Our Panelists
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Bukola Edem
Founder, Kidsports Football Club
Bukola Edem
Bukola Edem is an experienced proactive child and youth worker with over two decades of experience working in the education sector. Experienced in guiding children, youths and young adults from various different backgrounds, helping them overcome their personal obstacles to achieve their goals and unlocking their potential.
Bukola is the CEO of KidsPort Nigeria- an organization whose aim is to promote strategic planning across education, skills, and community sector for sports and physical activity. Extensively to increase the visibility of sports development potential amongst our target group.
Bukola is a graduate of Human Anatomy, she also has a certificate in Early Childhood Education from Vanguard University of South California.
Olawole Odesanya
Project manager, Integral Sports Management.
Olawole Odesanya
Olawole Odesanya is an American – trained sports professional with over 5 years of experience in the industry. He earned his Marketing and Communications degrees from the University of St. Thomas, Houston.
A complete sports enthusiast, his education was fully funded by football and academic scholarships. In his time in the United States, he also gained valuable coaching experience in Houston and Dallas, Texas and has experience working with the prestigious Houston Dynamo.
He has also been involved in managing hospitality for global sports events including the FIFA World CUP Russia and the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with Integral as Exclusive Sales Agent in Nigeria for the sale of the Official Hospitality Programme for the previous.
Olawole currently manages a number of key projects at Integral, with particular focus on Talent Management and Athlete Representation. He dreams of transforming the sports industry in Africa and reshaping the perception of sports in that region.
Nkechi Obi
Managing Director/CEO of Premium Sports Management Services Limited.
Nkechi Obi
She is a Sports Management Consultant with over 30 Years’ experience and accomplishments in sports management, marketing and administration.
Her experience spans a variety of projects especially with start-up operations in Marketing and Communication, Exhibition design and promotion, Event design and management, Media Content development and broadcast (Politics, Music and Sports), Political Media Campaign Management as well as Products Merchandising and Marketing.
Mrs Nkechi Obi was in charge of the Team Nigeria project (2003-2007) – designed to harness private and public sector funding for the training and participation of Nigeria’s athletes at international multi-sport events such as the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and All Africa Games and a host of other events.
Over the past 30 years, she has also promoted capacity development in sports administration as a key component of sports development and has acted as Consultant on development of bespoke content and projects to government agencies such as the Federal Ministry of Sports / National Sports Commission), The Nigeria Police Force, The Nigerian Army, Kwara State Football Academy, The Nigerian Nationwide League One (the bedrock of grassroots football in Nigeria), as well as a host of blue-chip companies. Mrs Nkechi Obi has a B.Sc. and MBA from the University of Lagos.
Obi Asika
Co-Founder, Social Media Week Lagos, Africa Soft Power Project.
Obi Asika
Co-Founder, Social Media Week Lagos, Co-founder, Africa Soft Power Project
Obi Asika is a soft power advocate and creative industries leader focused on the possibilities that the creative and cultural industries offer for Nigeria, Africa and the global black Diaspora. He is acknowledged as one of the pioneers who has led the globalisation of the Nigerian music and entertainment industries.
Obi Asika is the co-founder of Social Media Week Lagos, one of the largest new media and technology conferences in Africa. Obi has been involved in promoting and enabling opportunities in the technology, sports, media and entertainment industries in Nigeria and beyond for decades. He has been an Executive Producer for global events, major global tv franchises and festivals including, Fifa U20 World Cup 1999, CAF Nations Cup 2000, Big Brother Nigeria 2006, Dragons Den Nigeria, 2007, The Apprentice Africa 2008, Naija Sings 2009-2012, Calabar Festival 2008 & Calabar Rocks Tv Series 2008, Soccerex West Africa 2012, SMWLagos 2012- 2021 to name a few. He was Vice-Chairman of Kwara Utd, a Nigerian premier league football team in 2003-2005.
