The African Music and Entertainment Industry have been put into a sad moment as The Executive Producer and President of All Africa Music Awards, AFRIMA, Mr Mike Dada, has lost his beloved wife, Mrs Modupe Temitope Dada, to the cold hands of death.

Dupe Dada, Nee Baruwa, born on May 5, 1976, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria, died peacefully on Saturday, October 19, 2024, surrounded by family members, at Duchess Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria after a brief illness.

In a statement on Monday by AFRIMA International Secretariat, Mr. Dada, who is also the Managing Director, PRM Africa Marketing and Communications, said his late wife was a believer in family values, community service, inclusivity and had the gift of compassion, and love for God and Africa.

According to him, “It is with immeasurable grief that we, the Dada family, confirm the passing of our wife and sister, Modupe Temitope Dada aka Dupsy, Mama Africa, on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at Dutchess International Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. A true and loving wife and mother indeed. She lived all her life in the banking and entertainment industry and brought to us the affection and compassion that we have come to love so much.

The family submits to the will of the Almighty God and asks for the prayers and support of kind-hearted individuals during this difficult time.

“She was a loving wife, mother and friend, who always put family and Africa first. Her passing has left a void that will be impossible to fill.”

According to the burial arrangements announced by the family, a Service of Songs will be held by 5.00 pm (WAT) on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at Grace Assembly, Yard 158, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun-Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria. Farewell service holds Thursday, October 24, 2024, at 10.00 am (WAT) at the same venue. Private Interment follows immediately.

You are enjoined to join the farewell service live streaming on AFRIMA channels.

The deceased, Vice-President of AFRIMA, and an accomplished bank executive, is survived by several relatives including her husband, Mr Dada, two children and siblings.

Her African friends and fans will remember her for her limitless love, selflessness and compassion.

AFRIMA appreciates all the condolences and love that are pouring in from all ends of the world.

On July 11, 2024, Nonye Ayeni, ED/CEO at the Nigerian Export Promotion Council represented her supervising minister, Dr. Doris NkirukaUzoka-Anite, the honourable Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment at the launch of Her AfCFTA in Lagos.

In the speech she read at the august gathering of technocrats and entrepreneurs, Mrs. Ayeni said “It gives me great joy to join such a distinguished gathering in calling attention to two issues that are very dear to my heart – trade and female participation. I want to begin by thanking the UNDP for this laudable initiative and formal launch of #HerAfCFTA which is proceeding under the theme: Breaking Barriers: Positioning women to harness Africa’s trade opportunities…HerAfCFTA underscores the importance of collective effort by calling on all development actors to invest in securing a prosperous future for women in the unified African market.”

At the end of the prepared speech, the ED/CEO of NEPC spoke extempore for a few minutes and as she prepared to leave the stage she dropped a final sentence that set the hall agog, with participants rising to their feet to give a rousing and rapturous applause.

What did she say to get her audience clapping? NonyeAyeni delivered a short quip credited to Margaret Thatcher aka ‘Iron Lady’, who was the first female British Prime Minister and the longest serving PM for over 150 years.

Thatcher is credited with sayingthat –“Sometimes, the best man for the job is a woman!”

Diversification of the non-oil export sector is a key policy plank of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s “Renewed Hope Agenda” and in giving a fillip to diversification, he chose perhaps, on purpose and maybe not, two eminently qualified women who cut their teeth as bankers and who both rose to Group Treasurer position at Zenith Bank.

Uzoka-Anite would subsequently become Commissioner for Finance and Coordinating Economy in Imo state while NonyeAyeniwas appointed pioneer Managing Director of Signature bank.

These two amazons versed in the intricacies of banking and treasury management and eloquent in the language of business and finance have received presidential imprimatur to develop and promote trade, investment and non-oil exports.

After one year in the saddle, it seems apposite to interrogate and evaluate their impact especially their focus on ensuring that Nigerian women entrepreneurs thrive in the international trade arena.

Dr. Uzoka-Anite upon resumption was clear in her approach. Her strategy is encapsulated under the “Industrial Revitalization Plan” which pays strong emphasis on the return of productive capacity as a catalyst for diversifying the Nigerian economy away from our mono-cultural dependence on oil.

Since her appointment she has made it her driving passion to seek investments and open up collaborations in growing Nigeria’s industrial capacity. Her drive seems anchored on the realization that anything built to last begins with a solid foundation.

