H-SUMMIT 2020
Meet the Speakers
Olufunso Somorin
Speaker
Dr. Olufunso Somorin is the Regional Principal Officer with the African Development Bank,
based in Nairobi, Kenya. He oversees the Bank's climate investment programs and policies
across the 13 countries comprising the East African region; with more than 120 development
projects worth about USD 9.25 billion across the region. He is a Director at Profectus Capital
Group, a boutique investment firm that provides world-class financial and advisory services to
SMEs in Africa. Dr Somorin is also the President of Mindosphere Institute, a leadership platform
for mentoring young leaders and entrepreneurs in Africa.
He is a business and entrepreneurship mentor with the Tony Elumelu Foundation. He gives guest lectures at Strathmore University (Kenya), African Leadership University (Rwanda) and University of Guelph (Canada). Dr Somorin holds a PhD in International Environmental Policy from Wageningen University. Netherlands. As an Erasmus Mundus Scholar, he holds two Masters degrees from Finland and Netherlands. He holds a PGCert. in Investment Appraisal and Project Management at University of Bradford, UK. He has received numerous executive trainings on development issues at Cambridge and Oxford Universities in the UK.
He is a business and entrepreneurship mentor with the Tony Elumelu Foundation. He gives guest lectures at Strathmore University (Kenya), African Leadership University (Rwanda) and University of Guelph (Canada). Dr Somorin holds a PhD in International Environmental Policy from Wageningen University. Netherlands. As an Erasmus Mundus Scholar, he holds two Masters degrees from Finland and Netherlands. He holds a PGCert. in Investment Appraisal and Project Management at University of Bradford, UK. He has received numerous executive trainings on development issues at Cambridge and Oxford Universities in the UK.
Gideon Olanrewaju
Speaker
Gideon Olanrewaju is a social entrepreneur and educational development practitioner
who founded Aid for Rural Education Access Initiative (AREAi); a non-profit organisation
that has facilitated access to education for over 6,000 disadvantaged children in Nigeria.
At 26, he is a 2 times United Nations Speaker. He has also participated and represented
Nigeria at highlevel meetings such as the World Education Forum in Incheon, 66th UN/DPI
NGO Conference in Gyeongju, 16th UNESCO Asia Conference on Quality Education in Bangkok,
14th United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in Nairobi, 7th UNESCO NGO Forum in
Riyadh, Under-30 Young Change-makers Summit in New York, and spoke at the 1st World Youth
Forum Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and the 8th UNESCO NGO Forum in Paris.
In September 2018, Olanrewaju was appointed UN DPI youth representative to the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. In October 2019, as a Deloitte sponsored delegate to the One Young World Summit in London, Gideon was invited to the Windsor Castle as part of a group of 10 young leaders from across the world for a roundtable discussion with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Megan Markle of the British Royal Family. Gideon holds a Bachelors in Biochemistry from Ladoke Akintola University, a Masters of Arts degree in International Education and Development from University of Sussex, Brighton UK as a recipient of the prestigious UK Chevening Scholarship. He also holds executive leadership certificates from the African Leadership Academy, the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability and The United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
In September 2018, Olanrewaju was appointed UN DPI youth representative to the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. In October 2019, as a Deloitte sponsored delegate to the One Young World Summit in London, Gideon was invited to the Windsor Castle as part of a group of 10 young leaders from across the world for a roundtable discussion with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Megan Markle of the British Royal Family. Gideon holds a Bachelors in Biochemistry from Ladoke Akintola University, a Masters of Arts degree in International Education and Development from University of Sussex, Brighton UK as a recipient of the prestigious UK Chevening Scholarship. He also holds executive leadership certificates from the African Leadership Academy, the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability and The United Nations Institute for Training and Research.