Obi Asika is the National Coordinator of the Technical Working Group for the Creative Industries, Tourism, Culture and Hospitality sectors for the 2020-2030 Media and Long term National Development plan for the Nigeria 2050 Agenda.
Obi Asika has worked with and advised multilaterals, corporations, governments, brands and agencies on the creative industries, sports, strategic communications, events and more.
Obi Asika was educated at Eton College, The University of Warwick and The Nigerian Law School.
Sayo Owolabi
Founder/CEO, Lagos Esports Forum
Sayo Owolabi
Sayo Owolabi is the Founder and CEO of Africa’s leading full service, wholly private Esports Organization, the Lagos ESports Forum (a member of the Global ESports Federation, GEF). The LESF was created in May 2020 to drive Education, Engagement and Empowerment in the Nigerian and African Esports Ecosystem.
A Lawyer by training and with over a decade experience in Sports Media and Marketing, Sayo has created and executed Media and Event properties for various multinational brands in Nigeria and Africa through radio shows which are syndicated across the continent and tournaments in Football, Table Tennis and Esports.
Sayo’s passion and creative contributions in the African Esports ecosystem was recognized by the Global Esports Federation and in March 2021, he was appointed as a member of the Education, Culture & Youth Commission as well as the newly created International Relations & Development Commission.
He is the only African Speaker to have graced the GEF Convention (GEFcon) platform in December 2020 and April 2021 with over 70 speakers globally on various panels on both occasions.
Sayo has also participated as a Speaker/Panelist on various Podcasts, Webinars and Conferences centered around “The Potentials of the African Esports Ecosystem” most notably, The Commonwealth Action Series in October 2020, the Hong Kong-based YEAH Webinar Series in November 2020, Kenya International Sports Film Festival 2021 as well as being featured as a guest on global media platforms – Al Jazeera and Supersport.
Sayo currently serves as the Secretary-General of the Africa Esports Development Federation (AEDF) with the mandate to drive the growth and advancement of Esports in Africa in alignment with the values of the Global Esports Federation (GEF) whose Board approved the creation and appointment in September, 2021.
Adedamilola Adedotun
Head of Sport, The Temple Company
Adedamilola Adedotun
Adedamilola Adedotun is a sports business manager with a focus on investment and strategy. He started his career in Tax and Regulatory Services at PwC Nigeria where he spent over 6 years before joining BVS Professional Services to build their tax practice. He has over 10 years experience consulting for multinationals, corporate organisations, small and medium businesses, and high net worth individuals in solving complex taxand business matters.
He is a Principal Partner at TWOREPORT LIMITED, a market research and data advisory company that provides insights into the sport industry value chain of the country. As the Head of Business Strategy, he is responsible for deciding the strategic direction of the organisation and for designing strategic plans for the organisation’s clients.
He is also the founder of TGM Sports Ltd, a media and technology company focused on building a community of fans and delivering fan experience through digital media and technology. TGM Sport’s fan-centred digital platforms include BballNaija, TennisForward and Fancified.
He volunteers as Researcher of the Sports Industry Thematic Group which is part of a Policy Commission of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), where he worked as part of the drafting team of the new National Sports Industry Policy. He currently manages sports business opportunities as Head of Sport at The Temple Company, a creative, media, entertainment and sports agency based in Lagos, Nigeria. He is an advocate of sports infrastructure investment in Nigeria and Africa.
Adedammy started his career in consulting with about 10 years’ experience in strategic planning, regulatory compliance, and business development. His expertise in sport includes developing commercial strategies for sports properties, creating sports partnership plans for corporate organisations, and managing athletes.
He holds a Masters’ Degree in Sports Business Management from Sheffield Hallam University and is a member of the Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Creatives and Sports as a business (THECS) Policy Commission of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).
Beverley Agbakoba Onyejianya
Head of Sports, Entertainment and Technology practice at Olisa Agbakoba Legal
Beverley Agbakoba Onyejianya
Beverley is the Head of Sports, Entertainment and Technology practice at Olisa Agbakoba Legal. She is also an Associate Partner. She has over 15 years work experience in regulatory compliance, governance and legal industries.
