2023 Speakers

Her Excellency, Prof. Sarah Agbor

African Union Commissioner, 2017-2021. (Guest of Honour)

Sir Joseph Ntung Ari (KSM)

DG/CEO, Industrial Training Fund, Nigeria.

Professor Abubakar Rasheed (Mfr)

Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission,

Mr Peter Riedel

President and COO, Rohde & Schwarz Munich, Germany

Professor Peter Okebukola (OFR)

Director, UNESCO IACIU, Abuja. (Moderator)

Professor Bamidele Adebisi

Manchester Metropolitan University, UK.

Professor Gabriel Agbor

Director, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, Yaoundé, Cameroon

Professor Pervaiz Ahmed

Director, Institute of Global Strategy and Competitiveness, Sunway University, Malaysia.

Mrs Ezinne Anosike

Country Head, People & Culture, Stanbic IBTC Holdings

Mr Daniel Amoako

Executive Director, Africa Skills Hub (ASH), Accra, Ghana

Professor Aderemi Atayero

5th Vice-Chancellor, Covenant University, Nigeria

Professor Muritala Awodun

Executive Chairman Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (2015-19), Nigeria.

Elder Urum Kalu

 Group MD, First Bank of Nigeria Holdings, Lagos, Nigeria (2016-2021)

Professor Ndy Ekere

Pro VC, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK

Debra Hinds

Pro Vice-Chancellor International, Arden University, UK

Ronald D. Kayanja

Director United Nations Information Centre for Nigeria.

Ida Ngan ’ga

Africa and Regional Head, Anglophone Countries – UNESCO

Professor Theresia Nkuo-Akenji

Vice Chancellor, University of Bamenda, Cameroon and Vice President AAU, Ghana

Oka Martin Obono

Chair of Demography and Population Studies Unit, University of Ibadan,

Professor Abel Olayinka

11th Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Dr Stephen Oluwatobi

Chief Executive Officer, Quanta Africa, Lagos, Nigeria

Dr Joseph Onyango

Associate Dean, Research and Innovation, Strathmore University Business School, Kenya

Professor Olusola Oyewole

Secretary General, Association of African Universities (AAU), Ghana.

Mr Zachariah Piwuna

Director, Research and Curriculum Development, Industrial Training Fund, Nigeria

Professor William Barnabas Qurix (OFR)

Vice Chancellor, Bingham University, Abuja, Nigeria

Professor Muritala Sagagi

Pioneer Dean, Dangote Business School, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria

Dr Noel Saliu

Deputy Executive Secretary (Academics), NUC, Abuja, Nigeria

Mr Holger Schoetz

Executive Vice President HR, Rohde & Schwarz, Munich, Germany

Ukandu Eme Ukandu

Group Head (Services and Conglomerates), First Bank of Nigeria

Shiela Yabo

Senior Manager Ecosystem Development, Ayoba MTN, South Africa

Event Partners

Contact Information

Copyright 2023 | FIAU | All Rights Reserved

Professor Agbor is a Distinguished Professor of African and Commonwealth Literature and the elected Commissioner (2017-2021) Department for Education, Science and Technology and Innovation (ESTI) of the African Union (AU) and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, of Research and External Cooperation with the Business World (DVC-RCB) at the University of Bamenda, Cameroon.

She is currently the AU Global Consultant at Policy Renaissance and the Board Chair, at Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), Nairobi, Kenya. She has served as the Inspector of Academic Affairs No.1 at the Ministry of Higher Education Cameroon with strategic responsibility for the evaluation and monitoring of Higher Education Institutions in Cameroon.

Sir Joseph Ari holds a degree in Law (LL B (Hons.), a Masters’s Degree in Law LLM, and Masters’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA). His working career spans a period of over two decades, covering different spheres of disciplines and human endeavour.

Sir Ari started broadcasting from scratch at the Plateau Broadcasting Corporation as a News Reporter/Presenter; had a stint with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Lagos as a Newscaster. He moved to the Nigerian Television Authority as a News Editor/Caster. He worked at the National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria,(NICON) as the Public Relations Manager, North. He was the Director of Press and Public Affairs to two Governors of Plateau State before his appointment as the Sole Administrator and later General Manager of the Plateau Publishing Company, (PPC) Jos. He is the DG/CEO, of the Industrial Training Fund, Nigeria.

