James B.Kantiok is a Professor of Peace and Security Studies and former Director of the Centre for Peace, Conflict and Security Studies at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

Professor Kantiok was a member, Kaduna State Peace and reconciliation Committee and a member of National (Eminent Nigerians) summit group.  He was also consultant to the Judiciary Committee on the clashes between the Nigeria Army and the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) in Zaria. He has taught at Nigeria Defence Academy where he helped design postgraduate programs in Peace and Conflict management and Securiry Studies. 

Professor Kantiok has received numerous academic awards, including the prestigious Fullbright Scholar Award (2010); The excellence in research and Accomplised Scholar awards, Azusa Pacific University (2008-2010); The PEW scholar award (1994-99) and the FACT Scholar Award (1993-2000). 

Prof. Kantiok has taught at undergraduate and graduate levels in the United States of America, Europe, Philippines,  Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, and South Sudan, where he taught high level leaders such as prime ministers, governors, parliamentarians, cabinet ministers, top security personnel, Chief executives and top UN staff and in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

His research interests include intercultural studies, Peace and conflict mediation, christian-muslim relations and national security. He is also a public affairs analyst that features on radio and tv programs.

Dr.Ayak Chol Deng Alak is a refugee born South Sudanese peace builder who currently serves as the head of research at the Strategic Defense and Security Review Board, an implementation instrument of the revitalized South Sudan peace Agreement. She is the former deputy coordinator of the South Sudan Civil Society Forum, a signatory entity to the South Sudan Peace deal. Together with other artistic youth she cofounder Anataban, a youth movement where she is the policy and advocacy personnel. She is an active member of the South Sudan Women’s’ Coalition for Peace as well as  numerous Pan African and global platforms like The Popular University for Citizen Engagement (UPEC) and East African Youth Forum (EAYF). 

She has excellent communication skills from over 8 years professional experience in Print media, Radio and Television. She is a great mobilizer for action and a staunch Women peace and security advocate, and believer in transformation of youth in active conflict contexts. That led her to contribute to two policy papers commissioned by the UN youth envoy youth, peace and Security and the formal and informal role of youth in peace processes. Dr.Ayak is a certified grassroot mediation expert, and contributed to the development of the grassroot mediation module for African Women.  

She is a practicing and published clinical epidemiologist, published poet, researcher and an Alumni of both IVLP and the Just World movement. She holds a Bachelors of Medicine, Bachelors of Surgery and a Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology.

Dr.Ayak is also a practicing political analyst and rights activist and a certified facilitator at the National Transformational Leadership Institute.

Founder and General Manager of the Center for Orientation and Professional Retraining (CORP) since 2015, Youssef Fennira, was recently appointed Director General of the NationalbAgency for Employment and Entrepreneurship (ANETI) in Tunisia — an institution with over 1000 employees. He is the youngest CEO of a public institution in Tunisia's history.

He holds a Master Degree in International Economics from the Sorbonne University in Paris and an MBA in International Business Engineering from the Paris Graduate School of Management. After completing his higher Education in France—spanning 7 years, he returned to Tunisia to focus fully on the issue of unemployment by looking at reforms and solutions to the Tunisian Case.

From 2013 to 2015, he held the position of Project Manager in the Tunisian-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Tunisia). In this capacity, he facililated the training of many young Tunisians in soft skills courses and professional development, also introducing the concept of professional reconversion into the Tunisian labor market.

As part of the projects implemented within the AHK Tunisia, Youssef Fennira has founded and directs since 2015 the Center for Orientation and Professional Retraining (CORP). Born out of a partnership between the AHK Tunisia and the German Cooperation Employment Fund (GIZ), the CORP has managed to place 1,300 young Tunisian job seekers in companies.

In 2015, Youssef Fennira cofounded with a group of young Tunisian leaders the Maghreb Young Leaders Organization (MYLO Tunisia).  This network of young leaders with different political, economic and social trends are working together to enhance North-North and South-South and North-South dialogue and to promote the emergence of an enterprising North African Youth involved in decision making processes. He currently serves as its General Secretary.

Youssef Fennira travels the world as an International Consultant in Organizational Development to share the Tunisian experience in solving the unemployment challenge. He has represented Tunisia at several forums, amongst which are— African Youth Dialogue, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania; Inaugural Pan-African Youth Forum, N'djamena, Chad, African Leadership Forum, South Africa amongst many others.
 

Ms. Mediatrice Barengayabo is a community organizer, a public health specialist and an activist with over nine years of working experience in different sectors — Private and Government institution as well as international organization such as UN, USAID and PEPFAR organization.

Mediatrice is versatile and can adapt easily to change and challenges in a collaborative, multicultural working environment.

