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Few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms,
Minister for Youth and Sports Development, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Mr. Sunday Akin Dare is the Nigeria Minister of Youth and Sports Development.
Until his appointment, he was the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholder Management) of the Nigerian Communications Commission.
He was the Convener of the Social Media Clinic (SMC), a Media/Information Technology (New Media) initiative committed to educating private citizens on IT development and also in the use of telecommunication as an information tool and creating awareness on how to responsibly use the platform provided by advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). He combined this role with being the Chief of Staff / Special Adviser (Media) to former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science (BSc.) in International Studies from Ahmadu Bello University in 1991. He then proceeded to obtain a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the University of Jos. He was a Freedom Forum Fellow and Visiting Scholar, School of Journalism - New York University (NYU) in 1998. He later proceeded to Harvard University under the prestigious Harvard Nieman Journalism Fellowship between 2000 and 2001 where he studied Media and Public Policy.
In 2011 he won the Reuters Foundation Journalism Research Fellowship, University of Oxford, UK where he researched "New Media and Citizen Journalism in Africa – A Case Study: Using New Media Tools and Citizen Journalism to Investigate Corruption in Nigeria."
Mr. Dare has decades of multimedia journalism experience spanning about 25 years (1991 and 2016) when he was nominated as Executive Commissioner.
He was the Chief, Hausa Service, African Division, Voice of America (VOA) in Washington, DC from 2001 to 2009, where, apart from directing the production of radio and online broadcast news and programs daily, he designed and implemented the adoption of new IT and Telecoms tools for international radio news-gathering and information dissemination to boost audience size and expand reach. He supervised the work of eleven (11) International Radio Broadcast Journalists based in Washington DC alongside 24 reporters/stringers based in West Africa for VOA.
He was a founding member of the Nigerian weekly magazines The News and Tempo in the heady days of the military, where he served as Editor, Tempo magazine and pioneer Online Editor/General.
He had been reporter/columnist with several international publications such as The Nation magazine in New York and a production editor/writer with the European funded Fourth Estate magazine during the struggle against military dictatorship in Nigeria.
In 2009, he became Senior Special Assistant (Media) / Chief of Staff to the Minister of Information and Communications during which he guided decisions on all media and communications related matters, government information dissemination and media policies under the purview of the Ministry. He was at this time assigned to oversee aspects of the operations of the NCC and brief the Minister of Information and Communications on issues, challenges and opportunities in Nigeria's emerging telecommunications market. He also participated in strategic meetings between the office of the Minister, Information and Communications and the NCC leadership at that time, including being a member of the Minister's advisory team on the sale of the 2.3GHz spectrum frequency.
Mr. Dare is a recipient of many awards and has been recognized internationally, including being identified as one of the 50 Leading Nigerians in North America 2010 in commemoration of Nigeria's 50th Anniversary. He also won the Voice of America Meritorious Honor Award 2009 in recognition of his skillful leadership and outstanding performance; and he also bagged a Committee to Protect Journalists Citation in 2000 by the New York based organization in acknowledgement of his courage as a journalist.
His published works include; Making A Killing - The Business of War (Public Integrity Books, Washington DC - March 2003), which won the Sigma Delta Chi International investigative award; Guerrilla Journalism: Dispatches From The Underground (Xlibris Corporation, USA. - March 2007); We Are All Journalists - Africa In The Age Of Social Media (Oxford University Press, UK - 2011) the product of Mr. Dare's research at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Oxford University; and Datelines - A Journalists' Narrative (May 2016). Ongoing works include; Butting Heads - Traditional Media Versus Social Media - Who Blinks First and Marriage that Works - The Convergence of Telecoms & ICT.
He is a member and associate of several professional bodies including the US-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) the Investigative Workshop, American University and a former Knight Fellow, International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), Washington DC
Founder, Tekenah.com
Tekenah has been active in current affairs and citizen journalism for many years before she started her career in journalism at The Daily Times Newspaper in 2017.
She has diverse and hands-on work experience and acumen across radio, print and social media platforms.
Tekenah combines her interests of digital media, journalism, politics, leadership, in a ‘portfolio career’, building a library of political content for Nigerian youth through blogging.
