Speakers

Vice President, News, Google

Co-Director, On Nigeria,
Director, Nigeria Office,
MacArthur Foundation

Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi is the publisher of Nigeria’s leading investigative news platform, Premium Times, and the CEO of CJID. Previous to this, he served as pioneer policy director and chief of staff at Nigeria’s leading anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. In 1995, Dapo founded Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism. In 2014, Dapo established West Africa’s first journalism innovation and development center – the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (formerly Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism). He is often referred to as the father of investigative journalism in Nigeria and many awards are testament to his phenomenal work and great legacy in the history of Nigerian media. The most recent award is from the Committee to Protect Journalists in 2020, which also announced him co-recipient of its 2020 International Human Rights Award. He was educated at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; the Washington College of Law, American University, Washington DC; the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom and a Postgraduate Diploma in Innovation and Design Thinking by MIT Sloan, Columbia Business School Executive Education, and Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, USA.

Abosede George-Ogan, Founder, Women in Leadership Advancement Network (WILAN) is a tri-sector leader and development professional with 20 years’ experience. Abosede has worked across the non-profit, private, and public sectors in over 30 States in Nigeria and five cities across West Africa facilitating multi-sectoral partnerships in multiple focus areas of the Sustainable Development Goals and has contributed to improving the health, education, and economic outcomes of many communities with gender as a crosscutting theme.

Adedeji (Deji) Adekunle is the Program Director of the Nigeria Media Innovation Program (NAMIP), an initiative of the Media Development Investment Fund where he supports media organizations on their journey to sustainability. He is a media development and innovation expert, and trainer, who has worked extensively in the West African media ecosystem in which he has helped advance data journalism, fact checking journalism and early-stage media professional development efforts. Deji is passionate about the future and resilience of the media given its role in building thriving societies amidst an ever-changing technological landscape.

As the Program Director at Dataphyte, Adenike Aloba plays a pivotal role in managing team dynamics and guiding the direction of projects. She ensures seamless implementation of programs, oversees the development of impactful products, and aligns editorial operations with the company’s strategic objectives.
Throughout her career, Adenike has been instrumental in delivering technology-driven solutions at the intersection of media and development. Her projects and products have stood out for their ability to cut through the noise and effectively address contemporary challenges. By leveraging digital innovation and strategic media approaches, she has consistently achieved remarkable results.
Adenike’s expertise spans a diverse range of areas, including Data and Tech for Development, Press Freedom, Media and Terrorism, Illicit Financial Flows, Gender Equality/Representation, Diversity and Inclusion, and Digital Disruption. Her deep understanding and proficiency in these fields enable her to develop forward-thinking strategies and execute initiatives that drive positive change.
With a keen focus on contemporary and culturally conscious media products, Adenike combines her expertise in digital innovation and media strategies to create impactful solutions. Her track record reflects her commitment to leveraging technology for social impact and advancing media practices that align with the evolving needs of the digital age.

Ahmed Sahid Nasralla is the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) since 2019, Chairman of the National Political Debates Committee (NPDC) Sierra Leone, Secretary General of the charity All 'Works' of Life (AWOL), and Publisher of Sierra Leone's only satirical newspaper called Ticha Lemp Lemp.
Nasralla is also Sierra Leone's foremost political cartoonist. Nasralla has well over 18 years of experience working as a print media journalist. He holds a certificate and Diploma with distinction and a BA Hons in Mass Communications from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.

Mr Ajibola Amzat Ajibola Amzat is an award-winning Nigerian investigative journalist and the Africa Editor for Centre for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, CCIJ. He has years of experience uncovering major corruption scandals in Nigeria. He previously worked for The Guardian newspaper, the flagship of Nigerian print journalism, and the International Center for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) in Abuja, and he has published articles in the Groccot’s Mail, the oldest independent newspaper in South Africa. Amzat is a graduate of Columbia School of Journalism in New York, United States.

Akintunde Babatunde is currently the Director of Programmes at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development. Working with a team of 60+ professionals in 5 Anglophone West African countries, he is responsible for programme leadership and coordinating projects that advance independent media, revenue sustainability and journalism innovation across West Africa.