As an activist who is passionate about deepening democracy and promoting peace  in Africa, she has served in the electoral space for many years. She serves on a number of boards; The Institute of Election Management Services in Africa (IEMSA)— an institute rendering election management services and providing capacity to individuals and institutions that are in the election space. She also sits on the board of The Reformers Initiative For Development In Africa (Reformers Of Africa) —an organization dedicated to promoting and supporting the principles and practices of Participatory Democracy, Peace and Government Accountability in Africa.

Mediatrice is the former Chief Executive of Ikiriho Institute, Burundi and she is further an activist for peace building and social development in Burundi.

Mediatrice holds a Master's in Public Health from the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. She is also an Alumni of the International Visitors Leadership Program in the USA.
 

Ayomide Alao is a development practitioner whose expertise intersects business development, technology startups, and social development. He has a proven track record of connecting companies, startups, and governments in the global south to investors and technologies in the global north. His work underpins the navigation of complex markets and the deployment of solutions for partners and clients. He has consulted on several projects supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), African Development Bank (AfDB), Rockefeller Foundation, World Bank, NASA, United Nations, amongst others.

He is a Partner and Nigeria Country Director at Two Lakes Group— an Africa-focused business advisory and financial consulting firm that develops digital, financial, and physical infrastructure projects that facilitate global trade and business. At Two Lakes Group, Ayomide has led the entry of several tech companies into the African Markets.

Furthering his passion for governance and civic development, he founded Reformers of Africa, a civic-tech Pan-African organization dedicated to promoting and supporting ideals, principles and practices of participatory governance, digital social innovation, peace and government accountability in Africa. 

Ayomide is an Associate Fellow of The Royal Commonwealth Society, UK, a recipient of the Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF) Awards- 2022, and a Finalist of The Queen's Young Leaders Award.

To reach Ayomide, please write to him at ayomide@reformersofafrica.org

Temilorun is a development enthusiast, who ambition to redefine leadership in Africa through knowledge, enterprise and public service. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Sociology from Bowen University, and currently studying Africa at the University of Oxford, England. 

Temilorun is a skillful researcher and published scholar. His research interests are but not limited to poverty & marginalization, SDGs and Governance. When Temilorun is not doing research or engaging in civic and development issues debate, he is strategizing on methodologies to transform the African continent socially, economically and politically, beginning from Nigeria. 

To reach Temilorun, please write to him at temilorun@reformersofafrica.org

Fatai Kunle Adewusi is a seasoned IT professional, specialising in Information Security.

Having graduated from the University of Kent and the prestigious King's College, London studying Business Information Technology and Computing, IT Law and Management respectively, he started his professional career in the Public Sector, working for the United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) as an IT Support Analyst. 

In seeking newer challenges in his career, Mr Adewusi went into the private sector in the year 2015, a place where he still is and doing well, working for different multinationals in various global teams from different industries.

Some names that appear on his CV include Moodys' Investment Services, KPMG, Deloitte and British Petroleum (BP). 

Adewusi headed The Nigeria-Medway Progressive Union, a community interest group in his Medway area of Kent in the UK. The group pride itself in providing assistance for the needy in the Medway community of Kent. 

Mr Adewusi's personal interests include; educating the African child, rural development in Nigeria, good governance in Africa, application of IT innovations in governance in Nigeria, poverty eradication in Africa, promoting due process in the African environment among other things. 

Mr Adewusi is a football fan with a biased interest in Chelsea Football of England Club and a big fan of Roger Federer. He plays Lawn Tenis too. Mr Adewusi is married.

Yasmina Mze is an entrepreneur of repute, an advocate for women's rights and a civil society leader from the Comoros Islands, a small group of islands in the Indian Ocean, between Madagascar and the West coast of Africa. She was born there but the family quickly moved to France for "a better life".

After finishing high school and obtaining her baccalaureate, She moved to the UK for higher education. Being a student is not an easy thing so she has done several part time jobs to support herself, but those small jobs has taught her a lot. When she graduated from the university of Cardiff, she already had some experience and was ready for the upcoming challenges. She worked in a secondary school teaching French and Spanish for few years before moving back home to Comoros.

Going back home was all new to her but she quickly saw the potentials so she decided to give it a shot.

In her words "Seven years and two kids later, I do not regret my choice of returning home. I got the chance to be involved in so many different things, to meet high authorities, to explore Africa, to work with the community, to share some of my experience. It is priceless"

Yasmina is the Event Coordinator of MYC Events; a company specializing in interpreting and translation, in the organization of events focusing mainly on seminars and workshops. her expertise in the world of interpreting is well established.

Ms. Yasmina loves languages and modern letters. She is a graduate of Cardiff University, UK, specialising in Secondary Education in Foreign Languages.