She was a Member of the Digital Media Sub-Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), 2019 Presidential Election, Member Social Media Sub-Committee APC Bayelsa State 2019 Governorship Campaign Council.
Politician, Public Commentator and Entrepreneur
The man Ahmed Buhari is a Geologist, a Business Consultant, an Entrepreneur, a Philanthropist and a Politician.
Ahmed Buhari declared his interest to run for the office of the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria on the 1st of October 2016. At a time when a lot of
People did not think any young person could dare.
Ahmed Buhari regards himself as a true Nigerian. With family and friends from all over the country, he does not conform to the idea of State of Origin.
Ahmed attended Mustapha Comprehensive School, Kontagora where he was noted for his academic excellence and placed with the responsibility of serving as a Class Captain throughout his spell at the school.
He obtained his West Africa Secondary
School Certificate (WASSC) from Command Secondary School Kaduna where he was able to acquire the much-needed military experience and attributes; discipline, persistence, efficacy, integrity, commitment and straightforwardness.
Upon the demise of his father in 1993, he assumed the responsibility as the father to his younger ones and a companion to his mother at the young age of fifteen (15).
Ahmed acquired a B.Sc. degree in Geology from the Federal University of
Technology Minna, Niger State. After the necessary National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC), he gained employment with an indigenous oil and gas company in
Lagos state.
Ahmed attended Cavendish College, London and bagged a Master’s Degree in International Trade and Marketing and then to Manchester Metropolitan University where got trained as a Geographic Information System and Spatial analyst.
He later joined the telecommunications industry and rose to the position of a Senior
Business Development Manager.
In 2012, curiosity drove him to venture into what a long line of his family members have always been into; Entrepreneurship, although in a more trendy approach.
He started off Skylar, Inc. a company focused solely on Information Technology (IT),
Networking, Security Systems, Corporate branding, and Business consulting with staff strength of over 100 young people. Skylar, Inc., a nurtured dream has continually gained grounds in trying to ensure the next generation embraces IT, as it is evidently the next frontier for not just national development but global advancement towards innovation and wellbeing.
The Ahmed Bee Foundation has been responsible and associated with social activities to support educational development in Nigeria.
The “Kids Can Code” initiative, which targets young children in primary schools between the ages of 5 and 12. This activity ensures that young children are fully exposed to computer programming, software development, graphic designing and hardware assembling.
The foundation also organizes frequent Hackathons that targets students mostly from tertiary institutions and get them involved in the thinking processes of how to proffer better solutions on specific areas of the economy using technology.
In 2016, the Ahmed Bee Foundation started the Coding for people living with disabilities in a bid to expose them to other sources of income. Albinos, people living with blindness, deafness and affected limbs are welcome to the facility every fortnight to acquire free training.
The Meet the Boss project also lies under the foundation’s portfolio with the sole aim of engaging young and aspiring entrepreneurs and giving them the necessary exposure and training to reach their goals.
In all these activities over 1,700 people have benefited.
Ahmed is the founder of the Reformation Movement, an agenda that has awakened the consciousness of young Nigerians across Nigeria to embrace themselves regardless of all those things that divide Nigerians. The organization also focuses on educating young Nigerians on the need to be politically conscious and encourages youth participation in governance and democratic processes. He has also managed to imbibe the culture of volunteering in young people to start caring for the less privilege in society.
Ahmed has received many recognitions including; Entrepreneurship award from
MTN Nigeria, a special recognition by the Goodwill Ambassadors Awards
Organization, Award of Excellence from the Association of Family Business Owners of Nigeria, West African Leadership Summit, Northern Nigerian Students Association, Rome Business School and many more, Emerging Political Leader from the London Political Summit and many more......
Ahmed has spoken at over 5 different TEDx events and is a regular commentator on televison, radio and social media platforms across the globe.
Ahmed believes that only a United people can become a progressive people.
He is married to his beautiful wife Maryam and they blessed with 3 adorable children.
Lawyer/Politician
Hon (Otunba) Tunde Braimoh is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.He was called to Bar over 30 years ago.
He is also a Member of the prolific Lagos State House of Assembly representing Kosofe 2 state constituency. Prior to that, Otunba Abdultaofik Olatunde Adebayo Braimoh had served meritoriously as Executive chairman of the old Kosofe Local Government where he marked his footprints on the sands of time and his achievements and legacies in office remain evergreen till date .
