ARC MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO GCON, FNIA,  
THE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA 

Vice President Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo was born on the 2nd of August, 1954 in Zaria, Kaduna State of Nigeria. He started his Educational Career between the year 1959 at Baptist Primary School, Kakuri, Kaduna, Kobi Primary School in Bauchi and Towns School No. 1 in Zaria. Between 1967 to 1971, he attended Government Secondary School now Alhuda-Huda College in Zaria. He attended the School of Basic Studies at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1972, after which he gained admission into the famous Department of Architecture, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria 1973 and graduated in 1976 with Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Architecture (B. Sc. (Hons) and holds a Masters degree (M. Sc.) Arch 1978. He served with the Oyo State Ministry of Works and Housing for the National Youth Service Corps up to August1979.   

EXPERIENCE: PUBLIC SECTOR
When Bauchi State was created in 1976, the prospects of career advancement was provided by the new Government, he gained employment with the new State and served the State Government as the first set of Architects that were involved in the design of various Offices and Staff Housing Schemes. He was also provided with the honour and privilege of being the Architect responsible for the upgrading of the Yankari Games Reserve Holiday Resort during this period.  

In 1988 he was appointed Honourable Commissioner for Works, Transport and Housing. During his tenure in the Ministry of Works he concluded the Kaduna Metropolitan Expanded Water Supply Scheme and initiated the implementation of the World Bank assisted First Multi-State Water Supply Project, which benefited a population of over 3 million people. He also initiated the Kaduna State 99 Towns Electricity Project with over 70 towns connected to the national grid power supply (as against 3 towns initially connected).   

EXPERIENCE: SELF RELIANCE
In 1990 Arc Namadi Sambo left the service of Kaduna State Government and went back to his private practice. He has three companies under his stable and they include Coplan Associates, Nalado Nigeria Limited and Manyatta Engineering Services Limited. The companies over the years have acquired tremendous experience in their fields of specialization and are well known in Nigeria as major Engineering Companies through the clientele of the World Bank Assisted, Federal and State Government projects, as well as private organizations.   

In 2007, Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo contested under PDP and became the Governor of Kaduna State.

Arc Namadi Sambo was sworn in as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 19th May, 2010.

MR. NDUKA OBAIGBENA
THISDAY FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND CHAIRMAN

THISDAY founding Editor-in-Chief and Chairman, Nduka Obaigbena, attended the prestigious Edo College, Benin City, and the University of Benin where he took an honours degree in Creative Arts. He has attended professional and management courses in Nigeria, the United Kingdom, the United States, and in South Africa at the University of Witswatersrand and the University of Cape Town (Graduate School of Business) for an Advanced Management programme.

He started his journalism career at Nigerian Observer in 1978 as a satirist, writer and cartoonist, and later became co-ordinating Editor of The Dawn monthly magazine. He later left for the UK where he worked with advertising agency NAL and as a media specialist consultant in London. He had a brief stint with Newsweek Magazine in 1984 as a Special Section Representative before moving over to TIME Magazine in 1984 where he helped in developing the Special Surveys and Country Sections. He was later appointed TIME Magazine Representative for English-speaking sub-Saharan Africa. He developed several Country Sections for TIME Magazine in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco and Zimbabwe during this time.

He became Editor-in-Chief of THISWEEK magazine in 1987 and in 1991 ran for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In 1994, he was elected a member of the Constitutional Conference, which drafted the current Nigerian Constitution. He founded LEADERS & COMPANY LTD (THISDAY Newspapers) in 1995. In 1990, Obaigbena was appointed a member of the Sub-Committee of the Technical Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation for the privatisation of the Nigerian National Shipping Lines, and the commercialisation of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (including the Voice of Nigeria, VON). In 1999. Obaigbena, who is married and blessed with seven children, is a keen sportsman and public affairs commentator. He is also publisher of AFRICAN MARKETS magazine - an IMF/WORLD BANK Annual Meetings publication.

MR. SANUSI LAMIDO AMINU SANUSI 
GOVERNOR, CENTRAL BANK OF NIGERIA

Born on July 31, 1961, to a technocrat father, (Permanent Secretary, Foreign Affairs–1960s), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Aminu Sanusi is the grandson of a former Emir of Kano and Islamic Scholar, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi. He started his western education at St. Anne Primary School, Kakuri, Kaduna (1967-1972). He had his West African School Certificate at the prestigious King’s College, Lagos in 1977. He then proceeded to the equally prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he bagged a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics in 1981 and he did the course work for Master of Science degree in Economics with distinction in Monetary Policy in 1983. He earlier did his National Youth Service in former Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States).

