Babasola Kuti (Sola Kuti fondly called SK by friends and family) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, well known in political, business and social circles in Lagos and Abuja.

Sola lived most of his life in Lagos State, Nigeria where he attended the University of Lagos Staff School, St Finbarrs College Akoka, International School Lagos, and University of Lagos before relocating to the UK to attend Business School at Middlesex University Business School in Hendon. He studied Business Information Systems with Human Resource Management and graduated with a Second Class Upper division.

From that point he went on to consult for the London Borough of Hackney, French consulting firm – SEMA group, and the American Oil Company AMOCO…now BPAMOCO!

Sola relocated to Nigeria in 2003 and was appointed to serve as a Senior Aide with Senator Tokunbo Ogunbanjo (representing Ogun East). He served in that capacity till 2007.

Sola has a social conscience, tired of the same old stories in Nigerian politics about elected officials and political appointees at both State and Federal levels, he has decided to make known his intention to be a career politician, declaring that “it is time for a new generation to positively influence the development of Nigeria”.

Sola has launched this blog website to communicate with people all over the world and hopes to share ideas and inspire as well as be inspired by these interactions.

Sola is committed to improving the way Nigeria is managed, firmly believing that sound business practices can be applied to running the country for the benefit of the people, business and government.

Sola says:
“The Election race has begun and eligible voters in Nigeria once more have the opportunity to vote for who they
want to represent them in government. The people MUST choose decent leaders and in turn get a government that they can trust. This country needs real leadership in order to build the nation our people deserve, especially considering the vast human and natural resources available to us.

Only by actually voting can people have their voices heard, be assured that frontline public services will be
protected from mismanagement and the country’s resources used to benefit the majority and not the tiny minority
we are used to seeing.

Don’t sit back and complain when nothing changes, when you have made no effort to achieve change, make sure you register to vote and on election day go out and use that vote wisely.

REMEMBER IF YOU DO NOT ELECT THE GOVERNMENT YOU DESERVE, YOU WILL DESERVE THE GOVERNMENT YOU GET!

THE TIME IS HERE!

Robin Walker BSc (Hons) Econ, PGCE was born in London. He attended schools in Gregory Park (Jamaica), Milton Keynes and Kettering. He left school with 7 O Levels and 4 A Levels. Between 1987 and 1990, he attended the London School of Economics and Political Science where he read Economics. In 1991 and 1992, he studied African World Studies with Dr Femi Biko and later with Mr Kenny Bakie. Between 1993 and 1994, he trained as a secondary school teacher at Edge Hill College (linked to the University of Lancaster).

Since 1992 and up to the present period, Robin Walker has lectured in adult education, taught university short courses, and chaired conferences in African World Studies, Egyptology and Black History. The venues have been in Toxteth (Liverpool), Manchester, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire and London. Since 1994 he has taught Economics, Business & Finance, Information Communications Technology, PSHE/Citizenship and also History at various schools in London and Essex.

In 1996 Robin Walker co-edited the first of a series of seminal lifestyle surveys. The Black Community Report 1996 was commissioned by Amenta Marketing and published in the UK. A year later, the equally important Black Child Report 1997 appeared, again co-edited for Amenta Marketing. Also in 1997, he edited The Alarm Journal. In 1999 he wrote Classical Splendour: Roots of Black History published in the UK by Bogle L’Ouverture Publications. In the same year, he co-authored The West African Empire of Songhai, a textbook that is used by many schools across the country. In 2000 he co-authored Sword, Seal and Koran, the best study there has ever been on the Songhai Empire of West Africa. For the Peoplescience Intelligence Unit, he was sole editor of the Black Community Report 2000, the Black Child Report 2001, and the incomparable Asian Community Report 2001. In 2005 he wrote the script for the independent documentary History Report: In Search of African Splendour. Over the years he has contributed well researched articles forThe Alarm Magazine and the internationally respected West Africa magazine.

In 2006 he wrote the seminal When We Ruled. This was the most advanced synthesis on Ancient and Mediaeval African history ever written by a single author. It was a massive expansion of his earlier book Classical Splendour: Roots of Black History and established his reputation as the leading Black History educational service provider.