Information is a globally recognized currency in our digital and connected world. This must have informed Dr. Uzoka-Anite’s establishment of the Trade Intelligence Unit in collaboration with other MDAs. The overarching objective is to map data and use same to attract FDI, expand the foreign exchange revenue base, create jobs and catalyse the economy.

Revitalizing industries in line with her encompassing strategy, requires funds and to meet that need, the honourable minister flagged off the Presidential Grant, Loan Scheme and Palliative Programme with the objective of facilitating financial support for businesses. Again, her ministry is working with a partner, the Bank of Industry to administer and deploy the funds.

Attending her first United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as Minister, Uzoka-Anite announced the launch of the National Talent Exchange Programme (NATEP) which will create a pipeline of trained and certified artisans who will be in the vanguard of industrial revitalization just as happened in Taiwan in the 70s and 80s. Working in concert with another partner; the Industrial Training Fund (ITF),she noted that NATEP is expected to create 10 million jobs.

One year later on October 10, 2024, the minister posted on X formerly Twitter. “I am delighted to announce that the 1st cohort of the Federal Government’s National Talent Export Programme (@NATEPNigeria) is set to depart for Kuwait! This initiative, one of the key pillars of our commitment to creating global opportunities for Nigerians, has now unlocked 329 positions in various sectors, including Engineering, Healthcare, IT, and more.”

At this year’s UNGA, she signed an MOU with U.S. EXIM to enhance trade financing opportunities by providing easier access to capital for Nigerian businesses engaging in international trade.

NonyeAyenihadan opportunity to present a score cardon August 28, 2024 when she briefed the press on the H1 2024 performance of the non-oil export sector and what came across was a focused, intentional and measurable agenda for boosting trade and the non-oil sector.

She announced to her audience that Nigeria raked in $2.7bn from non-oil exports in the first half of 2024 representing a 6.26 percent increase compared to $2.53 billion earned in the same period in 2023.

The growth was attributed to what she said were “ongoing efforts to grow the non-oil sector and diversify the economy from the mono-cultural dependence on oil in alignment with the Industrial Revitalization Plan of the Honourable Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite and the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR).”

She also cited growth in many areas – a total of 211 different products were exported in H1 2024 with the top 3 products – cocoa beans, urea/fertiliser and sesame seeds – contributing 23.18 percent, 13.78 percent and 11.04 percent of the total non-oil exports for the period indicating in her words “a shift from traditional agricultural commodities to more semi-processed and manufactured goods.”

In H1 2024, Nigeria’s non-oil products were exported to 122 countrieswith total volume put at3,834,333.83 metric tonnes. The exporters utilized 19 exit points made up of Seaports, International Airports, and Land Borders.

Under her watch and with the trade facilitation championed by the minister of Trade and Investments, the Nigeria Customs Service has designated Lilypond Terminal as a non-oil export terminal thus easing port processes.

Since becoming CEO of the council, Ayeni has championedfresh initiatives that have contributed to the growth of the non-oil export sector and these include “Operation Double Your Exports” and “Export 35 Redefined” through which the Council has selected the top 20 agricultural products to focus on. In January 2024, Mrs. Ayeni launched NEPC CONNECT, the council’s result-driven customer service team ensuring seamless interaction between exporters and the Council.

While noting that there is enormous potential for growth, she announced that NEPC is making sure that the potential is realised by supporting exporters from the farm gate to the export terminal.

This has seen the council providing hybrid seedlings and agricultural inputs for improved productivity. The pilot was launched in Jigawa state onOctober, 8 2024. The choice of Sesame and Hibiscus is predicated on the fact that the global Hibiscus flower and Sesame seed market size was estimated at $7.44 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $11.15 billion by 2032 and there has been a boost in exports and revenue since NEPC signed an MOU with Mexico in October 2023.

Working with the World Trade Organisation (WTO), the NEPC launched the Standard Trade Development Facility aka STDF 845 project in March 2024. The focus is on boosting revenue from cowpea and sesame by significantly reducing the number of rejected cowpea & sesame exports at international borders through better compliance with Maximum Residue Levels of pesticides & avoidance of Salmonella contamination in the targeted value chains.