Mallam Sanusi’s quest for knowledge took him outside the shores of Nigeria as he headed to Khartoun, Sudan where he bagged a first class degree in Sharia and Islamic Studies from the African International University in 1997.
Sanusi combines a career in banking with a strong background in intellectualism. He started his working career in 1983, as an academic at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he taught economics. In 1985, he moved into banking industry as a merchant banker with Icon Limited (Merchant Bankers), a subsidiary of Morgan Guaranty Trust Bank of New York, and Baring Brothers of London. Thereafter, he joined the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) in 1997 as a Principal Manager in the Credit and Risk Management Division where he rose to the position of a General Manager. In September 2005, he joined the Board of First Bank of Nigeria PLC as an Executive Director in charge of Risk and Management Control.

As Executive Director, Risk & Management Control of First Bank PLC, he was said to have championed remarkable developments in the bank's enterprise risk and management control mechanisms. He took over the mantle of leadership as the Group Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria PLC in January 2009. He was also the Chairman, Kakawa Discount House and sat on the Board of FBN Bank (UK) Limited.
He is married and blessed with children. Mallam Sanusi was appointed as the 10th Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria on March 6th, 2009.

OPUIYO OFORIOKUMA  
CEO/Managing Director  
Lekki Concession Company Ltd

A General Management executive with hands-on experience of managing businesses through major transition and change, Opuiyo Oforiokuma has extensive international experience of major infrastructure projects in different parts of the world.  He also spent several years as an executive-level expatriate living overseas (in Chile and then the USA). He is a trouble-shooter accustomed to operating in challenging and diverse environments, and who drives for results. His areas of expertise include new product and service strategy development, change management, business process reengineering, business restructuring and turnaround, cost reduction and operational efficiency improvement, commercial negotiation, M&A, project management, finance.
An honours graduate in Accountancy and Financial Management from the University of Buckingham, Opuiyo joined Thames Water, the UK’s largest privatized Water Utility Company, in 1990. During a 16-year career with Thames Water, he was appointed Finance Director of Thames Water International in 2000, and led Thames Water’s International Financial Function at a time of the company’s considerable growth and overseas expansion. He played a leading role in developing and implementing Thames Water’s international business and financial strategy, resulting in the successful completion of a number of strategic overseas acquisitions, especially in the USA and Latin America, and in securing and operating a range of multi-million dollar infrastructure projects in countries such as Turkey, Puerto Rico, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Appointed Business Performance Director, Latin America, in 2002, he relocated to Chile, from where he led a fundamental redesign and restructuring of Thames Water’s Chilean business operations. This included completion of the first ever legal merger of previously State-owned Chilean Water Companies, creating the second largest company of its type in that country. In 2003 he relocated again, this time to the USA, on being appointed Vice President of Business Change in American Water, the largest investor-owned Water Utility Company in the USA at the time. There he co-directed American Water’s Business Transformation Programme, designed to fundamentally transform the company and deliver significant value creation. In 2005, he was appointed Vice President of Product and Service Innovation of American Water, and commenced the development and implementation of a new strategy to create growth from new business start-ups and service offerings.
In 2006 he left American Water to pursue new interests, whereupon he took up his current role as CEO/Managing Director of Lekki Concession Company Ltd.  Lekki Concession Company Ltd is a Nigerian company currently engaged in executing the 30-year Lekki Toll Road Concession, under a mandate from Lagos State Government.  The project is the first of its kind in Nigeria, and is pioneering change in the way road infrastructure is financed and delivered in the country.  The Company recently concluded a N46.8 billion long-term financing package with several blue-chip local and international financial institutions, on terms that are acknowledged as ground-breaking for the Nigerian Market.

Tonye Cole
Managing Director
Sahara Energy Resource Limited

Tonye Cole is the Managing Director of Sahara Energy Resource Limited which he co-founded in 1996. Today, Sahara Energy is a major employer of labour with a staff strength of just over 300 people. The company also has a growing portfolio which includes upstream assets with a marginal field block awarded in 2003 and an equity partner in Block 5 of the JDZ awarded in 2005. Sahara Energy remains very strong in the trading sector and has set up a trading office in Geneva, Switzerland which actively trades in crude oil, gas oil, Jet A1, mogas and bitumen in various markets globally. The company also maintains a strong physical presence with in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Senegal and representative offices in Cameroun, France and Brazil. Sahara Energy is participating in the privatisation exercise for the Port Harcourt Refinery and would soon be expanding its downstream retail activities in 2006.
Son of Patrick Dele Cole, Tonye was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State some 38 years ago. He attended Corona School, Victoria Island and later King’s College, Lagos before proceeding to King’s School, Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. He is also an alumnus of the University of Lagos and Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil. A merit honours graduate of architecture, Tonye Cole worked as an architect for frontline Brazilian architectural firm Grupo Quartro SA in Goiania Brazil (’90-92) where he was involved in the design and implementation of the urban planning and city development of Palmas, the capital city of the newly created state of Tocantins. The city of Palmas was designed as a ‘green fields’ project and built up from scratch.

Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren
Director General
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority

Dr. Harold Olusegun Demuren, an Aeronautical Engineer, was born on the 31st May 1945 in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State in Western Nigeria.
He attended Ijebu Ode Grammar School from January 1958 to December 1964 where he obtained Cambridge Higher School Certificate (HSC) and General Certificate of Education (GCE, Advance Level) in 1964. In 1965, he won a Soviet Union Government scholarship to study Aeronautic Engineering in the former USSR. He obtained Diploma in Russian Language at the Moscow State University, Moscow, USSR (1965 – 1966). He proceeded to Kiev Institute of Aviation Engineers, Kiev in former Soviet Union where he obtained Masters of Science in Aeronautical Engineering (M.Sc.) in 1972 and then to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. for his Doctor of Science D.Sc. in Aircraft Gas Turbine & Jet Propulsion Engines (1975).
His research work was on the Aerodynamics Design, Manufacturing and Testing of High Temperature, High Pressure Ratio Transonic Turbine Blades for advance gas turbines and jet aircraft engines for the United States Air Force and Navy at the M.I.T. Gas Turbine and Jet Aircraft Propulsion Laboratory (1972-1974) and also a Joint experimental investigation with the Turbo-machinery Group of Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics at Rhode Saint Genesse, Belgium, a NATO Research Institute (1974 – 1975).
 
He was recruited from the United States of America to join the Federal Ministry of Aviation in 1976 as Senior Airworthiness Surveyor and rose to become Assistant Director, Airworthiness in June 1989. On the creation of the defunct Federal Civil Aviation Authority, he was appointed Deputy Director Air Transport, Economic Regulations and Licensing. He rose to become the Director Safety Services in 1991. The post he held until he was retired in August 1995.
After retirement, he worked as Aviation Consultant and later formed Afrijet Airlines, one of the leading cargo airline in the country. He was the Managing Director/Chief Executive of Afrijet Airlines until he was appointed in late December 2005 as Director General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
He is the President, Flight Safety Foundation-West Africa, currently serves in the International Advisory Committee (IAC) of Flight Safety Foundation, the first and only African member in the Board of Governors of the Flight Safety Foundation, the foremost international aviation organization with headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A.

Hon. Abike Kafayat Oluwatoyin Dabiri
Chairperson,
House Committee on Diaspora Affairs

Hon. Abike Kafayat Oluwatoyin Dabiri Erewa (Nee Erogbogbo) was born to the family of Alhaji and Alhaja Ashafa Erogbogbo of Ikorodu. Her father, Alhaji Ashafa Erogbogbo is one of the children of late Alh. Sule Erogbogbo of Adegorunsen Compound, Ajina square, Ita – Agbodo, Ikorodu. Her paternal grandmother, Alhaja Alimotu Erobogbo is from Bello Solebo family of Ita – Elewa Square, Ikorodu.

Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa started her educational career at the Maryland Convent private school, Ikeja. For her secondary education, she attended St. Teresa’s College, Ibadan. Thereafter, she attended the prestigious University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU) Ile – Ife where she obtained a degree in English Language. She continued her quest for knowledge at the University of Lagos, Akoka from where she obtained a post graduate Diploma (PGD) in Mass Communication and also a Masters Degree in Mass Communication. She also had a stint at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA. This devout Muslim is happily married to Segun Erewa and blessed with children.