Born in October 1957 at Makarfi in Kaduna State, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed (MFR) attended the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Makarfi between 1966 and 1971; School for Arabic Studies, Kano (1972-1976); Bayero University, Kano (1977-1980 and 1981-1983); Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1986-1991) and the University of Nottingham, England, (1989-1990). He holds, among other qualifications, a B.A., two MAs, and a PhD in different aspects of English Studies.

Professor Rasheed returned to teaching at Bayero University, Kano. With his return to the University, he served as Head of the Department of English and French (1999-2000), rose through the ranks and became the Vice-Chancellor (2010-2015). Professor Rasheed also served in several committees and boards as Chairman/Member including the Senate, Committee of Deans and Directors, University/Community Relations Committee, University Admissions Committee, etc.

Born 1965 in Munich. After studying electrical engineering and information technology at the Technical University of Munich and completing various internships at Rohde & Schwarz, Peter Riedel joined the company in June 1991 and first served as a development engineer in the Test and Measurement Division. From July 1997 to November 2005, he headed a lab, where he was in charge of the development of wireless communications T&M systems. During this time he started developing the cooperation with Rohde & Schwarz Singapore.

In July 2010, Peter Riedel took over leadership of the Radiomonitoring and Radiolocation Division and became one of the Executive Vice Presidents of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG as well as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rohde & Schwarz Asia in Singapore. He has been President and COO of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG since July 2014.

Peter Okebukola is a Distinguished Professor of science and computer education at Lagos State University, Nigeria. He had his higher education at the University of Ibadan where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in 1973 followed by Master’s and PhD degrees in Science Education at the same university.

He had specialised science and technology training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), and Harvard University, both in Cambridge, USA. He is a Fellow of the Science Association of Nigeria (SAN), Fellow and President of the Nigerian Association for Environmental Education and Fellow and past President of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN). He was Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (2001-2006). He has been awarded a number of honorary D.Sc degrees. He is the recipient of the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic- OFR.

Bamidele Adebisi is a Professor in Intelligent Infrastructure Systems, and Director of Smart Infrastructure and Industry Research Group at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He received a master’s degree in Advanced Mobile Communication Engineering and Ph.D. in Communication Systems both from Lancaster University, UK. Before that, he obtained B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria. 

He has been part of multi-partner, multi-country, multi-million-pound projects as an Investigator funded by the EPSRC, Innovate UK, DFID, BEIS, etc. He has a strong record of accomplishment in attracting industrial-related grants through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). One such project received the UK Best KTP Project of the Year Awards in September 2020. Bamidele is a Fellow of IET, a Senior member of IEEE, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Chartered Engineer.

Professor Agbor holds a PhD in Biochemistry with over 20 years of research experience in Phyto- biochemistry. He is a Director of Research and Heads the Centre for Research on Medicinal Plants and Traditional Medicine at the Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants Studies, Cameroon. He also Heads the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostic Innovation (ANDI) Centre of Excellence on Traditional Medicine Research. 

Dr Agbor is a Fellow of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences, a Member African Scientific Research and Innovation Council (ASRIC), Vice President of the Cameroon Biosciences Society, a Senior Fulbright Alumnus, Visiting Professor at Catholic University of Central Africa Yaoundé-Cameroon, Madonna University Elele-Nigeria. He is an Academic Editor of PLOS ONE Journal and an Editorial board member Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Journal.

Professor Pervaiz K Ahmed is a Distinguished Research Professor at Sunway University. He is a management scholar exploring innovation and strategic dynamics of change. His outlook on management is coloured by moral responsibility, particularly ethics of care and sustainability.

He has extensive experience working with and advising blue chip companies and public sector organizations, such as Unilever, Ford, AT&T, NCR, British Telecommunications, and the NHS in Europe. He has also been involved with corporate clients in Asia, as well as government agencies such as the Singapore National Productivity Council. In recent times Pervaiz has been involved with the Islamic Development Bank as well as the Government of Dubai’s Public Sector Innovation and Improvement Initiative and also served on projects commissioned by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), Ministry of International Trade (MITI) and APEC Secretariat.