The council is also providing further support in the areas of capacity training workshops, certifications(Halal, ISO, Organic), labeling and packaging. In H1 2024, 90 capacity-building programmes were held with 10,780 participantsbenefitting.

To facilitate the export process, NEPC under Ayeni’s watch has established Domestic Export Warehouses to streamline and facilitate export cargo consolidation. The council has also launched a brand logo for Shea Nigeria sector and established a business cluster for the Shea sector in Nigeria.

What has NonyeAyeni done to enhance the participation of women in the non-oil export sector? NEPC launched the NEPC-ITC SheTrades partnership to connect more women-owned businesses to global markets while facilitating women empowerment and inclusion in the non-oil export trade.The overarching objective is to enhance the skills, capacity and competitiveness of women while generating employment and export revenues through increased productivity of women-owned businesses.

Vanguard reportTo conclude, it is germane to emphasise the importance of the non-oil export sector in helping Nigeria diversify from over dependence on oil. A of October 14, 2024 referenced comments credited to World Bank Vice President and Chief Economist, Mr. Indermit Gill who spoke at the opening session of #NES30# in Abuja. “In the coming years, Nigeria’s policymakers face three key options. First, prioritize non-oil exports…”

Geo-political and domestic disruptions in the oil and gas value chain continue to impact both output and revenue and non-oil exports should be the game changer. The reasons are not hard to see. Nigeria produces over 1,000 agricultural products & derivatives in commercial quantities and we also boast about 44 minerals. Nothing spells potential more than those and we are lucky to have two tried and tested amazons in the driving seat of the non-oil export trade and diversification train.

**Toni Kan is a PR expert and financial analyst.

A successful healthcare administrator based in the United States, proud Ijesha prince, historian per excellence, Dr. Oriyomi Adewunmi Akerele was born on August 10th 1974, to a the BILARO ruling house of Ijesaland

He attended University of Ilorin where he bagged a B.A degree in history and eventually proceeded to the prestigious University of Arlington Texas where he obtained both is Masters and PhD in History. He also holds an MBA healthcare management from Dallas Baptist University.

A successful Prince of the soil, Dr. Akerele presently runs a top healthcare company in the US with a portfolio of over 7 billion USD, and still counting.

According to him, he is ready to take the position of the leadership of his home town where he has a lot of passion and drive to take to the next level considering his exposure in the international environment.

“I am passionate about the development of Ijesaland, I want to take our historical town and its people to a higher level of development through purposeful leadership through cooperation of all Ijesa sons and daughters both at home and abroad.

Adding that his intentions are pure and for the benefit of the sons and daughters of the ijesha land. “I intend to focus on the areas where the Ijesa’s have the comparative cost advantage over other towns in Yorubaland.

He has so far got the backings of the ijesa indigenes in diaspora to give him all the support in whatever way he might be needing them;

“ I have the support and assurance of Ijesa sons and daughters in the diaspora and they are ready to lend their hands and resources for the development of our ancestral land”

“I am ready to leave my comfort zone and answer the call of leadership to the throne of my forefathers, I have the pedigree, exposure, love and compassion to lead Ijeshaland and rewrite the history, culturally, economically and socially” he concluded.

It will be recalled that Ijesha’s are a sub-ethnicity of the Yorubas of West Africa. Ilesha is the largest town and historic cultural capital of the Ijesha people, and is home to a kingdom of the same name, ruled by an Oba locally styled as the Owa Obokun Adimula. The last reigning Owa Obokun was Oba Gabriel Adekunle Aromolaran II, who joined his ancestors around September, 2023.

According to prince Oriyomi, “as Ijeshas, we need to connect our roots and stems to our present.

We (Ijeshas) are battle strong; we are smart business people; pace setters in everything we do. Our excellence should be studied.

What we need is a synergy of our strengths and a strong purpose of our collectivity” If opportune to ascend the throne of my ancestors, I will work with everyone to make Ijeshaland a prosperous land that would beam with pride, success while creating a generation of immaculate community. From our major towns of Iperindo, Ijebu-Ijesha, Osu, Esa Oke, Ikeji Arakeji, Owena, Imesi Ile, Ifewara and other several villages, we will have a land that we would bemoans opportunities and bliss.

Dr. Oriyomi is married to princess Oluwaseun Akerele nee Bakre of the Gbagura clan of Egbaland.