Mr Dare Daniel
Dare Daniel has over 30 years experience in business development and marketing of products and services. He began his working career as a teacher with Lagos State Schools Management Board. He launched out from there to fulfil his entrepreneurial leanings establishing Albert First Choice Company for procurements and supplies; from which First Choice Nigeria Ltd evolved. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the company until 1994 when he suffered a spinal cord injury and has since been on a wheelchair.
His physical mobility challenge notwithstanding he explores his ability to see innovations come alive and identifies opportunities with a view to developing niche markets. This has afforded him to sit on the board of a number of companies, spanning manufacturing, hospitality, education, international project financing and agribusiness. He holds a Masters degree in International Relations.
He has a passion for the empowerment of indigents and persons with disabilities. He serves on the board of non-for profit organizations, including Pure Souls Learning Foundation.
He is married with a son and a daughter.
Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Felix Olufemi Gbadebo, OFR
Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Femi Gbadebo, an Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (OFR), Qualified Instructor Pilot on Fast Military Jet Aircraft, Qualified Aircraft Accident Investigator and Expert in Disaster Management, is a graduate of United States Air Force Pilot Instructor Training School, Texas, USA (January 1980), German Command and Staff College, Hamburg, Germany (June 1989), Indian National Defence College, New Delhi, India (December 1999) and Lagos Business School (LBS), Lagos Nigeria (August 2011).
During his distinguished military career, the AVM served at various times as Chief Instructor Pilot at NAF Basic Flying Training School and Commanding Officer NAF Instructor Pilot School, both in Kano; Directing Staff at Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji and Facilitator at National Defence College, Abuja. He also commanded NAF Bases in Kano and Yola, serving simultaneously in both instances on the Kano (1992 -1994) and Adamawa (1998) State Security Councils respectively.
After holding command appointments at the highest levels in the Nigerian Armed Forces as Director of Operations, Defence Headquarters, Abuja; Air Officer Commanding Training Command, Nigerian Air Force, Kaduna and Air Officer Commanding Tactical Command, Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi, the AVM voluntarily retired from active military service on 30th June 2008 on the completion of 35 years meritorious service.
After retirement, experience gained over years of managing a fully dependent, non-verbal child living with Cerebral palsy and a desire to fill the widening gap between developed and developing countries as regards the way disability is perceived and managed led the AVM to start, in February 2013, an initiative on Cerebral Palsy, and it is to his credit that the AVM, who is now widely respected as an authority on Cerebral Palsy has, in less than seven years, nurtured Benola Cerebral Palsy Initiative, to become a major player in the field of disability management in Africa.
AVM Femi Gbadebo, is currently;
Founder/CEO, Benola – A Cerebral Palsy Initiative, an NGO working to change the face of Cerebral Palsy and Disability Management in Africa.
Initiator, FG Talks – A platform through which he encourages, inspires and motivates others to discover and maximize their potentials.
Member, Executive Council, Lagos Business School Alumni Association, June 2016 – June 2020
Member, International Planning Committee for World CP Day 2016 – 2019
A commentator on Aviation, Disability, Security and Current Affairs, the retired AVM is happily married with three male children, the last of whom, Olaoluwa, was diagnosed shortly after birth in 1996 as having Cerebral Palsy!
For additional information, please visit: www.benola.org & www.fgtalks.com
Mrs Delphine Misan-Arenyeka FIMC, CMC, MIoD, PhD (Honoris Causa)
Mrs Delphine Misan-Arenyeka has a first degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan, a Masters degree in also in Agricultural economics from the University of London (Wye College, Kent). In March 2019, she received an honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration from the Commonwealth University, UK. She is a fellow of the Institute of Management Consultants, an internationally certified consultant by the International Management Consultants Institute. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors (IoD). Her experience spans over 35 years post graduation experience working with the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA) now ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Joined Deloitte as a management consultant.
A Ford Foundation Award recipient, her work career for the last 35 years has been in working on various projects involving international, local and private sector clients. She has held the position of Executive Director of Startrite Mayton and Company Nigeria Limited for 29 years now where she has carried out extensive development studies in collaboration with many international organisations: UNICEF, UNDP, DfID, USAID, IFC, The European Union and the World Bank. Delphine for a period of seven years, worked as a development partner in Human Resource development with People Affairs Limited. She served on the board of the Millard Fuller Foundation for over 12 years. She also sat on the board of the Community Development Foundation for another 12 years.
