Attention all entrepreneurs and business owners in Nigeria and Africa!

Mr Fasanya was among those that formed the nucleus of pioneer staff of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) in 2003 where he served as a Special Assistant to the Pioneer Director General/CEO of the Agency, Mrs Modupe Adelaja and was overseeing all units under the Director General’s Office as Deputy Director and Group Head, Corporate Affairs. This dedicated and committed civil servant became the Acting Director General of SMEDAN between July to December 2008. He was made the Group Head, Strategic Planning, Policy and Coordination between April 2009- January 2011. Mr Fasanya upon his promotion in January 2011 was appointed as Director, Strategic Planning Policy and Coordination, a position he held till October 2014 when he was promoted as Director, Enterprise Development and Promotion, unarguably the engine room of the Agency, a position he held till 2018 when he was appointed to another strategic position as Director, Policy Planning, Research Monitoring and Evaluation, a position he distinguished himself so well till his retirement from the civil service on 3rd June, 2022. Mr Fasanya no doubt has seen it all in SMEDAN, an establishment whose concept and growth witnessed his inputs. It is therefore not a surprise that the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari found in him a good replacement for Dr. Dikko Umaru Radda who served the Agency for six years as DG/CEO.

Toyin Sanni is Founder and CEO of the Emerging Africa Group, a Financial Services Group comprising investments in Investment Banking, Financial Technology, Venture Capital and Microfinance Banking, Co-Founder of the Africa Investment Roundtable as well as Board Chair at Layer 3 Limited and Vice-Chair, Fundall Limited, both of which are innovative technology companies. A prominent Investment Banker, Public Personality /Speaker and Influencer, she derives satisfaction from grooming future leaders (through capacity building initiatives such as a highly rated Executive Mentorship program) and from preferring capital solutions for financing & investing challenges of African governments, businesses & individuals. With a background in securities law and extensive experience in corporate finance, investment banking and asset management, she leverages networks across markets and her extensive experience working on leading transactions to achieve growth objectives. She leads a team of experts who provide advisory & capital raising solutions across Africa to achieve sustainable economic growth. Toyin sits on several boards and committees including Transnational Corporation Plc, the Off Grid Energy Fund - Financing Energy Inclusion (OGEF-FEI) sponsored by the AfDB and other International Development Finance Institutions, NEPAD Business Group Nigeria and the Pearl Awards Governance Board. She chairs the Technical Committee on Financial Literacy of the Nigerian Capital Market and is Ambassador/Co-chair for the Africa CEO Forum Network for Nigeria. She is also the Founder and Chairperson for the Women in Finance Nigeria Network and Founder, WIFNG UK. Toyin was declared the All African Business Woman of the year 2017 by CNBC Africa, & Nigeria's CEO of the Year 2017 by Pearl Awards. In 2020, she won the Africa Influencer (CEO) Award by Tech Times Africa. Toyin has written three published books including Riding The Eagle - A Guide to Investing in Nigeria. Her past roles include President, Association of Investment Advisers (CIIA), President, Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers (IAPM), and President, Association of Corporate Trustees. In addition to a Master’s degree in law, Toyin holds professional qualifications as a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, Fellow Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators, and Member, Chartered Institute of Securities and Investments, United Kingdom.

Shehu Abdulkadir is the Managing Director/CEO of the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) which is the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)’s vehicle for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development, Wealth Creation, Employment Generation, Poverty Alleviation and Value Orientation with a mandate to stimulate business growth in the FCT. Shehu has served on the Board of notable organizations such as the National Tourism Development Corporation, Halal Credit Micro Finance Bank, FCT Micro Finance Bank and as Special Adviser to the Honorable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI). He is part of the Abuja -Massachusetts Institute of Technology Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (MIT-REAP). He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), International Professional Managers Association (UK) - Certified International Professional Manager (CIPM), Certified Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA), and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. He holds a Postgraduate Qualifying Diploma in Management Consultancy Practice & Organizational Transformation and a Professional Certificate in International Trade from the University of Adelaide Australia; M.Sc. Accounting and Finance, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; B.Sc. Accounting, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.