She is also the founder of Lagos Tigers Football Club – a youth academy established in 2012, for boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 17 years and is passionate about youth sports development. The club has since expanded to three training centres in lagos, operating in Ikate , Oniru and Alausa. The ethos of the club is
Beverley Agbakoba Onyejianya is also recognised as a national thought leader in sports law. She is also recognised as a global expert in sports law, and is listed in Who’s Who legal 2021/2022. She has authored and published numerous articles and materials on sports law issues including A to Z of Sports Law in Nigeria.
Beverley is an active member in many stake holder groups and industry groups relating to the sport and entertainment industry for example; women in sport law Switzerland. She is a board member of Lagos football divisional association and Vice president, NBA SBL Sports, Entertainment and Media Committee.
She is also passionate about personal development and mentoring and has a podcast and platform called Develop your agame.
Achta Mahamat Saleh
Founder, Cabinet Juridique International
Achta Mahamat Saleh
Achta is from Chad and holds a master’s degree in international business law from the University of Bordeaux 4, in France.
Achta has started her career at the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in 2006. She was holding the position of Project Manager. In 2008, she joined FIFA where she worked for 2 years in the Player’s Status Department.
Having a desire to go back to her homeland, Achta returned to Chad in 2010, where she established her own consultancy firm specialized in Business and Sports Law. In the meantime, she headed the legal department of the Chadian water Company.
In 2017, she was appointed as Constitutional Counselor in the Constitutional Council of Chad.
Achta reintegrated in the world of Sports when she rejoined CAF in 2018, this time in the position of the Director of Legal Affairs and Compliance of CAF. After ending her work at CAF in May 2021, Achta established as a consultant in Business and Sport law.
James Torvaney
Project Lead for Pulse Sports
James Torvaney
James Torvaney is Project Lead for Pulse Sports. Pulse Sports is a pan-african initiative by the Pulse media group to bring sports news with an African angle to a mass online audience.
Ojonoka Agudah
Head of Legal, Integral Sports Management
Ojonoka Agudah
Ojonoka Agudah is an experienced Intellectual property lawyer in sports and is currently the Head of Legal & Women’s Sports at Integral, a leading sports management company in Nigeria.
With hands-on valuable experience across the sports business value chain in legal and commercial, she has through the years been armed with an in-depth understanding of managing and maximizing the IP and intellectual assets of various stakeholders in sports.
Uniquely positioned to move seamlessly across various areas of sports, she has managed and advised on a broad range of commercial, media, marketing and brand issues in sports ranging from media rights, sponsorship, licensing, hospitality, talent, image rights agreements to player employment contracts and brand protection strategy for sports properties. She has also been involved in managing hospitality programmes for global sports events including FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019 and 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia with Integral as Exclusive Sales Agent in Nigeria for the sale of the Official Hospitality Programme for both events.
With her cross-functional role, she also manages women professional athletes and is committed to the growth of women’s sports.
She holds an LLM in International Intellectual Property Law and Commercial Practice where she was awarded the prestigious IP Wales prize, A Sports Business Management Programme Certificate (Lagos Business School in conjunction with La Liga Business School).
She is a member of Women in Sports Law and Women in Football.
Bolorunduro Saliu
Head of Retail & Partnerships in Leadway Assurance
Bolorunduro Saliu
Bolorunduro Saliu is a graduate of the University of Ilorin, currently the Head of Retail & Partnerships in Leadway Assurance.
Abu Azeez
Nigerian beach soccer player
Abu Azeez
He plays as a forward for Nigerian Professional Football League club side Warri Wolves F.C. and for the Nigeria national beach soccer team.
Abu joined amateur football team, Owibeseb FC in 2006 and spent three years with them before joining Bridge F.C. in 2009.
He turned professional in 2013 when he signed for Nigerian Professional Football League side, Kwara United F.C. He spent a year with the Ilorin-based club before he was signed by Warri Wolves F.C.
