MEET OUR SPEAKERS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Prof Evans Osabuohien is a Professor of Economics at Covenant University, Ota and Founding Chair of DIaDeRC (DePECOS Institutions and Development Research Centre), Nigeria. He has two decades of experience and has executed numerous funded projects as an individual and team lead. He is astute in research, resulting in the publication of five books and over 200 scholarly articles. He has participated in conferences/workshops/short courses across the world. He has consulted on many projects for international agencies such as International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), United Nations Agencies (e.g., UNCTAD & UNU-WIDER), African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), Council for the Development of Social Research in Africa (CODESRIA), German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), among others. He was appointed as the Head of Department (HOD) in 2016, emerging as the Youngest HOD in the University. He received a Double Promotion to the rank of a Full Professor of Economics in December 2017, making him the Youngest Professor in the University.  In May 2020, he was recognised as ‘One of the 6 Youngest Professors in Nigeria’. He is the Pioneer Chair of the Centre for Economic Policy and Development Research (CEPDeR) and the Pioneer Chair of Regional Centre of Expertise, Ogun State (RCE Ogun). He is a member of many International Learned Societies/Professional Associations. He is a Visiting Professor to Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique and University of Lusaka, Zambia. He was a Visiting Scholar at University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (June- December 2020) and Alexander von Humboldt Visiting Professor at Witten/Herdecke University, Germany (2018-2023). Also, he is an external examiner to many universities within and outside Africa. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors of  companies such as: Covenant Microfinance Bank Ltd (since 2018); Canadian Centre for Raw Materials Display Inc (CaCeRMDI), Canada (2021-2024); Seasoned Researchers and Business Advisors Ltd (since 2021); and OpenBinacle Group (Multinational Technology Company, Bonn, since 2022). He is the Founding Chair and Lead Economist for DePECOS Institutions and Development Research Centre (DIaDeRC, since 2023), where he coordinates the African Scholars Mentorship Network (ASMN) with over 800 members. He is one of the Global Authors for Global Environmental Outlook 7th Edition (GEO-7), the flagship report of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). He is a member of Council for Nigerian Economic Society (NES founded 1957) where he serves as an Associate Editor. He is an Associate Editor for Elsevier (Heliyon-Economics) and Managing Editor for Springer Nature Group (Sustainable Development). He is a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (since 2012) and Swedish Institute (since 2009), among many others.

Professor of Economics, Covenant University

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Olusola Oyero, PhD, is a Professor of Communication and Media Studies, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Anchor University, Lagos. He was a post-doctoral fellow of North West University, South Africa and a recipient of ABSA-Rhodes Journalism award. He is a Scholar of the African Council for Communication Education (SACCE) and member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). He has been a resource person at Yeda Leadership Academy (YLA) and African Leadership Centre as well being a speaker at many fora on leadership and youth development. He has participated and presented papers at various conferences across Africa, Asia and Europe with many research articles and book chapters to his credit.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Anchor University, Lagos

CONFERENCE PANELISTS

Liela

Dr. Leila Dagher is Assistant to the President for Public Policy and Associate Professor of Economics at the Lebanese American University and has been an adjunct lecturer at the George Washington University since 2016. She currently serves as an editor for Energy Policy, as well as on the editorial boards for Finance Research Letters, Management Decision, Utilities Policy, and Development and Sustainability in Economics and Finance. Dr. Dagher is a regular participant in academic and policy debates. Her research focuses on economics and policy issues related to the areas of energy, environment, and financial crises, among others. She has published more than 25 peer-reviewed articles. Her work has appeared in leading academic journals such as the Energy Journal, Energy Economics, and in more widely accessible forums. Dr. Dagher received her Bachelor of Engineering from the American University of Beirut and her Ph.D. in Mineral Economics from the Colorado School of Mines. Before joining the LAU, Dr. Dagher had taught for 15 years at the American University of Beirut with several visiting stints including Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Lebanese American University

Beatrice

Beatrice D. Simo-Kengne is professor in the School of Economics at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa and serves as visiting scholar in African tertiary institutions including the Covenant University, Nigeria; African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), Kenya; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. She holds a PhD in economics with a specialization in applied econometrics. Her research interests lie in the fields of sustainable development- including but not limited to- housing, asset prices, agriculture, environment, performance evaluation, risk management, gender and health. She is an Alumna of the World Academy of Sciences/DFG, affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences and has served as mentor for the DAAD ClimapAfrica programme, member of the Climate change and agriculture and rural development working group.

