Emiralty Connect 1.0 draws governance figures, creative industry leaders, and business executives to Raddison Blu, Ikeja, for a cross-sector forum on May 14th
There is a particular kind of conversation that Nigerian professional circles rarely make room for. It is not the kind that opens with polished credentials or rehearsed talking points. It is the kind that begins somewhere earlier, in the years before the recognition, the partnerships formed out of necessity, the near-misses that quietly reshaped a person’s direction. Emiralty Africa is building a platform around precisely that conversation.
On May 14, 2026, Emiralty Africa hosts its inaugural conference, Emiralty Connect 1.0, at Raddison Blu, GRA, Ikeja, under the theme “From Scar to Shine: Reflections on Struggle, Breakthrough and Impacts.” The event spans three panel sessions covering governance and media, creative industry visibility, and business growth through strategic communication. It brings together serving government officials, Nollywood figures, business executives, and media professionals for what organizers describe as a deliberate move toward cross-sector dialogue on the role of storytelling in national development.
From the Convener Idris Olakunle Bello (MD Emiralty Africa) Why “From Scar to Shine”
The thinking behind the event’s central theme is more considered than a conference tagline would suggest. The conveners of Emiralty Africa arrived at it from a specific observation about how public discourse in Nigeria tends to operate.
“One major gap I observed in the creative and public discourse space is that many conversations focus only on success, without giving room for the real stories behind it,” the organizers note. “In Nigeria especially, we celebrate results but rarely document the process. Yet, it is in that process that lessons, inspiration, and true leadership are formed.”
The event theme is drawn from that observation. Scars, as Emiralty Africa frames it, are not absences of strength. They are the record of what a person or an institution has actually been through. That framing shapes the character of the conversations the organizers intend to facilitate. The goal is not a forum where panelists present curated outcomes, but one where the journeys that produced those outcomes are placed at the centre of discussion.
Three Panels, One Argument
Emiralty Connect 1.0 is structured around three distinct sessions, each drawing from a different sector, each focused on a specific dimension of the relationship between media and professional progress.
The governance and leadership panel carries the title “The Role of Media on Policies, People and the Burden of Public Service.” Its panelists include Hon. Abdul-Ganiyu Vinod Obasa, Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government; Hon. Lekan Fatodu, Director General of the Lagos State Sports Commission; Hon. Dr. Olamide Balikis Junaid, a House of Representatives aspirant representing Ibadan North Federal Constituency; and Hon. Moyosore Adebanjo, Executive Chairman of Onigbongbo LCDA. The session will be moderated by Moji Delano, Founder of SMD Media.
The creative industry panel asks a more internal question: “Turning Passion into Power: Creativity, Visibility, and the Media Spotlight.” Seated on that panel are Hon. Femi Adebayo, actress and producer Mrs. Mercy Aigbe Adeoti, veteran actress Alhaja Bukky Wright, and Mr. Olalekan Wasiudeen, CEO of Libra TV. Tomi Falade, Life Editor at Independent Newspapers, moderates.
The business session addresses how companies at different stages of development use media as a competitive resource. Titled “From Startup Struggles to Market Authority: The Media Advantage in Business Growth,” it features Alhaji Ahmad Lawal, CEO of Lahmad Concepts; Dr. Amb. Funke Kehinde, CEO of Brilliant Concepts Realty; Chief Adaralegbe Akintayo, CEO of T-PUMPY Concepts; and Otunba Adegboyega Ajala Shuaib, Managing Director of Abode Care Nigeria Limited. Lanre Basamta, CEO and Co-founder of Optimus AI Labs, moderates.
The three sessions are not three separate events sharing a venue. They form a single argument about media’s practical function across governance, culture, and commerce. The organizers make that intent explicit.
“What we expect is a shift from isolated thinking to collaborative thinking,” they explain. “Most times, governance speaks in one direction, creatives speak in another, and business operates in its own world. Yet, media and communication connect all these sectors.”
That is the underlying premise of the forum’s structure. The conversations are arranged to make that connection visible, to allow figures who rarely occupy the same room to recognise how much their challenges and their tools overlap.
Hosted With Purpose
The event will be hosted by Adeniyi Johnson and Abegunde Olamilekan, widely known as Dr. Smile. Both are established public figures with broad name recognition across entertainment and media circles. Their selection as hosts reflects Emiralty Africa’s deliberate pairing of personality with purpose, choosing figures whose own public trajectories carry the kind of story the conference is built around.
What Comes After
One of the more substantive questions surrounding any conference of this nature is what happens once the sessions close. The organizers have a considered answer to that.
“For Emiralty Connect, the goal is not to host a one-day conversation and end it there,” they state. “The long-term plan is to turn the conference into a continuous platform that supports mentorship, collaboration, and visibility for emerging talents.”
That plan includes structured follow-through on the governance conversations. Rather than allowing policy discussions to remain within the event hall, Emiralty Africa intends to convert session outcomes into documented recommendations and advocacy materials, engaging institutions and stakeholders in the period after the conference.
“We plan to use the outcomes of the governance and media conversations to shape future engagements with institutions and stakeholders. The idea is to move from discussions to structured recommendations, advocacy, and partnerships that can influence how Nigeria supports its creative and media ecosystem.”
It is an ambitious position for a first edition. But the organizers are clear-eyed about how they see this inaugural event in the context of what they are building. “We see Emiralty Connect as a seed, and our responsibility is to ensure that what is planted here grows into sustainable relationships, stronger industry structures, and platforms that continue to empower talents while strengthening national discourse.”
Details
Emiralty Connect 1.0 holds on May 14, 2026, from 10 AM at Raddison Blu, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. For partnership, sponsorship, and enquiries, contact Emiralty Africa at +2348024701285, @emiraltyafrica on Instagram, or emiraltyafrica@gmail.com.
Ranks Africa covers African business, creative leadership, and institutional development across the continent.
The homecoming programme drew the presence of key academic leaders, including Professor Ayodele Thomas Odunlami and the Head of Department of Mass Communication, Dr. Semiu Bello, who played significant roles in receiving the distinguished guest and supporting the success of the event.
A major highlight of the day was the official courtesy visit to the Senate Building, where the Vice-Chancellor of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Dr. Ayodeji Agboola, warmly hosted Dr. Awakan and members of his entourage. The meeting underscored the university’s commitment to building relationships with accomplished professionals and public sector leaders whose impact can inspire the next generation.
Following the formal reception, the Vice-Chancellor led Dr. Awakan, invited guests, members of staff, and members of the media on an inspection tour of newly completed projects and ongoing infrastructure developments across the campus.
The guided tour showcased several improvements within the institution, reflecting the administration’s drive toward modernization, academic excellence, and a more conducive environment for learning and research. Guests were given firsthand access to observe the university’s physical transformation and development agenda.
The celebration also featured engaging theatre performances by students from the Performing Arts unit and the Department of Mass Communication. Their presentations added colour, creativity, and cultural expression to the occasion while highlighting the rich talents within the university community.
Dr. Awakan attended the event with members of his entourage, including his wife, Omolola Ola-Awakan, NTDA staff Yomi Abudu, close associate Adesina Kasali (Medullar Concept), Mr. Opeyemi Olatunji, a NITOUREY partner, and other guests.
Dr. Olayiwola Awakan’s return to OOU was more than a ceremonial visit. It was a celebration of growth, service, and the value of institutions in shaping leaders who contribute meaningfully to society.
The evening closed on a note of pride and admiration, as Lagos celebrated one of its own whose career continues to inspire a new generation of Nigerians.
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