2025 COLUMBIA AFRICA CONFERENCE
DATE: 19TH-20TH SEPTEMBER, 2025
VENUE: COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL, NEW YORK
SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
PROFESSOR YEMI OSINBAJO
IMMEDIATE PAST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
Professor Yemi Osinbajo is the Immediate Past Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2015–2023). A distinguished Lawyer, Professor of Law, and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, he has dedicated his career to advancing good governance, economic reforms, and social impact initiatives. During his tenure, he championed policies that promoted innovation, entrepreneurship, and inclusive growth across Nigeria and Africa. Beyond public service, he is recognized globally for his thought leadership at the intersection of governance, business, and development.
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KEYNOTE SPEAKER
EMMANUEL LUBANZADIO
AFRICA LEAD, OPENAI
Emmanuel Lubanzadio is the Africa Lead at OpenAI where he leads the company’s strategic engagement across the continent, spanning policy, partnerships, and ecosystem development. He brings deep expertise at the intersection of technology, policy, and government affairs, with a career that bridges the public and private sectors across Africa, Europe, and North America.
His previous roles include Policy and Government Affairs for Africa at Twitter, as well as positions with the U.S. Congress, United Nations, GIZ, and the global healthcare company, Fresenius.
PANELIST
JUDE 'M.I.' ABAGA
ARTIST | CEO, TASCK
Jude Abaga, popularly known as M.I. is a pioneering hip hop artist, entrepreneur, and changemaker who has spent two decades shaping Africa’s creative industries. Rising to prominence with “Crowd Mentality” and celebrated albums like “MI2: The Movie,” he quickly became one of the continent’s most influential musical voices.
In 2020, M.I. founded TASCK, a creative solutions company connecting creatives with causes, campaigns, and opportunities for growth. TASCK has since impacted over 7,000 Nigerian creatives through initiatives in civic engagement, men’s mental health, and youth empowerment.
PANELIST
FOLAKE OLOWOFOYEKU
ACTRESS AND MUSICIAN
Folake Olowofoyeku is a Nigerian Actress and Musician, best known for her role as Abishola in CBS’s “Bob Hearts Abishola.” Her talents extend far beyond the sitcom with appearances in hit shows like “Modern Family,” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” showcasing her range and presence on screen. Off camera, she’s equally powerful in music, writing, producing, and performing with Afrobeat rhythms and electronic sounds at the heart of her artistry. She has also been recognized for breaking barriers as a Nigerian woman leading in American primetime television, inspiring audiences across cultures.
PANELIST
LADI BALOGUN
CEO, FCMB GROUP
Ladi Balogun is a Nigerian banker, investor, and changemaker. As Chief Executive Officer of FCMB Group since 2017, he has been instrumental in transforming the institution into one of Nigeria’s leading financial services groups, spanning banking, asset management, pensions, and investment. A graduate of the University of East Anglia (Economics) and Harvard Business School (MBA), he has led bold mergers and acquisitions, and built Credit Direct into a top micro-lending platform. Beyond finance, Ladi chairs Tenet Investment Company and serves as President of the Otunba Tunwase Foundation, driving impact across sustainable investing, and children’s welfare.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
EMMANUEL LUBANZADIO
AFRICA LEAD, OPENAI
Emmanuel Lubanzadio is the Africa Lead at OpenAI where he leads the company’s strategic engagement across the continent, spanning policy, partnerships, and ecosystem development. He brings deep expertise at the intersection of technology, policy, and government affairs, with a career that bridges the public and private sectors across Africa, Europe, and North America.
His previous roles include Policy and Government Affairs for Africa at Twitter, as well as positions with the U.S. Congress, United Nations, GIZ, and the global healthcare company, Fresenius.
PAST SPEAKERS
Ralph Mupita
President & CEO
MTN Group
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Director-General
WTO
Amina J. Mohammed
UN Deputy
Secretary-General
Dr. Albert Zeufack
Chief Economist for Africa World Bank
Tony Elumelu
Chairman
United Bank for Africa
Vera Songwe
Chair in UNI Economic Commission for Africa
Nunu Ntshingila
CEO
Facebook Africa
Lamido Sanusi
Former Governor
Central Bank of Nigeria
Fred Swaniker
Founder
African Leadership Group
Jeffrey D. Sachs
World Renowned Economist & Author
CAC 2025 IS HERE!
19 - 20TH SEPTEMBER
We are bound by a common thread that connects us to our beautiful continent. As we reflect on the last 22 years of building an African community at Columbia, our journey has been on of resilience, courage, and tenacity.
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Our 22nd annual conference is testament to the growth the community has made and achieved in different sectors and how we can stay on that path and work more on growing.
500+
PARTICIPANTS
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SPEAKERS
70+
15
PANELS
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02
DAYS
ABOUT COLUMBIA AFRICA CONFERENCE
The Columbia Africa Conference is a student-led collaboration between Columbia Business School, Columbia Engineering, Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia Law School, and the wider Columbia Africa community. Over the last 22 years, we have provided a forum for meaningful engagement and thought-provoking discussions. This year, you’ll hear from an impressive lineup of speakers from across the continent and we expect participants to leave with a renewed sense of hope for Africa’s success and to be inspired to do their part in moving the continent forward.
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PAST EDITIONS