University of Johannesburg

Dr. Ajibade

Dr. Ayodeji T. Ajibade is an accomplished researcher and educator with a keen interest in the intersection of accounting and entrepreneurship. His work focuses on exploring how these two fields can be integrated to enhance financial decision-making, performance measurement, and regulatory practices in entrepreneurial ventures. Dr. Ajibade holds a Ph.D. in Accounting, specializing in Financial Reporting and Ethics, from Babcock University, Nigeria. He also holds a Master’s degree in Accounting with a focus on International Accounting, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Throughout his academic journey, he demonstrated exceptional academic prowess and achieved notable distinctions. His scholarly contributions extend beyond research papers, as he actively participates in conferences and workshops both locally and internationally. Dr. Ajibade is a sought-after presenter and has shared his expertise at numerous academic gatherings, enriching discussions and fostering collaboration. In addition to his research pursuits, Dr. Ajibade is a highly regarded educator. As a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Accounting at Babcock University, he imparts his knowledge and experience to aspiring accountants and entrepreneurs. He is dedicated to enhancing the learning experience of his students, employing effective teaching methodologies and providing mentorship. Dr. Ajibade’s commitment to academic excellence and his passion for bridging the gap between accounting and entrepreneurship led him to assume the role of Director at the Entrepreneurial Development Centre (EDC) at Babcock University. In this capacity, he oversees the center’s operations, ventures, and business innovative strategies, driving forward its mission to nurture entrepreneurial talents and foster a vibrant startup ecosystem.

Babcock University

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Dr. Ayodotun Stephen Ibidunni is a Senior Lecturer and Head of the Business Administration Department at Chrisland University, Nigeria. His research interests are Strategic Management and Entrepreneurship in developing economies. He has published widely in international journals, including Technological Forecasting and Social Change, the Journal of Technology Transfer, Managerial and Decision Economics, Journal of African Business, Journal of Workplace Learning, among others. He has received several local and international awards for his scholarship. He is an Associate Editor for RAE – Revista de Administracao de Empresas and has guest edited for many international journals. He is a member of many international scholarly and professional associations including the International Association of Knowledge Management (IAKM), Italy, Africa Indigenous Knowledge Research Network (AIKRN), and the Education and Business Support Thematic Group of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG). Dr Ibidunni is the Chair of the International Centre for Policy Research and Industry Linkages (ICePRIL) as well as the founder of Shaveh Consulting. He is the host of the monthly African Entrepreneurship Educators’ Workshop (AEEW), and the Impact Publishing Workshop (IPW) that is focused on supporting the aspirations of early career and young African Scholars in impact publishing.

Chair, ICePRIL

Oko

Dr. Emmanuel Ehimen Okoh hails from Edo State, Nigeria. He attended the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, for his B.Sc. in Business Administration, where he graduated in 2006.  He later obtained his M.Sc. in Operations and Production Management from the same University in 2012, and his Ph.D. in Business Administration from Covenant University, Ota, Ogun, in 2022. Dr. E. E. Okoh joined the services of Anchor University, Lagos as a Lecturer II on September 26, 2022.

Before his engagement at Anchor University, Lagos, Dr. E. E. Okoh has had a vast industry experience spanning over two decades.