Anita is an investigative data analyst with the Investigative Labs at Code for Africa (CfA). She works to map and track coordinated inauthentic behaviours and Influence operations to build resilience against disinformation in African communities. She also trains and mentors journalists to empower them to conduct their own investigations using open-source intelligence tools.
She is skilled in data modelling, database design and management, problem-solving, and automating tasks with Python. She is passionate about SDG 4 and 5, Quality Education and Gender Equality.

Audrey Gadzekpo, Ph.D., is a Professor of Communication Studies at the Department of Communication Studies and former Dean of the School of Information and Communication Studies, University of Ghana. She has 30 years of experience in teaching, research and advocacy, primarily on media, gender development and governance issues, and some 35 years experience as a media practitioner.
She obtained a doctorate degree in African Studies from the University of Birmingham, U.K., a Master of Arts in Communications from Brigham Young University, Utah, USA and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Ghana.
Her research interests and publications can be clustered around four principal pre-occupations: 1.) media, democracy and governance; 2.) media and gender; 3.) media histories; 4.) media and developmental challenges, which includes work on health, conflict, climate change and policy communication.
Aside from teaching mainly journalism and communications-related courses, Professor Gadzekpo has considerable experience engaging in media, gender, governance and behavioural change advocacy work.
She has served on numerous boards and committees within and outside the University of Ghana and is currently Chairperson of the board of the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), and the Solidaridad Continental Supervisory Board for Africa. She is also Patron to Alliance for Women in the Media (AWMA) and serves on a number of other boards, including the Centre for Journalism, Innovation & Development (CJID), Abuja, Nigeria.

Ayantola Alayande is a Researcher at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, where he works on questions of Digitalisation and the Public Sector, exploring the impacts of the digital and data on public sector productivity in the UK. His work also spans other other areas related to digitalisation, including questions of remote work and 4-day work week in the Public Sector. Before joining the Bennett Institute, Ayantola worked as a Research Executive with the Africa Insights Division at Kantar UK — one of the world’s largest data analytics and market insights companies. At Kantar, Ayantola monitored and implemented several market research & data projects in the WECA region.
Since 2021, he has been a consultant with Dataphyte, where he works on a broad range of research, policy, and innovation projects — including Nigerian elections, Africa-China relations, and digital governance. Lately, he has been involved in the CJID’s digital technology research portfolio as well as in the pioneering work of Research ICT Africa and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on the impact of Generative AI on sustainable development in Africa.
Ayantola holds an MPP in Public Finance and Development (magna cum laude) from the Korea Development Institute (KDI) School of Public Policy and Management, an MSc in Africa and International Development (with Distinction) from the University of Edinburgh, and a B.A in Classics from the University of Ibadan.

Dr. Lawal Bakare is a dedicated healthcare professional with strong academic, research, policy development, and innovation track record at the interplay of technology, the media, and health. With a strategic role during high-profile health security events such as Ebola and COVID-19, Lawal has become a prominent figure with global health crisis management. If you utilized Ebola Alert or obtained a COVID-pass to Nigeria, you have likely encountered Lawal’s contributions. Presently, Lawal is involved in pioneering work at Safetity, leveraging digital technology and innovation to enhance safety and security for journalists and newsrooms across West Africa.

Busola Ajibola is a seasoned media professional and the Deputy Director of the Journalism Programme at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID). She holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in philosophy, which she leveraged for eight years as a dedicated philosophy educator in Nigerian tertiary institutions. Drawing from her 14 years of diverse experience, Busola has actively contributed to research on democratic participation, urban design and planning, gender and climate change, and gender-based violence. She has spearheaded the implementation of multi-million-funded accountability and media development initiatives in West Africa. Her expertise extends to various areas, allowing her to make significant impacts in advocating for gender equality, social justice, and the fundamental principles of media freedom and independence.