In 2008 he wrote Before The Slave Trade, a highly pictorial companion volume to When We Ruled.

In 2011 and 2012, he wrote a series of e-book lecture-essays available through Amazon including The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street, The Black Musical Tradition, The Mysterious Sciences of the Great Pyramid, Intellectual Life and Legacy of Timbuktu, Black Economic Empowerment: Create Your Own Plan to build Great Wealth, Understanding the Book of the Dead, The Equinox and the Real Story behind Easter, If you want to learn early African history START HERE, West African Contributions to Sciences and Technology, Ancient Egyptian Contributions to Science and Technology and finally African American Contributions to Science and Technology.

In 2013, he co-authored (with Siaf Millar and Saran Keita) Everyday Life in an Early West African Empire. It was a massive expansion and rewrite of the earlier book Sword, Seal & Koran combined with his e-book Intellectual Life and Legacy of Timbuktu. Also the same year, he updated When We Ruled to include nearly all the new images from Before The Slave Trade.

Robin Walker BSc (Hons) Econ, PGCE was born in London in 1967. He attended schools in Gregory Park (Jamaica), Milton Keynes and Kettering. He left school with 7 O Levels and 4 A Levels. Between 1987 and 1990, he attended the London School of Economics and Political Science where he read Economics. In 1991 and 1992, he studied African World Studies with Dr Femi Biko and later with Mr Kenny Bakie. Between 1993 and 1994, he trained as a secondary school teacher at Edge Hill College (linked to the University of Lancaster).

Since 1992 and up to the present period, Robin Walker has lectured in adult education, taught university short courses, and chaired conferences in African World Studies, Egyptology and Black History. The venues have been in Toxteth (Liverpool), Manchester, Birmingham, Buckinghamshire and London. Since 1994 he has taught Economics, Business & Finance, Information Communications Technology, PSHE/Citizenship and also History at various schools in London and Essex.

In 1996 Robin Walker co-edited the first of a series of seminal lifestyle surveys. The Black Community Report 1996 was commissioned by Amenta Marketing and published in the UK. A year later, the equally important Black Child Report 1997 appeared, again co-edited for Amenta Marketing. Also in 1997, he edited The Alarm Journal. In 1999 he wrote Classical Splendour: Roots of Black History published in the UK by Bogle L’Ouverture Publications. In the same year, he co-authored The West African Empire of Songhai, a textbook that is used by many schools across the country. In 2000 he co-authored Sword, Seal and Koran, the best study there has ever been on the Songhai Empire of West Africa. For the Peoplescience Intelligence Unit, he was sole editor of the Black Community Report 2000, the Black Child Report 2001, and the incomparable Asian Community Report 2001. In 2005 he wrote the script for the independent documentary History Report: In Search of African Splendour. Over the years he has contributed well researched articles forThe Alarm Magazine and the internationally respected West Africa magazine.

In 2006 he wrote the seminal When We Ruled. This was the most advanced synthesis on Ancient and Mediaeval African history ever written by a single author. It was a massive expansion of his earlier book Classical Splendour: Roots of Black History and established his reputation as the leading Black History educational service provider.

In 2008 he wrote Before The Slave Trade, a highly pictorial companion volume to When We Ruled.

In 2011 and 2012, he wrote a series of e-book lecture-essays available through Amazon including The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street, The Black Musical Tradition, The Mysterious Sciences of the Great Pyramid, Intellectual Life and Legacy of Timbuktu, Black Economic Empowerment: Create Your Own Plan to build Great Wealth, Understanding the Book of the Dead, The Equinox and the Real Story behind Easter, If you want to learn early African history START HERE, West African Contributions to Sciences and Technology, Ancient Egyptian Contributions to Science and Technology and finally African American Contributions to Science and Technology.

In 2013, he co-authored (with Siaf Millar and Saran Keita) Everyday Life in an Early West African Empire. It was a massive expansion and rewrite of the earlier book Sword, Seal & Koran combined with his e-book Intellectual Life and Legacy of Timbuktu. Also the same year, he updated When We Ruled to include nearly all the new images from Before The Slave Trade.