Ezinne Chidi Anosike is the Head, of Human Capital Business Partnering for Personal and Business Banking at Stanbic IBTC Bank, Nigeria. She is a versatile, intuitive Human Resource Professional with about 17 years of work experience of which twelve years have been in Human Resource Management which spreads across HR specialized roles; Learning & Development, Talent Resourcing, Management & Development, Leadership Development / Team Building & Training.

A member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management Nigeria as well as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, United Kingdom. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Lagos, Nigeria and a Master’s in Human Resource Management from the University of Wolverhampton West Midlands, United Kingdom.

Daniel Antwi is the Executive Director of the Africa Skills Hub, a development and social enterprise oriented organization based in Ghana that works with public, private and the third sector across Africa to create economic opportunities for africa’s youth and women. Experienced tri-sector leader and development professional in youth development, Daniel has consulted for several pan-African multilateral development organisations including UNDP Africa, UN Women Africa, Mastercard Foundation, Smart Africa Secretariat, and Global Citizen Africa on human capital development and policymaking. 

A Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeeper, and a Fellow of the UNDP Africa Youth Connekt Programme, Daniel is recognized by EdTech Tours Global in 2019 as one of ten Changemakers transforming education and employability in Africa.

Aderemi Atayero is a professor of Communication Engineering. He served as the 5th Vice Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota. He is recognised for contemporary multidisciplinary academic research with a special focus on wireless/mobile communications. Engineer Atayero is a Fellow of various professional associations, as well as a COREN Registered Engineer. He is on the editorial board of several international scientific and engineering Journals. Atayero is a WACREN Ambassador for Nigeria and a member of the TETFund Research and Development Standing Committee (RDSC).

Professor Awodun joined Crown-Hill University in October 2019, upon completion of his tenure at the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, where he served as Executive Chairman (2015-2019). He is the Director of the Centre for Enterprise and Human Capital Development at the University. He was the pioneer Dean of the School of Business and Governance at Kwara State University (2013–2015), and pioneer Director of KWASU Centre for Entrepreneurship (2009–2013), the first entrepreneurship centre established in any Nigerian public university. He is a consultant to many states in Nigeria on revenue management and director of several business organisations. He is the Founder of Fifty-fifty Institute Limited, an organization set up ‘to break new grounds in enterprise and job creation’, and MAWO Foundation, a ‘widows and orphans’ foundation.

Urum Kalu Eke, a graduate of Political Science, University of Lagos, is a seasoned banker with over 30 years of work experience in the financial services industry. Before his appointment as Group Managing Director of FBN Holdings Plc in 2016, he served as the Executive Director, Public Sector South for First Bank of Nigeria Plc. He was on the Board of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and served as the Chairman of the Externally Managed Investments Committee.

He is a fellow of reputable professional institutes such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria; the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria; the Institute of Directors and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, alluding to his illustrious experience and capacity in corporate governance.

Professor Ndy Ekere is a Professor of Manufacturing Engineering and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. Prior to joining Liverpool John Moores University in August 2021, he served as Professor and Dean, Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Wolverhampton. He graduated with First Class Honours in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Nigeria, received an MSc in Flexible Manufacturing and Robotics from Loughborough University and a PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from the University of Manchester (UMIST). Professor Ekere has published over 170 papers, successfully supervised sixteen PhDs and mentored seven Postdocs.

Debra Hinds joined Arden University in May 2021 as Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor Partnerships, part of the Centre for Global Development, whose aim is to further internationalise Arden University. Prior to joining Arden, Debra spent 16 years as a leading academic, initially leading a law faculty delivering franchised and validated programmes before becoming the key lead in law for BPP University’s seven partner centres in four different countries. 

Subsequently, she became a law lecturer and Academic Leader in law, with specialist subjects including the English Legal System, Company Law, and EU Law, and continues to teach EU law some 23 years later. In addition to law, Debra studied and graduated with an MBA in 2015, which enabled her to move from a leading role in academia to one in international partnership business development. 