Caroline Anipah is the Deputy Director of the Fact-checking Verification and Media Literacy Practice at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), which houses the fact-checking organization, Dubawa. Before her current role, Caroline was Country Representative and Africa Expansion Lead, Programme Officer and Editor at the Centre.
She joined the CJID/ Dubawa in 2019 as Research Analyst and has since led the establishment of Dubawa in Ghana and the Centre’s subsequent expansion into Anglophone West Africa.
Caroline is an alumnus of Transparency International School on Integrity, a 2021 Fellow at the African Academy for Open Source Investigation, and a Digital Sherlock, having completed Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensics Lab’s 360/Digital Sherlocks program.
Caroline previously worked at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and with several national and international research agencies, including the Ghana Statistical Service.

Christopher is a journalist and computer scientist based in New York City where he leads the technology research at Duke University's Reporters' Lab. His focus for the past 5 years has been on automated fact-checking and previously has been an ICFJ Knight Fellow at the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project based in Europe for two years.

Dr. Chukwuemeka B. Eze is the Executive Director of West Africa Network for Peacebuilding. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Master’s and Doctorate Degree in Peace and Strategic Studies with bias in Conflict Early Warning Systems. Between November 2016 and May 2017, he served as Senior Adviser on Mediation and Political Dialogue to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Guinea Bissau.

Eze has over 20 years’ experience in peacebuilding, political dialogue, early warning and conflict assessment and intelligence analysis. He designed the early warning system of the government of South Sudan and is the WANEP lead interface in the operationalization of the ECOWAS early warning system (ECOWARN) and AU Peace and Security Architecture. He also led the team that developed the concept of the WANEP National Early Warning System (NEWS).

Eze is pioneer Deputy Registrar and Fellow of the Institute for Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, Fellow of the Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP), and Fellow of the Danish Fellowship program in Copenhagen Denmark. He teaches peacebuilding practice at University of Utah in USA, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and West Africa Peacebuilding Institute and has serval journals, articles and books to his credit.

David I. Adeleke is a journalist and media analyst. He is currently the Africa Editor at Rest of World, a publication exploring the impact of technology outside the Western bubble. He also publishes Communiqué, a media and tech analysis newsletter with over 40,000 subscribers. His work has appeared in publications such as The Continent, Al Jazeera, and Guardian Life. Previously, he headed Business Insider Africa and worked as an editor at Ventures Africa and TechCabal. David is a Media and Journalism Fellow with the Charles Koch Institute. He holds a degree in Mass Communication from Covenant University and a certificate in Storytelling for Modern Media from Yale University.

David Ajikobi joined Africa Check as Nigeria editor in November 2016. He has more than a decade of experience across different media platforms - online, print, broadcast and digital. He was one of the pioneer News Editors/Producers at 99.3 Nigeria Info, 96.9 Cool FM and 95.1 Wazobia FM in Lagos. Earlier in his career, he was Metro Editor at NEXT Newspaper (234next.com) published by African-born Pulitzer Prize winner, Dele Olojede. David is Nigeria's first dedicated fact-checker and has contributed to several initiatives, research and programmes to curb disinformation in Nigeria and Africa. He has a master’s degree in media and communications from the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, and is pursuing a doctorate degree at the University of Lagos.

Eugenia Abu is one of Nigeria's frontline Broadcast Journalists winning several awards in the field including the prestigious NMMA Best Newscaster of the year in 1995. She is one of Nigeria's most recognisable faces. She anchored the NTA flagship network news for 17 years and retired from active public service at the top of her career as Executive Director, programmes having served meritoriously for 34 years. Eugenia Abu is a visiting consultant at Bingham University and a council member of Veritas University. She is a judge on the National Maltina Teachers award and the OFAB Media award. Eugenia is also a member of the National Media Complaints commission and a board member of the Savannah Centre for diplomacy, democracy and Development. She has consulted for several national and international organisations.
A Multimedia Strategist, Media Consultant, Columnist, and Author, she is a much sought-after Compere and high level Moderator and Facilitator at home and abroad and was the compere at the inauguration of President Yar'adua and President Jonathan. She also compered the inaugural dinner of President Buhari. Only recently she anchored the 2023 Presidential inauguration Lecture and the Presidential inaugural ball for President Tinubu. She is the Managing partner/CEO The Eugenia Abu Media.