In 2016, he made the switch to Enyimba FC of Aba but once again he moved to Shooting stars sports club of Ibadan the following year after a trial with Turkish club Samsunspor. After one year back in the western part of Nigeria, Azeez moved back to the east, signing for the Enugu Rangers. He played one season with the Flying Antelopes before he joined Remo Stars F.C.
Abu Azeez made his debut for Nigeria at the 2009 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai where he scored twice as Nigeria crashed out in the group stages. He became a vital member of the team after that tournament and won his first trophy with the team in 2011 at the Copa Lagos.
In 2016, he returned to the team later that year to help the West African to a second-place finish at the 2016 Africa Beach Soccer Cup of Nations which was hosted in Nigeria.
Azeez was named Nigeria‘s captain in 2019, a year after he became the first and only Nigeria Beach soccer player to reach a century of goals.
Arc. Taye Olajide
General Secretary, Africa Beech Soccer, Union
Professor Ike Ehiribe
Visiting Professor and Fellow, Centre for International Legal Studies
Professor Ike Ehiribe
Ike was called to the Nigerian Bar (1982) and to the Bar of
England and Wales (1996) by the Honorable Society of
Lincoln’s Inn.
He is a Fellow (1994) of the Chartered Institute
of Arbitrators in London and also a Chartered Arbitrator (2007).
He became an accredited mediator of the Academy of Experts in
Gray’s Inn in 1998. He is an international arbitrator and qualified
dispute resolver practising out of 7 Stones Commercial & IP
Chambers based in London and is also listed on the United
Nations affiliated WIPO Panel of Neutrals based in Geneva.
He is currently listed on the CAS Panel of Arbitrators in Lausanne
and has resolved a considerable number of Football League
related disputes in Europe and Africa either as Chairman of
Arbitration Appeal Tribunal, or Chairman of Tribunal or as Sole
Arbitrator or Co-Arbitrator.
He is a Visiting Professor and Fellow at the Centre for
International Legal Studies (CILS) in Salzburg; a Part-time
Professor and Lecturer who has taught in a number of
universities in Europe and the UK.
He is an approved tutor,
trainer and assessor on the arbitration, adjudication and
mediation training courses of the Chartered Institute of
Arbitrators in London and was formerly the Chairman of the
ADR Committee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in
London.
Chijioke Okoli, SAN
Managing Partner, Delphi Law Advisory
Chijioke Okoli, SAN
Chijioke Alexander Okoli, SAN, MCIArb (UK), is a 1987 graduate of the Faculty of Law, University of Jos. A recipient of two Master’s Degrees, Mr. Okoli earned a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree in Sports Law and Practice from De Montfort University, Leicester, England, and a Master of Science degree in political science from the University of Lagos. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988 and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK). He is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria [SAN].
A specialist in commercial litigation and arbitration, his practice also spans white-collar crime matters. Mr. Okoli has regularly argued cases through the entire strata of Nigeria’s court system, including the Supreme Court of Nigeria. One of his most significant reported cases at the apex court is Federal Republic of Nigeria v Senator O. J. Adewunmi [2007] 10 NWLR (Pt. 1042) 399. A notable contributor to major Nigerian and international law journals, Okoli is a frequent resource person in advanced and
continuing legal education seminars and conferences including those by the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. His intellectual pursuits go well beyond law, being an avid student of military history, philosophy, politics and strategic studies.
He was a prominent member of the litigation department of the now dissolved renowned law firm of Ajumogobia, Okeke, Oyebode and Aluko. He is currently the Principal Partner and Chief Counsel in the law firm of Delphi Law Advisory with offices in Lagos, Nnewi and Abuja, as well as associated offices in London and New York.
He was the pioneer General Counsel for Team Nigeria at its conception with the 8th All Africa Games 2003, and continues to advise sports clubs and other sporting entities on both local and transnational transactions, including the commercial aspects of football.