Dr. E. E. Okoh is the current Coordinator of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre of Anchor University, Lagos. He is a Board member of the AUL Institute of Digital Humanities and the School of Postgraduate Studies of the University. He is also a serving Faculty Examination Committee member. Dr. Okoh has served as the Acting Head of the Department of Business Administration at different points.

Dr. Okoh has had to his credit several publications from reputable outlets, locally, nationally and internationally. His display of apt knowledge of his areas of specialisation: “Family Business and Operations Management” has distinguished him in all of his academic, administrative and relational engagements.

Anchor University

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Dr. Emielu is a seasoned facilitator and coach with over 30 years’ strategy and leadership experience. He works with clients to upskill their teams and energise high performance, drawing on insights from his indepth engagements.

His training and consulting engagements cut across Africa and Middle East, spanning Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mozambique, Egypt, Rwanda, Qatar, and UAE. Clients include global leaders in Energy, Manufacturing, and Financial services.

He holds a doctorate in Business Management from Covenant University, a PG Certificate in Management from Ashridge (Hult) Business School, UK, and MSc Marketing from the University of Lagos. He is an alumnus of the Senior Management Programme of the Lagos Business School, and a Council Member of the Alumni Association.

Dr. Emielu is a DISC Certified Behavioural Consultant, a Certified Brain Friendly Trainer, and a Certified Oracle Application Developer. He is also a Certified International Project Manager, a member of the Project Management Institute,

Dr. Emielu is the Managing Partner at Oil & Gas Soft Skills Limited, which he founded in 2006, and is now a leading workforce development brand in Africa’s energy sector. He is also the lead consultant at Xynesys, a digital and strategy consulting outfit. Before then, he was a senior executive at Halliburton Energy Services, where he held responsibilities that at one time covered the Sub-Sahara African region. He was an Adjunct Lecturer in Strategy and Organisational Behaviour in one of Nigeria’s growing private universities.

Learning Solutions Limited

Bonu

Elvis Boniface is an education and media development specialist with a knack of technology as a veritable tool for change, with privileged portfolio of working with different clients; institutions and government in Africa and around the world for the African social impact sector.
He is the Founder and Managing Director of Edugist, an impact-focused newsroom and innovation lab devoted to education in Africa. Edugist drive change by providing vital data, leading advocacy, reporting education, and driving initiatives to ensure inclusive and high-quality education for all. He is the Convener of the Nigerian Student Venture Prize, the first and only student venture prize in Nigeria that identify the talent and technology of tomorrow and empower them to take their ideas to the next level.
Elvis has advised, developed and implemented education-focus corporate social responsibility initiatives/products for many multinationals at all levels of education, worked with different Members of States and National Assembly to channel their constituency project to education. He has been part of education policy review and blueprint development for some Nigerian states and African countries. And works with top schools, learning and development firms to create digital strategies that convert and manage them. Through Edugist, Elvis have worked for the World Innovation Summit for Education, British Council, Alison, E-Learning Africa, Injini, Testmaster, TOSSE, EduWeek, Nortify, Didier Drogba Foundation, Meadow Hall Group, leading Bank, Fidelity Bank, Africa Plus Partner, TecPoint Global Services, among others
He is the Executive Producer & Host of The Education Dialogue, a radio program that amplifies strong conversation aimed at improving education in Nigeria because he believes education is the pivot of Africa’s development. Elvis earned master degrees in Education Technology and Early Childhood Education from the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL), United Kingdom and University of Lagos, Nigeria and certifications in digital strategy, multimedia/broadcast journalism, data management, film-making and ample training locally and abroad. He’s received multiple grants from notable organisations like the MacArthur Foundation, Media Development Investment Fund, World Innovation Summit for Education, Roddenberry Foundation, SBI and Fate Foundation for social innovation in education and media development.
Elvis is a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants of Nigeria and an accredited member of the international council of management consulting institutes as well as Member, Education Thematic Group of Nigeria’s think-tank, Nigeria Economic Summit Group.
Elvis is happily married and is a proud #GirlDad.

Edugist