Grant Masterson is the Liberia Country Director at the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA). He has worked in support of African elections and regional/continental institutions across the continent for over 20 years, including more than 35 election observer missions and assessments with the African Union (AU), Southern African Development Community (SADC), East African Community (EAC) and other international bodies. In addition to his election experience, Grant has supported governance programmes of the African Union such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), African Governance Architecture (AGA), African Charter on Democracy Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and the Agenda2063 and its 10-year action plans. Grant has managed several multi-country projects and research surveys, collecting qualitative and quantitative survey data and executing and coordinating field research and analysis. He has extensive experience in survey design, data analysis and project management. He publishes chapters and articles regularly, most recently “The legacy of multipartyism on political coalitions and rent-seeking in African elections” in Booysen’s “Marriages of Inconvenience: The politics of coalitions in Africa'' (2021). He has lectured several post-graduate courses at the University of Witwatersrand in International Relations. He has a Masters of Arts from Wits (International Relations) and post-graduate qualifications from the University of Johannesburg and Carleton University (Ottowa, Canada).

Hannah Ajakaiye leads FactsMatterNG, an ICFJ-backed initiative that promotes information integrity by making facts go viral.
Ajakaiye builds collaboration with newsroom partners and social media influencers; using humor, eye-catching videos and graphics to share the truth in a way that is as compelling as the false news that can spread like wildfire on social media.
An award winning journalist and a recipient of reputable international fellowships, she has worked with The Nation Newspaper and Code for Africa to deliver data-driven reports on development and social justice issues. She was recently named as one of seven international journalists selected for the JSK Journalism Fellowships at Stanford.

Idris Akinbajo is a multiple-award-winning Nigerian investigative journalist. His stories focus on exposing corruption, human rights abuses and the failure of regulatory agencies. Idris currently works as the Managing Editor of Premium Times, Nigeria’s leading investigative newspaper, where he supervises the day-to-day editorial operations of the online newspaper.

Jake Epelle is a person with a disability who currently serves as the CEO/Founder of TAF Africa. He advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities and other marginalised groups. He is a disability inclusion Champion. He is a UN Albinism Champion and was designated a Human Rights Defender by the French and German governments in December 2021 in recognition of his selfless contributions to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. His organisation Taf Africa is currently the face of disability inclusion for the European Union in Nigeria.

Joshua Olufemi, founder of Dataphyte, is a social entrepreneur who firmly believes in the power of data and technology in promoting media sustainability in Africa. He has spearheaded multiple product innovations and journalism development programs throughout West Africa, such as Goloka, Anfani, Dubawa, UDEME, LeaksNG, Campus Reporter, and his latest venture, Nubia.AI. In recognition of his efforts, Joshua received the Reagan Fascell Democracy Fellowship from the National Endowment for Democracy in 2019.

Dr. Kojo Pumpuni Asante is the Director of Programs and Policy Engagement at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, (CDD-Ghana), a leading African democracy and governance policy research think tank. He was previously the Director of Advocacy; a Senior Research Fellow; and also once served as Head of Research at the Center. A legal policy and governance specialist, Dr. Asante’s diverse range of policy research interests and experience includes anti-corruption, social accountability, elections, human rights, local government, natural resource governance, and the politics of development.

Dr. Asante holds a Ph.D. in Development Policy and Management from the University of Manchester (U.K.)., a Master of Arts degree in Africana Studies from the State University of New York, Albany, NY, a Barrister at Law degree from the Inns of Court, School of Law, (UK) and a law degree from the University of Buckingham, U.K.

He served as a Researcher at the Effective States and Inclusive Development Center at the University of Manchester and a Hewlett Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University. He has also consulted for the Overseas Development Institute and Adam Smith International.
A champion of youth causes, Dr. Asante is a member of the Young Leaders Network of the Partnership with Africa project of President Horst Kohler, former President of Germany, and an alumnus of the Young African Leaders Forum initiated by former US President Barrack Obama in 2010.
A trained barrister, Dr. Asante is a member of the Ghana Bar Association, the Bar of England and Wales, and the Honorable Society of Gray’s Inn, England.