Famous nationwide as an outstanding media practitioner, Abike Dabiri fondly called “Mother of Teresa of the tube” spent 15 years of distinguished and meritorious service at the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA). While there, she anchored the weekly NTA Newsline programme to the delight of millions. Hon. Dabiri warmed her way into the hearts of many with her gallantry efforts of using television as an effective tool to draw attention to the Millions of Nigerians suffering from the pains of poverty and injustice. Her commitment and passionate dedication to duty while working on several heart touching newsline stories stood her out and endeared her to many. We can never forget the story of Mary the miracle baby, a heart touching story Abike investigated for 8 years. It was therefore a touchy moment for her teeming fans when she voluntarily disengaged from NTA to yield the call of her people to be their ambassador at the House of Representatives. Her landmark victory at the polls was no surprise to the people given her pedigree.
Little surprise was it also when she was appointed as the Chairman of the House Committee on Media & Publicity of the House of Representatives. She has been strong and vocal in the House and has always stood by the principle and ideals she believes in. She was one of the strongest and most vocal opponent of the 3rd term bid of former president, Olusegun Obasanjo. She got re-elected for a second term, and she is currently the chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, a new Committee with the challenge of ensuring that Nigerians in Diaspora are integrated into development activities of their motherland.

Kayode Khalidson
Transport Coordinator
Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility

Kayode Khalidson is the transport coordinator for the Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility, a four year programme funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development.

Kayode has several years’ experience in infrastructure privatisation and concessions at Simmons & Simmons where he was involved in projects in the United Kingdom, India, Zimbabwe and South Africa and at the Bureau of Public Enterprises where he was involved in developing and implementing the BPE’s strategy for the concession of the port and rail sectors. In addition Kayode served as Project Manager for the rail concession programme and also worked extensively on development of the draft 2004 Transport Policy and draft transport bills.

At NIAF, Kayode has been advising the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Federal Capital Territory and the Lagos State government on policy, planning and public private partnerships. The work has been supported by Nigerian transport experts working in the Diaspora, of which a few have since permanently relocated to Nigeria.

Chief (Ms) Alache Ode, OBE,
Special Adviser to the Honourable Minister of National Planning Commission

Born in Teshie – Accra, Ghana, to the Late Colonel Chris .I. Ode (Rtd), Alache Ode has committed nearly 30 years building the capacity of nearly 35 UK & Swedish Diaspora Organisations through which over 300 community organisations in nearly 25 countries spread across 3 continents have benefitted. 

Alache holds a BSc Political Science Degree from Ahmadu Bello University and a Masters in International Law & Diplomacy from University of Lagos. She has worked at various times as an electronic and print Media Journalist and Press Secretary to Several Ministers.  From 1994 she  was an Associate Lecturer in Global Politics, Democratic governments and Politics, Democracy from Classical Times to Present with the Open University, London, Lecturer development Studies (African Diaspora and development), Birkbeck College, University of London and was a Senior Manager with Voluntary service Overseas (VSO).  She has also worked as an International Consultant with several International organisations.

In 2005, she researched, established and then managed a Diaspora programme which became so successful was adopted in 2008 by the UK Department for International development (DFID) as the “DFID Diaspora Volunteering Programme”.  She successfully deconstructed the concept of volunteering in development to make it more contextual and culturally relevant to Diaspora communities worldwide. She worked with over 30 Diaspora organisations in UK to influence and contribute to the Government debate on Diaspora and volunteering.  This resulted in the inclusion of Diaspora volunteering in the 2006 UK Government White Paper.

She helped develop the modalities of the UK Diaspora volunteering programmes such that it attracted a £3million DFID funding, as publicly announced by the then Minister for International development, Douglas Alexander, two years later in 2008. She was part of a two-person consultancy team that developed the funding and organisational development strategy for the Comic Relief managed “£18m DFID funds for small and Diaspora organisations”. In 2010, Alache’s hard work was recognised by the Queen Elizabeth 11 of England, who conferred on her the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).  She was also awarded the Woman of Valour award by the Centre for Women’s Development in Nigeria.  Her community of origin, through the Och’Otukpo Odu, Dr John Eimonye made her the Ojebe 1 of Otukpo (i.e. Ambassador).

Aruosa Osemwegie

Aruosa Osemwegie is an alumnus of both the Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School’s executive development programs on Human Capital Management.  A certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and a Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), the author has extensive experience as practitioner, consultant, and theorist in the management of people.

He is a Life & Career Coach and a Job Search strategist; with particular passion for getting people to ‘extend themselves beyond themselves’. He is a member of the USbased Career Planning & Adult Development Network, a member and facilitator for Daystar CareerPLUS in Nigeria and also a member of the leading global human resources body, Society for Human Resources Management, United States (SHRM). He is a much sought after international conference speaker with the ability to infuse and energize his audience. Aruosa is the author of the fast-selling 350-paged book, “GETTING A JOB IS A JOB: A No-Nonsense Practical Guide to Getting Your Desired Job”.