He is the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Crest Football Academy, Lagos (Nigeria’s foremost football academy), and the Vice-Chairman of Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC) Ethics and Good Governance Committee. He was the Team Leader of the Committee that drafted the Nigerian Sports Industry Policy 2020 under the auspices of Nigeria Economic Summit Group and the Federal Ministry of Youth & Sports Development. Mr. Okoli’s other areas of professional concern outside the courtroom
also include the information technology interface with law and he had, inter alia, advised
the Lagos State Government on data protection law issues.
Mr. Okoli has served, and continues to serve, the Nigerian Bar in diverse capacities. He was Chairman of the Lagos Branch of Nigerian Bar Association (N.B.A.) between 2009 and 2011 and was also until recently one of the prosecutors for the NBA in the Disciplinary Committee of the Body of Benchers. Apart from active membership of the NBA National Executive Committee (NEC) for several years, Mr. Okoli is also an active member of the NBA Section on Business Law (NBA-SBL).
A community-spirited man, Mr. Okoli also plays leadership roles in the larger society. He is a very active and founding member of the socio-economic and development-oriented organization, League of Anambra Professionals (LAP), of which he currently leads as the President. He mentors young people of diverse backgrounds and disciplines. A former secretary of the Lagos Polo Club, and apart from horse riding Mr. Okoli’s other extra-curricular interests include football and boxing – subjects on which he has written informed commentaries in notable journals.
Dev Kumar Parmar
Principal Director, Parmars Sport
Dev Kumar Parmar
Dev is an internationally experienced sports lawyer and academic, with previous experience as a football intermediary. Known for his advocacy that has led to him being sought out for some of the more prominent and challenging sport law matters in recent times, he has been instructed on a range of contentious matters before FIFA and TAS / CAS including complaints against federations through to training compensation.
He has advised elite players and coaches, as well as having been the chief advisor to a UEFA participating football club, advising on all matters in relation to the management of the club including transfer strategy and technical direction.
Dev is also an active member of Association Internationale des Avocats du Football (AIAF), as well as sitting as FIFA pro-bono counsel for players, in the independent investigatory chamber for the International Weightlifting Federation, and an arbitrator under the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF).
In addition to this, Dev is an advisory board member for the Football Foundation for Africa, also often appearing as a host on the Africa Football Business Show, as well as an adviser to the Lagos E-Sports Forum, now accredited and recognised by the Global Esports Federation (GEF).
Dev’s experience extends to consultations surrounding allegations of match-fixing, anti-doping matters and e-Sports. In addition, he has experience of concluding transactions as far afield as in the Chinese Super League and the Indian Super League, as well as in England and Italy amongst others having represented both players and clubs having been a registered intermediary in the past, and as such, is well placed to advise agencies at any stage of a player transfer journey.
Through his career Dev has advised and represented the likes of Dimitar Berbatov, Harry Kewell, Steven Gerrard, Tuncay Sanli and many more, as well as clubs across Europe, and several football federations and Olympic Committees around the world.
Furthermore, Dev is a published writer on sports law, and is currently an academic director on two Masters in International Sports Law at the world-renowned Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economía (ISDE) in Madrid, as well as a senior lecturer on the Masters in Sports Law and Management, based in Barcelona. Dev has appeared as a guest lecturer at dozens of institutions across the UK and Europe, and is regularly invited to speak at conferences, having also appeared in Africa, Asia and South America.
Dev is also a professional mentor and nationally recognised for his development of individuals within professions, both within and outside of the legal industry, recently culminating in another award for ‘mentoring excellence’ in 2020 / 21.
In addition to core sports law matters, Dev is certified in Sports Governance (The Chartered Governance Institute [ICSA]) and lectures on this topic regularly, as well as being experienced in Crisis Communication and having a Diploma (Chartered Institute for Public Relations [CIPR]) in the same.
