‘Gbenga Sesan, a member of the United Nations Committee of eLeaders on Youth and ICT and Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow, is a social entrepreneur, Information Society researcher and Nigeria's first Information Technology Youth Ambassador. He is quick to express passionate belief in the potentials that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) hold for developing economies, and has expressed this at various local, national, regional and international fora through his speaking opportunities in over twenty countries. 'Gbenga is a graduate of Electronic & Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University and has been trained at Lagos Business School, New York Group for Technology Transfer, Oxford and Harvard. His consulting experience includes assignments completed for numerous institutions, including Harvard University, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Res Publica and the International Telecommunications Union.
‘Gbenga was the Vice Chair of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s African Technical Advisory Committee, voluntary adviser to numerous youth-led nonprofit projects and pioneer Program Manager of the Lagos Digital Village. In 2006, he was appointed as the youngest member of the Nigerian Presidential Task Force on the Restructuring of the Nigerian Information Technology and Telecommunications Sectors. ‘Gbenga serves on the board of HiiT Limited, Generis Solutions, Global Network for Cybersolution, Women's Technology Empowerment Centre, Alliance of Change Empowerment Speakers and the African Youth ICT4D Network. He is also an author and regular feature on some of Nigeria’s popular television shows.
In recognition of his dynamic efforts, 'Gbenga is a recipient of the 2008 FGC Idoani Alumni award, 2007 LEAP Annual Nigerian Youth Leadership award, 2007 The Future Youth Advocacy award, 2006 International Telecommunications Union YES Scholarship award, 2006 The Future Best Use of Technology award, 2005 Stockholm Challenge Champion honor, 2004 NiPRO Excellence in Information Technology award, 2003 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) in Nigeria award, 2002 JCI Ten Outstanding Great Ife Alumni (TOGA) award, 2002 Journalists’ Frontier of Technology in Nigeria award, and the 2001 International Telecommunication Union African Youth Fellowship award. ‘Gbenga Sesan is the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria and has been profiled as one of the 35 Icons of ICT in Nigeria. He keeps a personal website at www.gbengasesan.com.
"I see a new Nigeria emerging, one that will be built
on the labours of our heroes past, hewn out of the debris
of the present waste and engineered by the strength of the
future leaders: the youth. These young men and women will adopt
Information Technology for the purpose of personal
development, nation building, regional cooperation and global
participation. They may be unknown today, but in the secrecy of
their abode, they master the tool that will change their lives and
that of their nation. They're building the nation’s tomorrow
today".
‘Gbenga Sesan (November
26, 2001)
"... those of us in the Diaspora appreciate your contributions as Nigeria's Information Technology Youth Ambassador. Please continue your good work."
Philip Emeagwali (A father of the Internet)
"... Youths like you rejuvenate us and whip up our flagging energies. Congratulations once again ..."
Professor Wole Soyinka (Nobel Laureate)
"...I was one of your students in UNAD. I NOW ENJOY the internet, thank you..." Ayodele Osakuade (UNAD, Nigeria)
"My dearest, sweetest, fondest, fantastic, extra-ordinary, paragon of beauty a.k.a Bose. I hope this letter meets you in a fabulous state of metabolism, if so doxology... I pray that you realise the gargantuan nature of my predicament.... At this juncture, let me also say that geography of your body is a permanent allelluia..."
Laughing already? Read Boso's Collection :-))
