Mr. Adams Oluwafemi Akewula, representing Prof. Afis Ayinde Oladosu Ph.D. (Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan)

Prof. Afis Ayinde Oladosu is a Professor at the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His specialization straddles Middle Eastern and North African Studies. He equally has competence and expertise in Literary Criticism/Pragmatics, Islam and Gender, and Islamic Law and Jurisprudence. He was once a Bill Gates Scholar and Fellow, African Scholar Program, University of Massachusetts. He has also previously worked as a visiting scholar at the International Islamic University, Malaysia, among others. He is presently a visiting scholar at the University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana and a board member of National University Commission (NUC).

Very Rev. Olusegun Oyetunde Babalola (Presbyter, Methodist Church Nigeria)

Very Rev. Olusegun Oyetunde Babalola is a Presbyter in Methodist Church Nigeria and the Program Officer for Christian Council of Nigeria, South West Zone. He also serves as the Research Officer for the Institute of Church and Society, Samonda, Ibadan. His academic background is Counselling and Social Psychology. He has facilitated workshops on several thematic areas including Freedom of Religion or Belief in Nigeria (FoRB) and has attended several conferences. He is a seasoned social pastoral worker, with high level of responsibility for stewardship. He is a passionate change agent with cognate experience in livelihood, pastoral and social entrepreneurial competences. He has flair for demonstrated effective and efficient leadership.

Awise Olakunle Oligbinde (Awise Secretary General of the indigene Faith of Africa)

Chief Olakunle Oligbinde is the Awise Secretary General of the indigene Faith of Africa, Ebute Meta. A renowned leader in Ancestral religion within and outside the country, he is an advocate who strives to propagate the virtues of Ancestral beliefs and to correct the long held prejudices against it. He has a degree in Statistics from the University of Ibadan and certifications from the Institute of Management Studies in London. He worked with the Federal Office of Statistics (1963-1971), from where he was seconded to Federal Tuberculosis Center (Chest Clinic), General Hospital, Lagos, and then the Federal Ministry of Trade and Industries, Lagos. He then moved to Nigerian Ports Authority, Lagos, where he served in Management Services, Audit and Operations Departments in the various ports formations. He retired from professional service in 2002.

Mr. Yusuf Olayode, representing Mr. Rafiu Adeniran Lawal (Building Blocks for Peace/United Network for Peace Builders)

Rafiu Adeniran Lawal is the Leading Director of Building Blocks for Peace and the United Network for Peace Builders (UNOY) International steering group representative for West Africa and Central Africa. He is a passionate youth peace advocate, who is deeply involved in the adoption and implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security. He has a Master’s Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Ibadan.

Barr.Lanre Ogundare, representing Dr. Babatunde Oni (Associate Professor of Law, University of Lagos)

Babatunde Oni, an Associate Professor of Law, obtained his LL.B (Hons) from Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State. He won the Idowu Sofola (SAN) prize for best results in Nigeria Legal System and Research Methods, the Akinola Adaramaja (SAN) prize for best results in Nigerian Land Law, Equity and Trust, Commercial Law, as well as other academic prizes from Ogun State University. He obtained his LL.M from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and his Ph.D. from University of Lagos. He was also a coordinator of the LL.M Programme from 2011 to 2013. Dr. Oni is an international scholar of repute with several publications both in local and foreign journals, and has won several international awards. He is the coordinator of Wills Clinic of the University of Lagos, Faculty of Law and a consultant to numerous clients in Nigeria and abroad. He is also a member of Peace Advocate of HWPL based in South Korea.

Dr. David Akeju (Ph.D. University of Lagos)

Dr. David Akeju holds a BSc, MSc, and Ph.D. in Sociology (Demography and Population Studies) from the prestigious University of Ibadan. He was born into a Muslim family but later converted to Christianity. After acquiring his MSc degree, he worked in Adamawa State as a programme officer implementing programmes among Hausa/Fulani people. Growing up in the north provided him the opportunity to interact and build bridges across religious and ethnic divides. It has also given him the advantage to share topical issues bordering on religious harmony with deep insight. He has a very strong passion for Nigeria and a strong desire to see the birthing of a unique Nigerian identity, irrespective of religious and ethnic diversity. He strongly believes that achieving interfaith harmony in Nigeria could be prototype to attaining global peace. He has been published in international journals and consulted for local and international organizations. He is currently a lecturer in the Department of Sociology, University of Lagos.

Dr. Joseph T. Atang (Nigeria Country Expert for KAICIID Dialogue Centre)

Mr. Joseph T. Atang is currently the Nigeria Country Expert for KAICIID Dialogue Centre, an international intergovernmental organization for interreligious and intercultural dialogue established by Saudi Arabia, Spain, Austria and the Vatican, with headquarters in Vienna, Austria. He also doubles as the Technical Adviser to the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) in Nigeria, an interfaith dialogue platform for Nigerian Christians and Muslims established by KAICIID in 2017. He was a member of the Kaduna State Peace and Reconciliation Committee (2011 – 2012) and a member of the Kaduna State Committee to Stem the Incessant Killings in Southern Kaduna, 2015. Mr Atang is a recipient of the Donald Paulson Award of the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security and Global Governance at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, U.S.A. He is a certified mediator of the District Court of the State of Massachusetts, U.S.A. He was the Secretary, Dispute Resolution Graduate Students Council, University of Massachusetts in Boston from September 2007 – May 2008.

He is equally a member of Discussion Group on Conflict in Africa, Program on Negotiation (PON), Harvard University, Boston, U.S.A (September 2007 to date).

Mr. Adewole Adejola (Senior Program Officer BudgIT)

Mr. Adewole Adejola is a Senior Program Officer at BudgIT, a Nigerian-based NGO. His works span several projects funded by the UN Development Fund, Open Society Initiative for West Africa, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, Making All Voices Count, Indigo Trust, Omidyar Network, among others. He is committed to improving citizens’ access to government and to drive key reforms in civic institutions at federal and state levels. Mr. Adewole works at grassroots and sub-national levels within communities and states across Nigeria, facilitating interactions between citizens and the government on how to solve community-based issues affecting the people. He has consistently tracked government projects which were paid for by taxpayers’ money, but never delivered or were implemented at substandard levels. His work is to unearth, collate and present information that propels citizens towards enlightenment and organized fora to demand delivery of public services. He has served as a facilitator in different training workshops and made presentations on budget tracking and monitoring.