Ronald David Kayanja, a Ugandan national, is the Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) for Nigeria. Based in Abuja, UNIC is the field office of the United Nations Department of Global Communications responsible for the communication, information and advocacy work of the United Nations. He has been Director of the Centre since 2015. Mr Kayanja first worked for the United Nations in 1996 and has had responsibilities in various entities of the organization, including working with the United Nations Peacekeeping operation in Timor-Leste, where he served as a Governance Advisor working specifically on media and civil society. He went on to work with UNESCO as Advisor for Communication and Information in West Africa based initially in Accra and subsequently in Abuja. He has also worked with several international organizations.

Ida Nganga leads the award-winning Regional Consortium (of Experts) for Development who use technology and engineering as an enabler for achieving the SDGs (RCD Africa); and is the Regional Representative, Anglophone Countries at UNESCO Emerging Technologies for Development, Steering Committee, Bordeaux, France. Ida is very active in the innovation ecosystem. 

She sits on a number of advisory boards such as: Global President, Startup Innovation at the Global Council for International Trade; ATU’s Africa Innovation Challenge, GPF’s Leap Innovation HUBS to name a few and has trained, mentored and judged in innovation competitions across the world including the $1 million HULT Prize. She is on the advisory committees for Government – AFRINIC; Digital Innovation Framework – International Telecommunication Union (ITU); New Africa Strategy – ICANN; and Online Safety & Security – Communications Authority of Kenya.

Professor Theresia Nkuo-Akenji is the Vice-Chancellor of The University of Bamenda, Cameroon. She obtained a BSc. in Medical Technology from St. Mary of the Woods College, Terre Haute Indiana; MSc in Microbiology from the State University of New York, Buffalo and PhD in Parasitology/Immunology from Louisiana State University all in the USA. Before her appointment to The University of Bamenda, she was one of the pioneer lecturers of the first Anglo-Saxon styled University in Cameroon, the University of Buea, where she served in several capacities. She is currently the Board Chair of the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) and 1st Vice President of the Association of African Universities.

Oka Obono is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He has spent the past 20 years working on population, methodology, culture, communication, health and policy issues at the University of Calabar (1990-1998), University of Ibadan (1998-date), Brown University (2000-2003) and Bowen University (2005). He is Guest Faculty at Nigeria’s elite National Defence College, Abuja (2007- date). He has supervised four PhDs and over 45 MScs to completion and is the author of more than 35 peer-reviewed scholarly publications and above 50 technical reports and monographs. His research activities span past and current roles as Independent Scientist and Temporary Adviser to the World Health Organization (1996-date); Chief Evaluator of 40 civil society organizations in Nigeria; Coordinator of Dakar-based network of governance monitors in 12 West African countries (2006), etc.

Abel Idowu Olayinka – Professor Olayinka recently completed his tenure as the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He had previously served the institution as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) and Dean of the Postgraduate School. He is a great believer in strengthening the relationship between government, the private sector and academia. 

He has served on the Council of Association of Commonwealth Universities and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA). He was the Founding President of the West African Research and Innovation Management Association (WARIMA). He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science and a Fellow of the Geological Society of London.

Stephen Oluwatobi has over a decade experience in business, entrepreneurship education, mentoring, research and community development, with proofs of excellence, profitability and growth. He earned his PhD in Innovation Economics. Stephen is a member of the Digital Economy Policy Commission group of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), where he contributes to visioning of the future and its implementation as well as the development and formulation of national policies that affect the economy. He founded the Edustart Global Foundation to cultivate High-Growth Entrepreneurs to make multibillion-dollar businesses in Africa. 

Dr Joseph Onyango, PhD, is the Associate Dean of Research at Strathmore University Business School, Strathmore University, Nairobi, Kenya. Besides teaching and training, he is a practising researcher and management consultant. His specialization spans across management science in the disciplines of; Strategic Management, Human Resource Management, Change Management and Organizational Behaviour. 