Sobriquet Big Daddy, Tunde is fondly loved and admired by a wide spectrum of his people because of his egalitarian beliefs and welfarist tenets which he does not only prescribe but also practices. His effective, effectual, purpose-driven and adequate representation of his people in the House of Assembly has endeared him to all and sundry.
He has been responsible for many jobs provision, poverty alleviation/wealth creation, infrastructural maintenance/provision, educational support and social welfare policies since inauguration as a state legislator in 2015 and again in 2019.
Tunde’s mantra ‘the greatest good to the greatest number’ is the pivot around which his faculties of thought and action rotate. He has many honours, tittles and decoration in the manifestation of the love, admiration and confidence reposed in him by various institutions and communities he had related with.
His populist leanings and public spirit are popularly acclaimed and applauded by all.
Group Head, Current & Public Affairs TVC Communications
Babajide Kolade-Otitoju started his journalism career in 1991 as a sports writer with over 26 years of journalism experience both in the print and broadcast media.
Babajide serves as Group Head, Current & Public Affairs at TVC Communications working across documentary and special programming.
He is also a senior political commentator on one of Nigeria’s most noted current affairs and political analysis television programmes which airs daily on the TVC News channel. (Journalists Hangout)
Vice President , Airtel Nigeria
Emeka Oparah has 29 years of consistent communications practice spanning journalism, advertising, public relations, events, sponsorships and corporate social responsibility and public affairs.
He is one of Nigeria’s leading experts in crisis communication, leadership transition, change management and rebranding. He is reputed for managing the ownership and management crisis, seven leadership changes and six brand name changes in one of the leading telecommunications companies in Nigeria, now known as Airtel Nigeria.
Over the past two decades and half, Oparah has built up a broad and resourceful network of contacts in the media, government, politics, and society at large with significant capacity, therefore, to teach, lead and lobby productively. He’s also built a strong and inspirational personal brand worthy of emulation.
As Vice President Corporate Communications & Corporate Social Responsibility at Airtel Nigeria, he leads the team that develops the strategies and executes various activities in the management of media relations, social media communications, consumer affairs, internal communications, government affairs and social investments.
Born November 29, 1966, to Mr. & Mrs. Ethelbert Oparah in Mbaise, Imo State, he graduated BA (Hons.)top of his class in Mass Communications of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, in 1990 and holds a post-graduate Diploma in International Public Relations.
Before joining what was then Econet Wireless Nigeria in 2002, where he established the Corporate Communications function, he had stints in Imo Newspapers Limited (publishers of The Statesman, Sunday Statesman and Statesman Extra); Patike Communications (a Public Relations Consulting firm) Candid Communications and Richland Communications (both Advertising Agencies) and Cadbury Nigeria, one of Nigeria’s foremost Food and Beverages Manufacturing Company, where he worked for 8 years as Media Relations Manager.
A member of the International Public Relations Association (IPRA); International Association of Business Communicators (IABC); Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), he has attended numerous courses locally and internationally in Communications, Management and Leadership.
At various times, he has been Public Relations Manager, Head of PR, Events & Sponsorships; Head of Corporate Communications and, from 2011 till date, Director, Corporate Communications & CSR at Airtel Nigeria.
Oparah is a social commentator and contributes frequently to national discourse through the social media and major national newspapers. He spends quality time mentoring and coaching aspiring young leaders as well as in pursuit of humanitarian causes.
He is founder and Head Tailor at Ethelberts Clothing, an SME, which specializes in Nigerian menswear. In the past two years, he company has built a reputation for making clothes for a wide range of prominent individuals including politicians, business executives and celebrities. As a sustainable social impact policy, he commits, through Ethelberts Clothing, N1000 for every outfit sold by the company to supporting the less privileged in society.
He’s inspired by the desire to immortalize his late father, whom his clothing line is named after and, at the same time, create job opportunities for young Nigerians. In his spare time, he works on the establishment of The Ethelbert Foundation, which is dedicated to the memories and legacies of his late father, Mr. Ethelbert Oparah, creating awareness for Diabetes and Hypertension and supporting less privileged children in Nigeria.
He enjoys reading, traveling, photography, dancing, hunting, football, tailoring and cooking.