Kunle Adebajo heads the investigations desk at HumAngle, a media establishment covering Africa's conflict and development trends. He has documented the Boko Haram crisis and its humanitarian fallout for several years. He also writes about disinformation, the environment, human rights, and various other topics. He has won several journalism awards, including the 2021 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Journalism and the 2023 Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling. He is passionate about innovative journalism and how it can help not only to bring attention to critical issues but also lead to lasting reforms.

Mr. Lanre Arogundade is a widely travelled professional journalist, media and communications expert, media trainer, media development specialist and freedom of expression activist with passion for press freedom.
He is also a trade unionist, socialist, pro-democracy and human rights activist. Mr. Arogundade has authored three books: 'Media and Elections - The Professional Responsibilities of Journalists’; ‘Fela: Yesterday’s Message As Today’s Reality’ and ‘Breaking Coconut With Your Head (Akowe's journey in student unionism)’.
Mr. Arogundade has a first degree in Psychology from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and a Masters’ degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan. His PhD is in view.
Mr. Arogundade is currently the Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos-Nigeria, an independent media resource centre instituted to facilitate the active role of the media in the advancement of democracy and sustainable development. He is also the Editor-In-Chief of IPC's news portal and media resource – the Nigerian Democratic Report (www.ndr.org.ng).
Mr. Arogundade worked as Features Editor of National Concord; Assistant Editor/member of Editorial Board of Vanguard newspapers; Reporter for English-to-Africa Service, Voice of America (VOA), reporter, PANOS Radio and Reporter, World Parliamentarian magazine.
Mr. Arogundade has attended several media trainings and conferences in Africa, Europe and North America and regularly undertakes media development activities including research, training, editing and publishing.
He also serves as consultant to local and international media, development and gender organizations. He was a two-time member of the Africa Media Barometer for the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and moderator/author, country chapter report (Nigeria) for Media Sustainability Index by International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX).
Among others, he is a member of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), International Press Institute (IPI), Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE). He was co-recipient of the maiden press freedom award of the West African Journalists Association (WAJA) in 1997 and recipient of the Press Freedom Defenders Award of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in 2017.

Mboho is an experienced and seasoned project manager with 12 years of experience in providing complex analytical support for cross-functional strategic and transformational projects in the governmental, non-governmental, and media sectors

Monsur Hussain is a Computer Scientist with expertise in Intelligent Automation, Web Development, and Product Management. Currently, he leads the Innovation team at the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), where he spearheads the development of impactful tech-driven solutions.

Morolake Omowumi Adekunle is the dean of the School of Journalism and Digital Media of the University of The Gambia. She has a PhD in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Apart from being a university tutor, she is a researcher and development communicator who has worked with different non-profits in three West-African nations. In Nigeria, working as a research officer with the second largest Nigerian NGO, along with others, she carried out 3 nationwide research projects. She is the President of Association of African Women for Research and Development, Gambia Chapter, a non-profit organization with chapters in 22 African countries and the international Programme director for Social Diversity and Inclusion Group (SDIG) an NGO Headquartered in Washington DC.

Motunrayo Famuyiwa-Alaka is the ED/CEO of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism. She is a journalism innovator, editor, community builder, and development enthusiast. She has worked with all sectors to expand the frontiers of social justice, democracy, development and human rights in Nigeria and across five continents for 17 years covering investigative reporting, press freedom, technology and journalism, the safety of journalists, resource governance, education, trust and truth, electricity, immigration, girls and women, media sustainability, collaborative journalism and more. She also speaks locally and internationally on these issues. Motunrayo Famuyiwa-Alaka led the creation of the Nigeria Investigative Journalism Network in 2011. She is a board member of the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ) and an advisory council member of the Nigeria Media Innovation Program (NAMIP). She leads 26 media organisations on the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity Accountability (CMEDIA) project, a local investigative journalism intervention supported by MacArthur Foundation.