He has over 15 years of experience in industry practice. Before joining academia, he worked with the two leading global professional firms, PwC and KPMG. He led multi-complex projects Across Africa in over 25 countries in various industries and sectors. He is currently leading several research and development initiatives across Africa.

Professor Olusola Oyewole is the Secretary-General of the Association of African Universities, Accra, Ghana. He was the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, from 2012 to 2017. He has served as a Senior Expert (Quality Assurance, Mobility and Scholarships) at the Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology of the African Union Commission in Ethiopia, Addis-Ababa, from 2009 to 2010.

He is currently a member of the Advisory Group of the OECD Programme on Innovation, Higher Education and Research for Development, and the Tuning Africa Quality Assurance program. His major interests include internationalisation, Quality Assurance, Science, Technology and Innovation, Globalization, Higher Education Policy, etc.

Mr Zachariah Piwuna is the Director, Research and Curriculum Development, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Jos, Nigeria.

William Barnabas Qurix – Professor William Barnabas Qurix is an accomplished academic and University administrator, with over 30 years of teaching and research experience. He holds a Master of Science degree and a Ph.D in Architecture which he obtained in 1987 and 1997 respectively from Ahmadu Bello University. In 2001, he obtained an M.A. degree in Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos. 

He served as Chairman, Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Authority. Between 2010 – 2011 he served as Honourable Commissioner of Works and Transport, and in 2012 – 2017; he was Vice – Chancellor, Kaduna State University. during which the University witnessed unquantifiable growth and development. He is currently the Vice-Chancellor Bingham University Karu. 

Professor Sagagi specializes in Entrepreneurship and Global Economics. He obtained his degrees from Bayero University and Kano (BUK), Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto; conducted graduate research on Global Economics at Brandies University, Boston and received entrepreneurship training at the International Training Centre, Turin, Italy. He’s a Fulbright Fellow who helped manage/coordinate many international projects supported by the several international organisations, including World Bank, IFAD, British Council, Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation, among others. He’s currently a professor at Dangote Business School and Inclusive Economic Growth Adviser to FSSP/Global Affairs Canada.

Dr Saliu was the Director of Academic Planning (DAP) at the National Universities Commission (NUC), a position he held since August 2019 and doubles as Supervising Director Accreditation. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry (1987), a Master of Science in Biochemistry (1990) and a Doctorate in Biochemistry from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. He is a member of the African Union-European Union Partnership initiative, Harmonisation of African Higher Education Quality Assurance and Accreditation (HAQAA) Technical Working Group (TWG). He is a member of the Governing Councils of Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, Nigeria and Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Nigeria as well as the Governing Board of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC).

Mr Schötz earned a degree in industrial engineering and spent two years as a product manager with the global company Zollner Elektronik AG before joining Rohde & Schwarz in 2007. He spent more than 10 years in various operational roles at the Teisnach plant and at the same time completed an MBA, specializing in management and leadership. Holger Schötz served as the deputy plant manager in Teisnach with staff responsibility for the approximately 2,000 manufacturing employees at the plant. Since 2018, he has headed projects for different strategic initiatives with a global reach at the Rohde & Schwarz corporate headquarters in Munich.

Ukandu Ukandu is the Group Head (Services & Conglomerates), Corporate Banking, First Bank of Nigeria Limited. Previously, he worked with Citibank Nigeria for 8years rising to the position of a Vice President (Corporate Banking) responsible for leading a team of senior managers overseeing the fast-moving consumer goods, automobiles, cement, distribution, Japanese and Chinese and general corporate sectors of the Nigerian economy. He has a background in Economics and finance spanning corporate banking, investment banking, credit risk, business development and relationship management. He holds a BSc. and MSc. In Economics from the University of Calabar and currently completing his MBA from the China-Europe International Business School (CEIBS).

Experienced in entrepreneurship & innovation on the continent of Africa, Shiela has a wealth of praxis knowledge in new venture launch, business acceleration, and Impact Investing. She has designed and executed multiple entrepreneurship & innovation support programs and impacted entrepreneurs across Africa through her previous role at the University of Cape Town. She is currently Head of Ecosystem Development for Ayoba.