Durodola, Tosin Samuel is a social anthropologist, research analyst, and policy communicator with a track record of awards, and work experience in research and sub-national governance initiatives in Africa. He specialises in displacement, humanitarian aid, politics, development, and security sector governance. 

He has worked with and collaborated extensively with relevant policy institutions such as Oxford University’s Centre for Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS); Global Research Network’s (GRN) Think Tank Programme on War, Conflict and Global Migration; Palgrave Macmillan; and French Institute for Research in Africa; amongst others. He is a recipient of the Global Thesis Award organised by Routledge and the Border Criminologies Network based at the Centre for Criminology, University of Oxford. He previously served as a Special Assistant on Digital Communications at the Government of Ekiti State.

Tosin was awarded the prestigious Graduate School of Social and Political Science (SSPS) funding to commence his PhD program at the Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He holds M.A in African Studies (Diaspora and Transnational Studies) with the highest Distinction from the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He completed his B. A (Hons) History and International Studies at Bowen University, Nigeria.

Ajetunmobi Oluwasegun holds a Master’s degree in Diaspora and Transnational Studies from the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan. His expertise cut across Mobility, African Traditional Medicine, Memory, African Development and Christian Ministry. He is a Local Coordinator at African Students for Liberty. He previously held a Writing Fellowship at AfricanLiberty.org, an Agora Fellow of the Young Voices' Advocate and he is a YALI RLC, Alumnus.

Oluwasegun was the Executive President of African Studies Students' Association at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan between 2019 and 2021. He led the association to her first ever students' oriented journal supported by Institute of French Research in Africa IFRA. Oluwasegun has been on the research team of Agriculture Policy Research in Africa APRA Work stream 2 since February 2020. The project is the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex’s sponsored research on cocoa production and commercialization and it ends in May 2021. He was also a community research for the Rethinking Relationships Project in the United Kingdom. The project was geared at providing context and analyzing African artifacts in Four United Kingdom's museums.

In a quest to expand his horizons, he has volunteered for many organizations. He was a volunteer for the High Growth Cluster of the Nigerian National Development Plan for 2025 mid term planning in 2020. He is also a volunteer and a film crew member at Thursday Film Series at the University of Ibadan. He is a junior researcher at the Institute of French Research in Africa, IFRA. He was an intern at the Centre for African Studies at the University of Mumbai between February and June 2021.

Before now, he was the Secretary-General at All Nigeria United Nations Students and Youth Association, ANUNSA, Ile-Ife and holds a Bachelor's degree in History from Obafemi Awolowo University. Oluwasegun has participated in several international and local conferences, workshops and symposia. His work in development, academic and non-Governmental spaces have featured in Compass and Routed Magazines at Oxford, Future Agriculture of IDS, University of Sussex, African Liberty and the Comments.

Oluwasegun’s view on changing Africa’s fortunes centers on good policy. He believes that good policy- bottom top approach- is the very beginning of Africa’s development.

Rita Ilevbare is a lawyer with16 years post call and an M.Sc hopeful in Gender and Development  Student. She is the Executive Director, Gender Relevance Initiative Promotion (GRIP), a leading human rights NGO based in Ekiti State, intervening in the prevention and response to GBV in Nigeria. 

Rita Ilevbare has vast experience in human rights; with particular reference to gender programing, gender justice and child protection. Ilevbare works in the area of policy formulation and implementation, legislative advocacy and drafting, project design and implementation and also into research and documentation of human rights violations. She participated in the drafting of the Ekiti State Child Rights 2006, Ekiti State GBV Prohibition Law 2011 and the Ekiti State Equal Opportunity Law, 2013. Presently, she is working with the Ekiti State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planing to draft the Ekiti State Social Protection Bill. 

In 2012 and 2013, she was Consultant to the projects 'Increasing women's participation in democratic governance in South Western Nigeria, supported by Canandian Embassy  and "The Review of Laws Protecting Women in South Western Nigeria, supported by DFID.

Ilevbare also has expirence in mobilisation, community engagement, training and fecilitation. She is much sought after as a resource person in gender rights and child protection. Since 2011, Ilevbare has been a Resource Person to the Ekiti State Annual Gender Summit, she is one of three persons who made the Ekiti State 16 member GBV Committee for a second time.

With her legal skills, Ilevbare has advised, mediated and or represented about 1000 women and children in Nigeria, including women and children living with disabilities.

She is a committed member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and was one time the Chairperson of Ekiti State Branch. Presently she is Assistant National Secretary, FIDA Nigeria. 

Rita Ilevbare has attended several trainings; local and international and she is a trustees to several credible organizations.

