Other Paradigm Initiative Nigeria Executive Director Nigeria
Description of Work:
Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), which started as on online volunteer team with the main objective of connecting Nigerian youths with ICT opportunities, is a social enterprise seeking to help deliver ICT for socio-economic opportunities in Nigeria.

Having worked with government, civil society, private institutions and international organisations, PIN has set standards in ICT education, telecentre support, ICT applications in rural areas, and other ICT4D interventions in Nigeria.

PIN provides five key services: Consulting, ICT Capacity Building, Research, Telecentre Support and Youth-led Social Technopreneurship. Through these services, PIN connects individuals, people-groups, institutions and communities with the socio-economic opportunities that ICTs provide.

‘Gbenga Sesan, an Ashoka Fellow, is the Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), a social enterprise that connects underserved people-groups with ICT-enabled opportunities. PIN’s projects include Ajegunle.org, a capacity development initiative that connects the community’s youth with training, internship and mentorship. ‘Gbenga serves on the board of International Young Professionals Foundation, Digital Divide Network, World Summit Youth Awards, HiiT Limited, Generis Solutions, Global Network for Cybersolution, Women's Technology Empowerment Centre, Alliance of Change Empowerment Speakers, Africa Mentor Foundation and the African Youth ICT4D Network, among others. Originally trained as an Electronic & Electrical Engineer at Obafemi Awolowo University, ‘Gbenga has completed Executive Education Management Training Programs at Lagos Business School, New York Group for Technology Transfer, Oxford University, Harvard University and Stanford University. His consulting experience includes assignments completed for numerous institutions, including Microsoft, Harvard University, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Res Publica, Computer Aid International, Heinrich Boll Foundation and the International Telecommunications Union.

 

Beyond Nigeria, ‘Gbenga has consulted and made presentations in various countries, including Austria, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Kenya, Mali, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Kingdom and United States. He is a member of the United Nations Committee of eLeaders on Youth and ICT, Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow, and he was Nigeria's first Information Technology Youth Ambassador. He was the Vice Chair of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s African Technical Advisory Committee, voluntary adviser to numerous youth-led nonprofits and pioneer Program Manager of 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 is also an author and regular feature on some of Nigeria’s popular television shows.

In recognition of his dynamic efforts, 'Gbenga has been honoured with the 2008 OAU Ife EEESS Distinguished Alumni award, 2008 FGC Idoani Alumni award, 2007 Nigerian Youth Leadership award, 2007 The Future Youth Advocacy award, 2006 International Telecommunications Union YES Scholarship award, 2006 Ondo State Sunshine award, 2006 The Future Best Use of Technology award, 2005 Stockholm Challenge Champion honour, 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 Telecommunications Union’s African Youth Fellowship award. ‘Gbenga Sesan has been profiled as one of the 35 Icons of ICT in Nigeria and he keeps a personal website at www.gbengasesan.com. He is married to Temilade, a PhD scholar with research interests in Renewable Energy Policy and Implementation for developing economies (especially Nigeria and Kenya).