Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.
September 13, 2021
Lagos, Nigeria
The Olusegun Agagu Foundation (OAF) convened its 8th annual memorial lecture on Monday, September 13, in honor of its patriarch and former Governor of Ondo State, Late Dr. Olusegun Kokumo Agagu (CON). The memorial lecture, now in its 8th year, took place virtually and had over 300 participants in attendance.
The theme for the 2021 lecture ‘Entrepreneurship: Intergenerational Approaches to Building Wealth’ explored the role of Entrepreneurship in wealth building. The event featured successful entrepreneurs as panelists that shared useful insights gained from their personal experience as wealth-builders.
Delivering his opening remarks at the lecture, board Chairman of the Olusegun Agagu Foundation, Dr. Deji Adeleke reminded participants of the late Dr. Agagu’s credo, ‘to leave things better than he met them’ and emphasized how the foundation has lived up to the same ideals. He cited some of the challenges the foundation faced when it began, and how the foundation pushed for success through hard efforts. “When we started, it was not very easy to raise capital”, he said. “Luckily, in the area of fintech, Nigerian (Entrepreneurs) are now accessing venture capital”.
Shortly before declaring the panel open, Master of Ceremonies and CEO Baobab Consulting, Liz Grossman Kitoyi called for support and donations towards the Olusegun Agagu Foundation (OAF) before declaring a moment of silence in honor of the late Dr. Agagu.
Panel Moderator, Adenike Adeniyi while introducing panelists, described the lineup of speakers for the 2021 memorial lecture as ‘amazing entrepreneurs’ who are doing well in their fields and have helped connect young people on the continent with resources for business growth and development. Panel speakers included Almaz Negash, Founder and Executive Director, African Diaspora Network, Odunayo Eweniyi, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, Piggyvest and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, General Partner and Co-founder, Future Africa who shared inisghts from their journey as entrepreneurs.
From her work at the World Trade Center to founding the African Diaspora Network, Almaz Negash has helped build successful partnerships with major stakeholders in diaspora. She spoke of her disdain for people talking about Africa without Africans at the table, and the decision to move past the sentiment. “Instead of being unhappy with what people do, why not we create our own space where we invite others to join us?” she said.
Odunayo Eweniyi speaking on her entrepreneurial journey at Piggyvest, Nigeria’s largest digital investment platform, reflected on her time as an undergraduate student at Covenant University. She noted that the role of self-teaching is key to broadening one’s horizon. “I studied Computer Engineering, but I spent a bit of my time at the school library, reading books that have nothing to do with Computer Engineering” she said. She insisted that academic institutions require social interventions to make curriculums relevant and practical.
Iyinoluwa Aboyeji describing entrepreneurship as a social mission, cited that the willingness to share values and rewards are still missing in our culture. “Entrepreneurship is not a ministry for the glorification of the founder. It is supposed to be a service to the world by creating solutions to problems” he said. Prior to co-founding Future Africa, a platorm that provides capital, coaching, and community for African innovators, Iyin also helped build Andela and Flutterwave, Africa’s fastest growing tech companies backed by global investors.
The panelists further discussed gender issues and cultural biases faced by many entrepreneurs on the continent. An important message to entrepreneurs from the panelists is to think about the bigger community that they want to serve, and how to create value so that generations from now entrepreneurs will have access to resources. Speaking on creating generational wealth, panelists also encouraged investments in the direction of research and the documentation of entreprenauiral feats. They also adviced other successful entrepreneurs to hold the door open for others in places where they have already succeeded.
The memorial lecture also featured a brief video testimonial from beneficiaries of the Olusegun Agagu Foundation academic scholarship. Over 200 recipients have benefitted from the scholarship initiative since inception, with 67 awards for students in the 2020-2021 academic year.
The memorial lecture closed with a vote of thanks from the Agagu family before light music and dancing amidst pleasant exchange from the attendees.
About the Olusegun Agagu Foundation
The Olusegun Agagu Foundation was set up in 2014 to immortalize the name and legacy of the late Dr. Olusegun Agagu (CON), former Governor of Ondo State. The Foundation seeks to further
the ideals Dr. Agagu worked passionately to achieve, particularly in the areas of intellectual excellence, good governance, and national development.
