His Royal Majesty, Oba (Prof.) Saka Adelola Matemilola, FNSE, Olúyalọ Òtìlẹta VII, is the 14th Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Before ascending the throne, Kabiyesi enjoyed a distinguished career that spanned engineering, academia and philanthropy.

A graduate of the University of Ibadan with top honours in Mechanical Engineering, he later earned his doctorate from the University of Cambridge. Professor Matemilola's professional life seamlessly blended the worlds of academia and industry.

He held positions at prestigious institutions such as the Oyo State Ministry of Works and Transport, the University of Ibadan, and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals in Saudi Arabia. His expertise enriched research projects at the University of Cambridge and the University of Southampton. Upon returning to Nigeria, he applied his knowledge at the Shell Petroleum Development Company and FIRST Exploration and Production Company.

Senator Ibikunle Oyelaja Amosun, CON, FCA, FCTI, was born on 25th January 1958 in Abeokuta, Ogun State. He is a Nigerian politician, chartered accountant and administrator.

He served as Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2019 to 2023. He was also the Governor of Ogun State from 2011 to 2019, serving two terms.

Amosun studied Accountancy at Ogun State Polytechnic and obtained an M.A. in International Finance from the University of Westminster, London. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI). He began his professional career in accounting and later established his own accounting practice.

As Governor, his administration focused on education, healthcare, agriculture and industrialisation, housing and urban renewal, and infrastructure development, and promoted investment and industrial development in Ogun State. The Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria records that Ogun State's internally generated revenue increased from about ₦700 million monthly in 2011 to an average of ₦7 billion monthly by 2019.

During his earlier Senate tenure, he sponsored bills including the Local Content Solid Minerals Development Bill, the Fire Service Commission (Establishment) Bill, and the Income Tax Relief Bill for Sports Development.

His honours include the national honour of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON), conferred in 2014, as well as other professional and leadership recognitions.

Early Life and Education: His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, was born on 5th March 1937 in Ibogun-Olaogun, Ogun State. He attended Baptist Boys' High School, Abeokuta, and worked briefly as a teacher before joining the Nigerian Army in 1958.

Military Career: Trained in the United Kingdom and India, he rose through the ranks and specialised in military engineering. During the Nigerian Civil War he commanded the 3rd Marine Commando Division and accepted the surrender of the Biafran forces in January 1970.

Head of State (1976 to 1979): He became Head of State in February 1976 following the assassination of General Murtala Muhammed. He launched Operation Feed the Nation, established the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and, on 1st October 1979, voluntarily handed over power to the elected civilian President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, becoming the first military ruler in Nigeria to do so.

President (1999 to 2007): Elected President in 1999 and re-elected in 2003, he led Nigeria's return to democratic rule. His administration secured relief from the Paris Club debt, established the EFCC and the ICPC to fight corruption, and opened the telecommunications sector to the GSM revolution.

Statesman: The founder of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, he remains a leading voice for peace and development across Africa. He is the Balogun and Prime Minister of Owu Kingdom.

Senator Otunba (Engr.) Gbenga Daniel, FNSE, FAEng, is the Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District and a former Governor of Ogun State. Born on 6th April 1956, he served as Governor of Ogun State from 29th May 2003 to 29th May 2011, the longest-serving Governor of the State.

He is the owner of the Nigerian Compass, a daily newspaper, and of Kresta Laurel, a company he started in 1990.

He studied engineering at the University of Lagos and began his professional career in engineering and teaching before joining H.F. Schroeder West Africa Limited, where he rose to become Deputy Managing Director.

Beyond politics and engineering, he has business interests in the hospitality sector, including Conference Hotels, and has been involved in philanthropic and leadership-development initiatives. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering, and holds the title of Aare Ajíbóṣìn of Owu Kingdom.

Dr. Umar Ardo is a historian, scholar and public affairs commentator from Adamawa State, and the Convener and Founder of the League of Northern Democrats (LND).

A historian by training with a doctorate in History, he began his career in academia and lectured at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.

From 1999 to 2006 he served in the Presidency during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, as Special Assistant on Local Government Affairs in the Office of the Vice President, gaining first-hand experience of governance at the grassroots.

A prolific writer on governance, federalism and national unity, he is the author of Court and Politics, among other works. He is also active in enterprise as the founder of Arbel Energy.

At Ajíbóṣìn 3.0, Dr. Ardo delivers the first Guest Speaker's address, “From Slave Ships to Server Farms: Artificial Intelligence, Data Sovereignty and Africa's Unbroken History of Extraction”.

Professor Ayo Omotayo is the Director-General of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Nigeria's foremost policy think tank. A Professor of Environmental Sustainability, he obtained his PhD in Geography from the University of Ibadan and began his teaching career at Lagos State University in 1985, rising to Senior Lecturer in 1992 at the age of 30. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences from 2012 to 2017 and later as Director of the University's Centre for Planning. He founded the LASU MBA programme and was a Foreign National Scholar at Austin Peay State University, Tennessee, in 1995.