Muhammed Akinyemi is a journalist, creative writer, and editor. He explores storytelling using innovative tools like satellite imagery, interactive data, and multimedia to tell stories that are accessible to all people. He is a 2019 African Liberty Writing Fellow and an APLP graduate from NTA, Egypt.
He works as the Editor in Chief of Zikoko Citizen, a web publication that helps young Nigerians understand politics, policies, and governance— and take action.

A journalist and civil society activist with a combined spell of over fifteen years in media, public
relations, and press freedom advocacy.
Muheeb has been with the Media Foundation for West Africa MFWA for the past eight years.
Since 2021, he been the team lead for the Accra-based organisation’s Freedom of Expression
programme. In that role, he is in charge of coordinating the MFWA’s monitoring, reporting
and advocacy activities around the question of press freedom and safety of journalists.
He has participated in, and made submissions at a number of regional and global convenings
on press freedom and digital rights.

Musikilu Mojeed is the editor-in-chief and chief operating officer of Nigeria’s Premium Times newspaper, which he co-founded. He is a multiple award winning journalist and a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).

Mojeed shared a Pulitzer for his team’s groundbreaking reporting on the Panama Papers. He has also been honoured with the Global Shining Light Award, FAIR’s Editor’s Courage Award, the Wole Soyinka Investigative Reporting Award, Global Editors Network’s Data Journalism Award, among others.

He has reported extensively on corruption, human rights and human trafficking, and is one of Africa’s most regarded investigative journalists.

Noel Balogun Samuel is an Inclusive Development practitioner working at the intersections of gender rights and disability justice in Humanitarian response and recovery contexts.

Noel utilizes an array of innovative techniques to advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in decision making processes, development programs, and to hold duty bearers to account on policy formulation and implementation in Nigeria.

Noel works as Program Director and Co-Founder at Grassroots Initiative for Gender and Development where he’s currently taking actions to mitigate the impacts of fluvial flooding in coastal communities on PWDs by providing access to flood resistant crops and food security.

Obioma Okonkwo is the Head, Legal Department of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), a non- governmental based in Nigeria and in this role, she has spearheaded advocacy campaigns, research interventions, litigation and capacity building workshop aimed at advancing and defending freedom of expression, media freedom, access to information, and digital right within and beyond Nigeria.
She is a fellow of Open Internet for Democracy Leadership Programme and has been trained by the Media Legal Defence Initiative (now Media Defence) and the Hertie School in partnership with Open Society Foundations on human rights strategic litigation.

Opeyemi Kehinde is a Nigerian fact-checker, journalist, and currently Editor of the FactCheckHub, the verification platform of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).
He is also the National Coordinator of the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NFC) – a coalition of fact-checking organisations, media and civil society organisations combating misinformation and disinformation in Nigeria.
Before joining the ICIR in 2020, he had worked for about 10 years as a multimedia journalist with the Daily Trust newspaper where he covered major Nigerian elections from 2011 till 2019 and won the Media Trust Limited’s staff Integrity Award in 2018.
With a journalism experience spanning about two decades, Kehinde was also an African Investigative Journalism Fellow in 2020 (AIJC2020).

Richard is the founder of Open Cities Lab, a civic technology lab with a focus on the development of open data for application to urban challenges operating within cities in Africa. Open Cities Lab is a non-profit civic technology lab that uses open data and civic technology in initiatives that work to build inclusive and responsive cities in order to put citizens at the centre and enable participative democracy. It implements and advocates for active citizens, open data, future inclusive cities, open government and civic technology. Open Cities Lab believes in co-design that is centred around people and that lets those in the centre of the issue set the frame, context, and measurement and verification of the results.

A Senior Executive at News Central TV where she leads the strategy and sales team to grow the operations of the young media group. Over the past decade, she has garnered extensive cross- industry experience with both startups and mature players in the financial, media and communications industries, having commenced her corporate career in the banking sector.