Adérójú Ope-Ajayi
Founder & Lead Instructor at Dolphin Swim School & Dolphin Aquatic Center
Adérójú Ope-Ajayi
She is also a Sports Development Advocate with a passion for fostering positive change in the sports industry in Africa.
Her mission is to help develop the sports industry in Nigeria by partnering with the right stakeholders, helping to build sustainable sports businesses, and providing knowledge to new entries in the industry.
At the Dolphin Aquatic Centre and Dolphin Swim School, which are exclusively for Women and Children, participants swim with certified female instructors in a safe and secure environment. Dolphin Swim School also offers various swimming programs from beginners’ classes to advanced (competitive training) for both Women & Children. The center is the first in Nigeria to do this.
Moyo Ogunseinde
Founder, Upbeat Recreational Center
Moyo Ogunseinde
Moyo Ogunseinde is an astute sports business administrator, mentor to women in the business of sports, international real estate developer, chartered architect, and hospitality expert. She is an advocate for creating spaces and thriving communities in hospitality, entertainment, education and sports sectors as well as highlighting the importance of empowering Africans through wealth creation and culture transformation for a more fulfilled and prosperous society.
An astute developer with a keen eye for business development, Moyo conceptualized and led the team that built and continues to manage West Africa’s first trampoline park, the Upbeat Centre. She is the Chairperson of Lagos State Gymnastics Association; Board Member, Lagos State Sports Trust Fund; and Founder, WANAMKE – Women in the Business of Sports.
Moyo is an exemplary leader, managing several hires, direct teams and contractors. She is also a seasoned keynote speaker and panelist. She has been featured by several local and international media across the world including The Punch, Vogue and Complete Sports discussing Sports, Real Estate, Design, Hospitality and Tourism.
Moyo Ogunseinde earned a Master’s degree in Architecture and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Planning, Building, and Environmental Studies from University College London (UCL). She also participated in a Real Estate Finance and Design Management Program from the Harvard Business School. She is a member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), International Real Estate Federation, and the Nigerian Institute of Architects. She has been recognised as the Best Qualified Registered Architect by the Nigerian Institute of Architect and the Best Hospitality Designer at the Interior Design Excellence Award (IDEA).
Amobi Ezeaku
Head of Sports and Entertainment at Lexsetters LP
Amobi Ezeaku
He is a graduate of law from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, he also obtained a Masters Degree in International Sports Arbitration from the same institution in 2018.
Amobi is passionate about the advancement of football in Africa especially with respect to laws governing the game, administration, safety and security as well as the Transfer Matching System.
Kelvin Omuojine
Principal Associate, SportHouse LP
Kelvin Omuojine
Kelvin specialises in sports law and governance. He is a Principal Associate at SportHouse LP and his previous experience includes a compliance and regulatory role with the Nigeria Professional Football League and membership of the Disciplinary Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation.
Kelvin holds an LLM in Sports Law from Nottingham Trent University, UK and is currently undertaking an MSc in Sport Management, Governance and Policy, at Birkbeck, University of London.
He is a Member of the Editorial Board (Africa Sub-Division) of LawInSport. He has written several articles on sports law and participates in panel discussions, seminars, conferences, and training sessions.
Chinoye Aliyu
Avid Swimmer and Sports Enthusiast.
Chinoye Aliyu
Chief Aliyu, a qualified micro-biologist from the California State University – Long Beach, was a Shipping Magnate for over 10 years, winning several awards for outstanding achievement in her field. She then transitioned to public service, first as a Woman leader and then Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community and Social Development in Delta State. She was subsequently appointed Special Adviser to the Governor on NEPAD. Chief Chinoye is an avid swimmer and sports enthusiast. She has held Association Chairmanships in Karate, Female Football (Delta Queens) and Swimming in her home State over the last 12 years. Delta State has held the top position in the Annual National Youth Games and the bi-annual National Sports Festival. It is now her mission to replicate this success in aquatics across the nation. Her passion is the grass-roots and she recognises that it is from here that the talent and ambassadors of tomorrow will emerge.