An academic with an entrepreneur's instinct, he founded Netlynk Incorporated, a computer consulting firm in Atlanta, Georgia, developed the CASHFAST money-transfer technology in 1999, and built HEDUMSYS, a higher-education management platform. Appointed Director-General of NIPSS by President Muhammadu Buhari and confirmed by the Senate in 2022, he was reappointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in March 2026 for a final four-year term. Under his leadership, the Institute's Senior Executive Course has examined the digital, blue and orange economies. He is a Council Member of the Association of Nigerian Geographers.

Prof. Yemi Oke, SAN, is a Professor of Energy and Electricity Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria. He also serves as a Consulting Partner in Power, Energy and Dispute Resolution.

He obtained his LL.M and Ph.D. degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Canada; an LL.B from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria; and his B.L. from the Nigerian Law School, Abuja. Earlier in his career, he served as counsel at several of Nigeria's leading law firms, including Chief Rotimi Williams' Chambers, Babalakin & Co., Olaniwun Ajayi LP and KPMG Nigeria.

During his postgraduate studies in Canada, he taught at both York University and Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). He later joined the Faculty of Law at the University of Lagos.

Prof. Oke is the Managing Partner and Founding Principal of MJS Partners, a firm of legal practitioners and consultants.

He is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCArb) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (FCTI).

Mr. Abiodun Atobatele is a Nigerian technology entrepreneur and business executive, best known as the founder of ATB Techsoft Solutions Limited (ATB Tech), established in 2007. He has built the company into a technology solutions business providing IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, networking, software development and consulting services.

His educational background includes:

• Physics Electronics, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)
• Certificate in Business Management, Harvard Business School
• LLB (Bachelor of Laws), Manchester Metropolitan University

With this combination of technical, business and legal education, he has expanded his entrepreneurial interests beyond technology into HR technology, finance and real estate.

He is also committed to technology education, youth empowerment and community development through initiatives such as the ATB Tech Hub and the Abiodun & Yinka Atobatele Foundation (AYAF).

Aare (Dr.) Lai Labode is a distinguished Nigerian entrepreneur, investor, cultural leader and nation-builder whose work spans financial innovation, enterprise development, fashion and cultural advancement. He was born on 15th May 1976.

He presently serves as the Aare of Egbaland, a position through which he continues to champion the preservation, global projection and economic transformation of African heritage.

Aare Lai Labode attended Abeokuta Grammar School before proceeding to the University of Abuja, where he obtained a Diploma in Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He further studied Strategic Innovation at Imperial College London and completed executive programmes in financial services at Harvard Business School. He holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship and an Honorary Doctorate from Wesley University, and is also a Professor of Practice.

A pioneering figure in Nigeria's financial technology sector, he founded MoneyBox Africa, the first company to receive a Mobile Money Permit from the Central Bank of Nigeria. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of CashToken Rewards Africa and OneNUMBA Innovations, where he continues to advance innovative solutions across rewards technology, financial inclusion and enterprise development.

Beyond business, Aare Lai Labode is a passionate advocate for African fashion, culture and heritage. He is the President of the Confederation of African Fashion (CAFA); Convener and Creative Director of the Afroliganza and Egbaliganza Movement; and Chairman of the Lai Labode Heritage Foundation.

His commitment to projecting African identity on the global stage has earned widespread recognition, including his celebrated appearance at London Fashion Week in 2024, where he brought the richness, dignity and distinctiveness of Egba heritage into the international fashion conversation.

Senator (Prof.) Iyabo Obasanjo is a Nigerian academic, epidemiologist and former Senator. She is the daughter of former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR, and his wife, Oluremi Obasanjo.

Before her senatorial election, she was Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007. She was elected as a Nigerian Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District of Ogun State from April 2007 to 2011.

She earned her PhD in Epidemiology from Cornell University and a Master's degree from the University of California, Davis. She obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Ibadan in 1988 before going to the United States for graduate school, and worked in clinical research as a Project Manager in the US in the 1990s.

Her research focuses on the impact of women's leadership on health outcomes for countries, the effect of Community Health Workers (CHW) on health outcomes in low-income communities, and health policy in African countries. She currently has a research project in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa examining ways to improve community health in rural areas, and she recently completed work on a grant examining CHW impact in Richmond, Virginia. She has given lectures across the globe, has over twenty-five scientific publications, and has also written for international foreign policy journals.

She was a tenured Associate Professor at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.

Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila is an accomplished Nigerian academic, researcher and Professor of Virology, and the Vice-Chancellor of Crescent University, Abeokuta.