Ankat Tohomdet has worked for more than 5 years with both governmental and non-governmental organisations. He  has held various positions where he performed various administrative and research tasks, while developing his skill set and capacity for better service delivery.

Presently an Administrative Officer 1 with the National Bureau Of Statistics, Nigeria, where he works in the Field and Methodology Department. He routinely performs various duties ranging from Data Enumeration for State and non-State sponsored Survey's to office administration for the Zonal Office in Jos.

Ankat previously spent 3 years with the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, where he served as an administrative assistant and later a communication's assistant with the organisation.Ankat also consults and volunteers his skills and time to various organisations and worthy causes.

Ankat is presently an MPhil/Phd Public Administration Student with the University of Jos while writing a dissertation for an M.Sc. Public Policy Analysis, with the Nasarawa State University. He holds a Master Of Public Administration, specialising in public personnel management from the National Open University Nigeria and a B.Sc degree in Political Science from Covenant University, Nigeria.Ankat speaks English, Hausa and West African Pidgin English fluently.

An active citizen from the west of Africa; one who serves Nigeria with all his strength and defends the honour of the so-called third world nations. So much for his belief that Africa will rise as he upholds the greatness of the people, their prosperity and the planet in which he lives - such is a simple way to define Elkanah Oluyori.

Elkanah is a community organizer, sustainable development ambassador, a management consultant and a social economist. His interest ranges from Africa, citizenship, national transformation, to sustainable development goals, gender equilibrium, peace building, management, business and innovation.

He currently coordinates the Nigeria, FCT Abuja Chapter of the West African Network on Peace Building (WANEP) and an Alumni of Satyagragha Institute of Peace, USA. Following his academic experiences in Business Management, He provides consulting services to a number of clients and serves as a consultant with 3T School of Entrepreneurship, Akure. 

As a certified trainer, ghost writer and biographer, he has authored several books on National Development, Business, and Relationship Peace and Family Building— including ‘Partner of My Dream’ and ‘War against Unemployment’, ‘If You Don’t Have Money, Don’t Hide Your Face’ and most recently ‘Citizenshift’.

Drawing from over 7 years social and community development experience and interaction with huge developmental projects supported by International agencies like United State Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) and the likes. He currently serves on the board of The Reformers Initiative for Development In Africa (Reformers of Africa)

He is married to Mobola Samuel, a relationship and family therapist and an advocate for the exercise of freedom and ultimate expression of women.

Elkanah Oluyori will like to hear from you. You can reach him on elkanah@reformersofafrica.org

Coach MYKE, as he is fondly called, is a trained draughtsman, lawyer and business coach. Senior Partner at ClearWater Solicitors and team lead at Thinking School Nigeria.

Received training at University of Ado Ekiti, University of Ibadan, University of Abuja, Transparency International, UNICEF, WHO, USAID, UNDP, Phillips Consulting, Workforce Training Institute, and Faithway Business Academy.

Volunteer with EIE Nigeria, Transition Monitoring Group UK, UNICEF, and DFID.

He is also the West Africa Sub-Regional Technical Officer for the Bloomberg and Bill Gate’s funded Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids (Washignton DC). He is a consultant to the Federal Ministry of Health on legislative drafting.

He is also a Youth Integrity Ambassador for Anglophone West Africa (a honour conferred by Transparency International, UNDP, ICPC and Youngstars Foundation in 2013). He is an Ambassador of Citizens’ Responsibility with Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI)

Michael, a believer in self actualization, founded Thinking School Nigeria to help young business leaders find their way out of the conundrum of mediocrity and propel them into a life of passion, purpose and profitability. He offers pro bono legal services to Start Ups, and gives free coaching sessions to undergraduates and fledgling entrepreneurs.

In the corporate world, he sits on the board of IC-Cube Nigeria, Ideation Consult, Obeders Nigeria Limited, Matrix Sapphire Ltd, Laws and Letters Ltd, Hakid Construction Ltd Avigo Healthcare Services, and Vine Properties, to mention a few.

T: @TheCoachMYKE

FB: Michael A. Olaniyan

IG: @thecoachmyke

'Dara is a Communication Consultant who has trained individuals and staff of organisations across the West Africa sub-region. She was a member of the training Faculty at Skil-hub Business School, Calabar, where she trained communication and relationship management skills. She is currently  the Business Lead of Semantics Integrated, a communications consulting firm operating out of Abuja Nigeria. 

She passionately deploys her competencies in communications, public relations, project management and entrepreneurship to human capital development.

She’s a Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) RLC-Accra alumna, Co-founder and Executive Director of The Confluence Intellectual Development Initiative (CIDI); a non-profit focused on Quality Education and Program manager for Decipher Initiative for Sustainable Impact Solutions.