector.

Towards catalysing the socio-economic transformation of Africa’s prosperity, Mr. Tony O. Elumelu, MFR (an NLI Fellow) contributed to the first issue of the NLI White Papers through his article on ‘Leveraging private sector approaches in transforming government delivery’. The Foundation also donated $10,000 towards the production and dissemination of the first issue of the White Papers. The grant was made in recognition of the depth and quality of the collective essays and the substantial impact they can have on improved governance for Nigeria – a key step towards a more competitive country.

The NLI White Papers is a collection of essays written by NLI Fellows with support from NLI Associates. The White Papers are being widely distributed to senior leadership in both public and private sectors of Nigeria and beyond, with a particular focus on the newly elected administrations in Nigeria at State and Federal levels. Civil society organisations and other stakeholders in the development of Nigeria will also receive the papers. They are currently available for download on http://nli-global.org/nli-launches-white-papers/.

Adeola Austin Oyinlade, an associate of the October 2010 Class has recently been commended by the U.S Government news blog for helping Nigerians and Non-Nigerians alike know their rights. Adeola Austin Oyinlade is the United Nations-UPF/YFWP Young Ambassador for Peace. He has written articles in contribution towards national issues such as good governance in economic and social development, peace and security, human rights, democracy, rule of Law and United Nations Millennium Development Goals which have been published in local and international magazines, daily newspapers and commendations from the United Nations for his ‘interest in and support of the United Nations. Read more

Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, Idris Bello and their team have recently received the Angel investor funding and the Cambridge University Entrepreneurship Angel prize, the highest honour of entrepreneurship in the University of Cambridge, to develop a concept – ‘Elpida Cambridge Health’

The concept is an innovative aggregated point of care diagnostic toolbox (focuses on AIDS,TB and Malaria) with an integrated health data reporting technology that tracks the incidence and sub types of disease strains tested. It seeks to equip mobile doctors that provide care in rural communities with a cost effective, rapid healthcare delivery (early detection) platform – with the potential to have an estimated 23.2% budget impact cost saving. It streamlines the typical 2 week diagnosis cycle into 20 minutes.

Read more>>>

Friends of the Global Fund Africa, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, TY Danjuma Foundation, Global Impact and Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria hosted a special dinner for the Secretary General of the United Nations, H.E Mr. Ban Ki-Moon at the Congress Hall of the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, on Monday May 23, 2011.

The dinner titled “Implementing the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health in Nigeria: Opportunities for Private Sector and Civil Society Engagement” created a platform for stakeholders to discuss the opportunities for Nigeria to contribute in the realisation of the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health otherwise known as “Every Woman, Every Child”.

A 1989 graduate of International Relations from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife with a Master’s in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos, Adeniyi joined THISDAY in January 1999 as Deputy Editor of the Sunday Newspaper. A year later, he became the editor of the Saturday newspaper. In 2001, he became the Editor of the Sunday newspaper and in 2005, he was appointed THISDAY editor, a position he occupied until he left to join the Yar’Adua government as Special Adviser on Communications.

After serving for nearly three years as the spokesman to the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and one year in the United States as a research scholar at the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs, Harvard University, Mr Olusegun Adeniyi has been appointed the chairman of the Editorial Board.