MICHAEL PARKER CBE, FCCA Co-Founder Pan-African Business Expo MICHAEL PARKER CBE, Strategists and Entrepreneur. An Entrepreneur, Strategists and formerly Associate Professor at Henley Business School.Michael parker is a fellow of the association of chartered certified accountants where he served as the Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Risk Management Committee.

Prior to this he served as a Non-Executive Director and Vice Chair at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Trust before Chairing King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for over 8 years. Currently he is the President of the Sickle Cell Society and an External Advisor to the Royal College of Nurses.

Aside from this Michael is the Senior Partner of Parkers Chartered Certified Accountants and Business Advisors and Co-Founder of Parkers Imports & Exports and Parkers4events and Pan-African Business Expo. He will be sharing his expertise in business and strategy, this, along with him being an entrepreneur and a  PanAfrican means his knowledge of how Africa and the Caribbean can move forward and the role of all stakeholders in this is unrivalled.

There is something refreshing about Friday evenings, even the scents from the wind are filled with raw energy and the birth of new actions waiting to unfold.

For some, it is the celebration of new handshakes, laughter, spontaneous or formal bonding, music and glamour, for others it might be confiding to the routine and the limitations of a TV box in a quiet street in North London where nobody knows their neighbours.

But Friday the 4th of July 2014 was not just refreshing, it was different, it was profound and it was colourful and all roads lead to St Johns, Lower Clapton in Hackney, and East London for The prestigious Ebony Business Recognition Awards.

EBR Awards aims to promote and celebrate Black Business achievers, Role Models, Entrepreneurs, Professionals and people making a difference within the Black Community.

It focuses on both achievers in the public and the private sector.

The Awards also helps to enhance people’s business profiles, reputation and promote the great work of aspiring entrepreneurs and role models.

As the founder of an organization called AFRICA4U, I was in the company with my business partner, Mr. Zac Darkes – The Founder of ZIMLINK, not just for a colourful evening, but to conduct video interviews with some of these black achievers making a big difference to their communities both in the private and in the public sector.

WE ended up conducting over 12 interviews and I was deeply overwhelmed by the enthusiasm, calibre and the natural talent of many of these achievers that we met and interviewed on the night.

It was perhaps the first ever awards I had been to in London, that celebrated the achievements of new passionate faces with untold stories and people I had never met.

Society and The Media in many cases focuses a lot on “Celebrities” but I have often asked, what does a Celebrity really say about someone? Do we sometimes look up to popularity for the wrong reasons?

I would rather be a Role Model than a Celebrity. Being a Role Model is about setting example and not all Celebrities set example, hence not all Celebrities are Role Models

On the evening, I felt humbled and honoured to meet and engage with many Black Role Models.

I also ended up winning Two Awards on the evening, The Special Awards for championing Black and Ethnic Minority Visions and The Male Business Coach of the Year.

I left that evening with a smile on my face and the next day, I was eager to look up the profiles of all the winners and the participants on the Net, I was very impressed was with the great work that they had achieved.

Organizing an Awards involves detail, hard work and a high level of organizational skills, it also involves research and sometimes research is about opening up the mind and the eyes into a world of new territories of people who are unique and have untold stories, I call these people – The Quiet Achievers

The Room that evening was filled with the warmth and the smiles of quiet achievers and my mind quickly raced to what it took to organize an event like this.

My mind raced back once more to The Founder of The EBR AWARDS, – Mr. Calixtus Okere.

I remember the first time I spoke with him on the phone, I sensed a tone filled with passion, urgency and ambition, when I eventually got to meet him at The Awards night, the same hints of urgency beamed from his eyes and straight away, I knew I was talking to a Man blessed with a huge heart and drive.

Today EBR Awards continues to go from strength to strength and in my last conversation with Mr. Okere, I was planned that more future awards will also take place outside the UK, to maintain the growth of an International Brand.

To find out more about the EBR Awards, visit www.ebawardsuk.com