She is currently serving on the board of Palton Morgan Holdings Limited. Under her leadership, her company won a British Airways Business Opportunity Grant for Small Businesses in 2011. Her passion for special needs persons has endeared her to working with and supporting various centres and NGOs. She is married with two children.
Mrs. Dotun Akande
Mrs. Dotun Akande is the Founder and Director of Patrick Speech and Languages Centre, (Patricks) Ikeja, Lagos.
It can rightly be said that she revolutionized the Autism awareness campaign in Nigeria. Today, Patricks stands tall as the pioneer Special Needs Centre for the education of children with Autism, offering services such as speech, occupational, music and behaviour therapy. The Centre also offers social skills building and play therapy using best practices. Mrs. Dotun Akande, with her cerebral team, have successfully worked with and integrated over 50 children into the mainstream school system and has given employment to 4 adults with Autism even as she plans a new school facility that can accommodate and help more children and adults.
She holds a B.Sc. degree in Economics, and has over the years attended numerous training programmes on Autism and other developmental disorders at various International Institutions including but not limited to National Autistic Society (NAS) UK, Geneva Centre for Autism Canada, Western Psychological Services, USA and the Discovery initiative South Africa. She also qualified as a Behaviour Analyst from the Florida Institute of Technology USA. She is an advanced Certified Autism Specialist (ACAS), with Patricks being the first Nigerian Autism Centre to be registered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
Her deep involvement with Autism Awareness campaigns in Nigeria has resulted in various stakeholders engagement which includes the Gtbank Orange Ribbon initiative, of which she is one of the Lead coordinator and facilitator. Autism is an invisible disorder, and viewed locally as a spiritual attack, led to the production of informative films by the Centre, such as ‘Silver Lining’ which bagged an award at the Nigerian films festival in 2011. Her short film ‘Demystifying Autism’ was nominated for the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) Awards for best short film 2015.
Mrs Dotun Akande, a Cherie Blair Mentee, was also the Vlisco Woman for the years 2015 to 2017. An honour bestowed on her for the contributions she made to the growth of Autism awareness and management in Nigeria. Mrs Dotun Akande has also featured in the first Access Bank Plc “W Power of 100” and “WimBiz Inspire Me 2”, featuring leading Nigerian women who have excelled in their various endeavours. Her desire for continuous learning and improvement led her to enrol on the John Maxwell Leadership Program to enable her to continue her national advocacy on people living with a disability.
Mrs. Dotun Akande is happily married with three children.
Mrs. Adepeju Namme
She is the founder and Director of the Pitanga Resource and (Special Educational Needs) Learning Centre, Angola. is a British qualified Teacher & SEN Consultant with over 27 years extensive teaching experience, as an Early Years Head Teacher and Art Teacher at International schools in South West & Central Cameroon and in Britain respectively. ‘Ms. Peju’ (as she’s popularly known in Luanda), also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Severe, Profound and Complex Learning Difficulties and Disabilities and has taught children from Early Years up to GCSE – A Levels in both independent and mainstream schools and private tutoring in the UK.
Prior to embarking on her teaching career, Ms Peju a trained Artist and Qualified Architect, ran a successful architectural firm, where she enjoyed offering art lessons in her free time. Her extensive career specialising in providing education to children with special needs first began with an initial experience of having to support children who struggled with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities in the various mainstream schools where she taught. In 2004, she was appointed as the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Teacher at a Pupil Referral Unit and later went on to work at the Autism base of a mainstream school where she subsequently became Special Needs Adviser to the school. In 2008, she moved on to become the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) at a UK Independent School. Her experience and skills eventually resulted in her being invited to set up and establish the Special Educational Needs Department at the Luanda International School, Luanda Sul, Angola
Throughout her working career, ‘Ms Peju’ has been a strong advocate for the importance of inclusion and the value of education for all children, regardless of their abilities and differences. She has continually remained enthusiastic and focused in her commitment to forge ahead and make a difference in lives of children, especially to those who struggle socially, academically and emotionally – no matter how small those steps may be. Ms Peju has acquired a vast amount of knowledge and skills in working in a variety of educational settings; as well as working alongside a diverse group of professionals. This exposure has provided her with the skills and aptitude necessary to establish the Pitanga Centre which provides the forum and unique opportunity for her to share her experiences, knowledge and passion for supporting, advocating for, and working with children and young adults with special educational needs in Angola as well as across African borders.