Samson Itodo is an experienced community organizer and development practitioner with over a decade’s experience in constitution building, governance reform, electoral governance, civic engagement, and political organizing. He serves as the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa and Founding Convener of the Not Too Young To Run Movement. He provides strategic policy advice to parliamentary committees, electoral commissions, political parties, civil society organizations, and academic institutions. In 2018, he was appointed by the Gates Foundation as a Goalkeeper and honored by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Washington DC as the 2018 Rising Democracy leader in Africa. He was also inducted into the 100 Most Influential Young Africans by the African Youth Awards in 2017. Samson is a member of the Board of Kofi Annan Foundation and the Board of Advisors of International IDEA; he previously served as lead consultant for International IDEA on developing a strategy for mitigating electoral and political violence in Africa. He also served as Research Facilitator for United States Institute for Peace (USIP) and the National Assembly’s institutional reforms committee. Samson holds Bachelors' and Masters' degrees in Law, both from the University of Jos, and a Master of Public Policy from the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. He teaches Election Law at the Nassarawa State University where he currently serves a Visiting Scholar on Election Law.

Shamima Muslim is a bridge builder who loves family and promotes respect, diversity and
inclusion. She is the founder and convenor of the Alliance for Women in Media Africa
(AWMA) an NGO focused on advocating visibility representation and impact of women in
media as well as promote gender awareness in the media. Shamima is a Development
Communication practitioner, Media, Gender & Inclusion trainer. She is a speaker, trainer,
event host and moderator. Most recently, she was one of two speakers before US Vice
President Kamala Harris’ historic address to Africa’s Youth at Ghana’s Independence square
as part of her visit to Ghana. Shamima is also a pioneer cohort of President Barack Obama’s
Young African Leaders Initiative.

Dr Tobi A. Oluwatola is the Executive Director of the CJID. In this role, he leads a team of 60+ professionals in five countries to promote democratic accountability in West Africa by strengthening the media. The CJID team builds civic technology tools, innovates in the media space, advocates for human rights and press freedom conducts policy research and advocacy, tackles information disorder, and trains over 1000 journalists annually in subjects as diverse as media and information literacy to climate change or conflict and security. He has 16 years of experience in policy, economic and financial analysis in the four continents.

Toun Okewale Sonaiya is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Women Radio 91.7 FM Nigeria’s only Radio station for women & their families and Africa’s only commercial Radio station for Women. Women Radio is 100% female-centric amplifying women’s voices and mainstreaming women as drivers of gender equity, anti-corruption and accountability campaigns in Nigeria.

Tunde Musibau Akanni PhD is an Associate Professor and Head of Journalism Dept of the Lagos State University. Akanni's pioneering scholarship in media and digitech dates back to the groundbreaking research commissioned by the Open Society Foundation, OSF, London, resulting in Mapping Digital Media series. Akanni later emerged as a Nigeria country researcher for the Internews Global Internet Policy Project, GIPP, research project. He sits on the boards of both CJID as well Ethical Leadership Academy even as he is a visiting professor to Savannah Business School. See more @ tundeakanni.com

Dr. Williette Kemi James is a Sierra Leonean journalist, lecturer and gender advocate, with 20 years journalistic experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree (First Class) in Mass Communication, a Master of Arts in Gender Studies, a Master of Philosophy in Mass Communication and a Ph.D in Communication & Media Studies. She has been lecturing at the Faculty of Communication at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, since 2006, and is now the Assistant Dean. Dr James also works as the Communications Manager for NP (SL) Limited, the leading oil marketing company in Sierra Leone.

Yusuf Akinpelu covers the West African region for the BBC Africa digital and language services. He earlier worked as a data journalist for the broadcaster's Africa visual journalism team, coordinating six West African language services (English, French, Pidgin, Hausa, Igbo and Yorùbá) to create digital and data journalism contents.
Before that, he was a senior journalist at Premium Times, leading the paper's data desk that created compelling human-centred data stories and made data easily understandable. He was the first non-South African to win the Sanlam Financial Journalist of the Year trophy in the two decades the award became open to foreigners