TEDxMaitama

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Farida Yahya

  Inclusive Growth Champion

  Farida Yahya is a social entrepreneur and development leader with over 15 years of experience across media, community development, and entrepreneurship. She is the Country Director and Chief of Party for West Africa at the American Institute for International Policy Makers and Public Administrators (AIIPMPA), leading strategic partnerships and development initiatives across the region. She is also the Founder and CEO of The Brief Academy, which has empowered over 3,500 women and supported more than 1,000 startups through digital learning and mentorship. A 2021 Mandela Washington Fellow, two-time TEDx speaker, published author, and former President of MWFAAN, Farida currently serves as Deputy National President of AWEP Nigeria. She is a One League Fellow studying Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation at Stanford Online.

• Fidelis Akpoghiran

  Systems Thinker

  Fidelis is the Senior Vice President, Business Transformation & Innovation at Heirs Energies Limited, where he leads enterprise transformation, innovation, digital adoption, knowledge management, and operational excellence. With over 35 years of experience, including 23 years at Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), he has built a distinguished career driving engineering excellence, production optimization, digital transformation, and integrated operations across the energy sector. Passionate about people-centered transformation, Fidelis champions cultures of continuous learning, collaboration, and innovation that enable organizations to thrive in a rapidly changing world. He holds master’s degrees in Systems Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and Project Management from the University of Aberdeen, alongside postgraduate qualifications in Instrumentation and Control.

• Fifehan Osikanlu

  Ecosystem Builder

  Fifehan Osikanlu is a social impact architect, venture builder, and creative economy strategist committed to expanding economic opportunities across Africa. As Founder and CEO of Eden Venture Group, she designs initiatives that connect capital, culture, and communities to unlock funding, partnerships, and visibility for women, youth, and creative entrepreneurs. With over a decade of experience in venture capital, private equity, technology, and business development, she has held strategy and growth roles at Amazon and Viathan Engineering Group, and collaborated with the Gates Foundation, World Bank, AFRIFF, and the Afara Initiative. She holds an MBA in Global Leadership from Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and a Sociology degree (cum laude) from Georgia State University.

• Hauwa Suleiman

  Women's Health Innovator

  Hauwa Suleiman is a design engineer, and lifelong builder based in Abuja. She leads design at Famasi Africa and is the founder of Talk to August, an anonymous space where Northern Nigerian women can ask the sexual health questions they can’t really ask anyone else, and receive honest, thoughtful answers. With an MSc in Computer Engineering, Hauwa has always been drawn to the space where people, technology, and imagination meet. She believes the things we build can do more than solve problems; they can make people feel seen, understood, and a little less alone. Outside of work, she is a film nerd who spends too much time on Letterboxd, reading books and writing personal essays.

• Hitesh Upreti

  Self-Reliance Champion

  Hitesh Upreti is a pharmaceutical industry leader with over 30 years of experience, including nearly two decades driving healthcare transformation across Sub-Saharan Africa. He has led manufacturing, business turnarounds, and leadership development across Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and now Nigeria as CEO of Chromedix Pharmaceuticals. At Zenufa Laboratories, he transformed the company to positive EBITDA within 18 months, earning four consecutive Tanzanian Presidential Awards. Hitesh has advised the World Bank, UNDP, the African Union, and Africa CDC on pharmaceutical regulation and serves on regional industry boards. Passionate about building African talent and self-reliance in medicine, he is also an endurance cyclist, marathon runner, and advocate for lifestyle-based diabetes reversal.

• Ifelade Ayodele

  Future of Money Expert

  Ifelade Ayodele's journey began at the University of Ibadan, where studying Physics sparked his interest in systems, while receiving funds from abroad to buy his first laptop revealed the transformative power of cross-border financial access. His career spans banking at Stanbic IBTC, venture investing, an MBA at HEC Paris as a TY Danjuma Scholar, and advising global financial institutions at Accenture in London. In 2023, he founded Blaaiz to build payments, custody, and settlement infrastructure that enables secure, institutional-grade movement of value across borders, currencies, and financial networks. Driven by the belief that access to strong financial systems determines economic participation, Ayodele works at the intersection of finance, technology, and infrastructure to create a more connected global economy.

• Kevin Arua (Governor Amuneke)

  Political Satirist & Change Agent

  Kevin Arua, popularly known as "Governor Amuneke," is a Nigerian comedian, storyteller, and social commentator who has transformed satire into a powerful tool for civic engagement. Through his viral character, Governor Amuneke, Kevin uses humor to expose political hypocrisy, corruption, poor leadership, and the everyday realities faced by millions of Africans. His skits entertain, but more importantly, they provoke reflection, spark public conversations, and encourage citizens to question the status quo. By blending comedy with social critique, he has built one of Nigeria's most recognizable digital personas, demonstrating that laughter can be a catalyst for accountability and change. At TEDxMaitama, Kevin explores how satire challenges entrenched systems, shifts public perception, and empowers ordinary people to imagine better leadership. His talk reminds us that sometimes, the boldest way to rewrite the rules is to laugh at the ones that no longer serve us.

• Olufunsho Peters

  Innovation Catalyst

  Olufunsho Peters is the CEO of INFINION Technologies, a leading African technology company. A self-taught technologist, he completed his first tech project at just 14, laying the foundation for a distinguished career in innovation. After studying at the Federal University of Minna until 2003, he dedicated himself to technology, building over a decade of experience leading IT transformation, business process reengineering, systems implementation, and large-scale digital projects. Renowned for combining strategic vision, creativity, and business acumen, he has led INFINION's expansion across Africa while maintaining its Nigerian roots. Under his leadership, the company delivered Nigeria's first voice banking solution. Beyond business, Peters champions gender equality, STEM education, and youth empowerment, actively supporting initiatives that inspire and equip the next generation of African technology leaders.

• Soji Maurice-Diya

  Curiosity-Driven Leader

  Soji Maurice-Diya is a business transformation leader shaping the future of Africa’s digital and logistics infrastructure. As Managing Director and CEO of Ntel, he is leading the reinvention of one of Nigeria’s most iconic telecom assets, turning legacy infrastructure into a platform for connectivity, innovation, and economic growth. He also serves on the board of Traxport Rail Services, where he is helping modernize the Lagos–Kano freight corridor through cleaner LNG/CNG-powered rail solutions. Over a career spanning more than two decades, Soji has led major transformations at American Tower Corporation Nigeria, ExxonMobil, IBM, Etisalat, and Maudi Capital. From expanding broadband access to underserved communities to advancing strategic infrastructure investments, his work sits at the intersection of technology, policy, and inclusive growth.