Born in Lagos, he had his early education in London before gaining admission to the University of London in 1976 to study Microbiology. He obtained his PhD in Virology in 1984.

With over 20 years of experience in the UK university system, he served as Research Fellow and Head of Extramural Science, and later as Associate Director at a university in London.

In 2010, he returned to Nigeria to join Crescent University, Abeokuta, where he rose to become Deputy Vice-Chancellor and is today the Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Professional Fellowships: Fellow, Linnean Society; Fellow, Institute of Corporate Administration (FICA).

Awards and Recognition:

• 2015: NANS Excellence Award for Contribution to University Education
• 2016: All African Students Union Award
• 2016: Youth for Better Nigeria Education Award
• 2017: Education Icon of the Year, TASUED

He is widely respected for his contributions to virology, higher education and student development in Nigeria.

Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji is a globally recognised and celebrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Development Leader, Public Policy Advisor, and Founder of Rise Networks, Africa's leading Data and AI for Development Social Enterprise. Named among Forbes Africa's 20 Most Powerful Young Women, she serves on the UNDP's AI for Development Reference Group and has contributed to several international AI governance programmes and academic materials, and produced the first feature film on Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies in Africa.

With Executive Education from the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School and Pan-Atlantic University, she holds a Master's in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School and a PhD in Defence and Strategic Studies, focused on AI for Nigeria's National and Economic Security, from the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Her academic and professional credentials and expertise span AI safety and governance, digital innovation, research, youth empowerment, education and national security, promoting and developing responsible technology (software and hardware) for inclusive socioeconomic development across Africa.

Tpl. Itoro-Franca Oyom is a Registered Town Planner and Senior Town Planning Officer with the Lagos State Government, with over nine years of experience in urban and regional planning, land administration and sustainable urban development. She holds a degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), and is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP).

Her work focuses on physical planning, development control, urban governance and sustainable city development within one of Africa's fastest-growing megacities. She is particularly interested in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to urban planning, public administration and digital governance, advocating responsible, data-driven solutions that enhance planning, infrastructure management and public service delivery.

Itoro-Franca is proficient in AutoCAD, SketchUp and Blender, and is committed to leveraging technology to advance resilient, inclusive and sustainable cities. A British Council Leadership for Gender Equality alumna, she is also affiliated with the Tony Elumelu Foundation (Mentor), the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations, and the Obama Foundation, reflecting her commitment to leadership, innovation and global collaboration.

Alhaji Tajuddeen Aminu Dantata is a Kano-born industrialist and the current head of the Dantata family. A son of the late Alhaji Aminu Dantata and grandson of Alhassan Dantata, he was born in February 1965 and educated at Victoria College, Alexandria, Egypt, and Manaret College, Jeddah, before obtaining a business certificate from West London College and completing further courses in the United States and Saudi Arabia.

He joined the Dantata Organisation Limited in 1988 as Group Director and became Group Managing Director and Chief Executive in 1994, expanding the group into agribusiness, oil and gas, real estate and logistics. He is the founder and Chairman/CEO of Dantata Foods & Allied Products Limited, established in 2005 and today a leader in food processing and regenerative agriculture. His other interests include Tamidan Nigeria Limited, D’Afric Global Resources and Gulfstream Logistics.

He has served on the boards of EMCON, the Cement Company of Northern Nigeria, Nigeria Sugar Products and Express Petroleum & Gas, and has been a Non-Executive Director of Jaiz Bank Plc since August 2024. Since 2019 he has been National Chairman of the Horse Racing Federation of Nigeria, and he was named Industrialist of the Year in 2021 by BusinessDay.

At Ajíbóṣìn 3.0, he receives on behalf of the Dantata family the Posthumous Recognition Award conferred on his late father, Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata.

Alhaji Mohammed Idris, fnipr, is the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation. A journalist and publisher by profession, he is the founder of Blueprint Newspapers. Since assuming office in 2023, he has championed transparent, dialogue-based public communication and the restoration of public trust in government information.

Key initiatives under his leadership include:

• the establishment in Abuja of the Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), a UNESCO Category 2 Institute, the first of its kind, to counter fake news and AI-driven misinformation;
• the revival of Nigeria's Digital Switch Over (FreeTV), expanding access to quality broadcasting, local content and jobs;
• a nationwide Citizen Engagement Series of town halls, creating a direct feedback loop between Ministers and citizens;
• the restoration of budget provision for the Nigerian Press Council and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and the rehabilitation of the 14-storey Radio House, Abuja, its first major renovation in 33 years;
• the redesignation of Information Officers as Information and Public Relations Officers (GL 08 to 17), through the National Council on Establishments;
• access to single-digit interest loans for media organisations through the Bank of Industry; and
• a National Values campaign promoting patriotism and national unity.