Join us for a special live interview as we spotlight Lagos Leather Fair 2025—West Africa’s premier leather showcase, set to take place on June 28th and 29th at the Balmoral Event Center, Victoria Island, Lagos. Now in its 8th year, LLF has become a powerful catalyst for growth within Africa’s leather industry—offering a vibrant platform where top designers, skilled artisans, and emerging entrepreneurs connect, collaborate, and showcase their craftsmanship. This year’s theme, “Designing for Tomorrow,” is a bold call to action—championing innovation, sustainability, and cross-industry partnerships that will shape the future of African leather. Tune in as we speak with Niyi Abiola, a seasoned marketing and communications expert, about LLF’s evolution, its impact on the continent’s creative economy, and what to expect from this year’s landmark edition.

On this episode, Nonso Mordi delves into the pressing topic of Talent Development in Africa with Paul Breloff, a workforce innovation and entrepreneurship pioneer. We explore how businesses can identify, develop, and retain the right talent, address skill gaps, and leverage technology for workforce transformation. Paul will also share success stories, lessons learned from his work across Africa and India, and his vision for the future of Africa's workforce. Paul Breloff, Co-Founder & CEO of Shortlist, a talent advisory firm serving Africa’s impact and innovation sectors. Since its founding in 2016, Shortlist has worked with 1,000+ companies and 2,000,000+ jobseekers across 30 countries.  Previously, Paul was the founder & MD of Accion Venture Lab, a VC fund investing in inclusive fintech startups globally, and the new business head for SKS Microfinance in Hyderabad, which IPO’ed in 2010. He is an active angel investor and advises multiple funds investing across Africa, with a particular focus on human capital, jobtech, and future of work.

On December 13, 2024, Lagos will witness an extraordinary celebration of Nigerian cultural fashion as Arivla, a platform dedicated to indigenous style, hosts its inaugural Asoebi Party and Fashion Show at The Podium. With the captivating theme “Old Money vs. New Money,” this exclusive event promises an exciting lineup and Today, we dive into how this event aims to showcase the elegance and evolution of Nigerian fashion while bridging tradition and modernity with Al-Mubarak MOMODU

The continent of Africa faces a myriad of challenges that daily threaten the quality of life of its population and its overall sustainable development. These challenges affect us daily and call for a collaborative approach across the Private, Public and Social sectors for definite solutions. Here comes the need for “Collaborative Leadership” and the Aspire Coronation Trust Foundation’s 8th Breakfast Dialogue scheduled to be held on the 10th of October 2024 is shedding light on this. The theme is: “Collaborative Leadership: Bridging Sectors for Sustainable Development in Africa.” On the show, Ugochukwu Nwosu, Head of programmes and grants at Aspire Coronation Trust Fund sheds more light on this.

As traditional media struggles to keep pace, a new era of direct-to-audience content is redefining the landscape. Creators, not corporations, are now at the helm, reshaping how content is delivered and consumed. The time of waiting for the evening news broadcast or the morning paper is fading fast. Content now reaches audiences instantly, directly from the source to the consumer, bypassing the slow, antiquated channels that once dominated the media industry. And we shed more light on this with Murray Legg, Co-Founder Webfluential. Murray completed his Ph.D at 25 and joined Rand Merchant Bank on the "Class of" programme in 2009. He left to start Retroviral, an award-winning digital agency, and after that an influencer marketing platform called Webfluential. The business now has offices in South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Croatia and the US. He designed a heart valve replacement for emerging market patients and holds a number of patents for that. He bought his first Bitcoin in 2013, and launched a project called PhotoChromic, allowing people to mint an NFT of their biometrically verified identity. He is an advisor to an international crypto hedge funds, runs his own investment fund in technology businesses, and consults to banks on their digital roadmaps.

Thinking about what happens in the event of your passing may feel like a morbid thought, but if you own a business, it’s an important consideration that should not be neglected. National Wills Week took place from 16 – 20 September and on the show, we speak to Bryan Nicol on “Understanding the Importance of a Will in Business” Bryan Nicol is a Certified Financial Planner® and owner of Freedom Financial Planning – one of South Africa's first flat-fee independent financial planning companies. Having experienced, first-hand, the shortcomings of product-focused financial advice, Bryan chose to follow a different path. As a lifestyle financial planner, he uses his skills and expertise to help clients identify and pursue their life goals and answer the question that keeps us all up at night: Will I have enough? His goal is to help people live the best lives they can with the money they have, starting now and continuing into retirement. Bryan is also a financial consultant to the digital wellbeing platform soSerene, which offers holistic well-being resources for companies.

The Most Epic Event of the Year - Africa Creative Market 2024 is here and this edition is themed- innovation meets Imagination. On the Show, we discuss what this event means for African creatives, looking at how it can foster innovation in the Creative Industries with Margaret Obiageli Olele Margaret Obiageli Olele is currently the Chief Executive Officer/ Executive Secretary of the American Business Council. Before this role, she was the Corporate Affairs director for Pfizer in West, East and Southern African Markets responsible for public affairs and communication engagements and for three years led the Access, Key Accounts, Tenders, and Institution Business in addition to the Corporate Affairs role. She has over 30 years of experience engaging governments in Africa on behalf of the private sector and 25 years of leadership experience in the Food and Pharma Industry traversing Government Affairs, Business Development, regulatory, communication, and Quality Management system auditing across sub-Sharan Africa.

On the Show, Nonso Mordi speaks with Olukayode Adebayo on “The key role of strategic music partnerships” African music industry professionals need to take centre stage and provide entertainment conglomerates and companies with authentic strategic partnerships to bolster and support artists and labels across the different regions of the Continent and create greater cultural collaboration and integration.  Olukayode Adebayo, a seasoned professional in the Creative & Culture Industries, Media, Events, Technology, and Consultancy is the Convener of the African Music and Cultural Expo (Amfest Expo), orchestrating bespoke culture professionals' gatherings across the African Continent and beyond, fostering enterprise development, and facilitating invaluable networking opportunities for culture industry practitioners. Kayode is the Founder/CEO of Ckrowd.com and Board Director for Arts Connect Africa (ACA), A Music Business Education & Digital Profiling Platform for Music Industry Professionals.

With only a mere 31% of registered women-owned businesses in South Africa, recognising the significant economic contributions of women entrepreneurs has become more pressing than ever before. This Women's Month, South African SME funding provider, MoolaLend, is placing the spotlight on the crucial role of women-led businesses in South Africa’s economy - emphasising the importance of empowered access to funding opportunities as a means to trusted, sustainable growth in the formal sector. On the show, Dudu Zondo shares more insights on this Project. Dudu Zondo is the dynamic Head of MoolaLend, having started his career with the company as an intern and worked his way up through the ranks. He now excels in optimising operational efficiency, conducting thorough due diligence, cultivating client relationships, and overseeing fund management. His progression within MoolaLend highlights his strategic role in driving the company’s success.

For homeowners and businesspeople in the property ownership and rentals sector, property and home maintenance is essential to ensuring insurance claims are paid out. When it comes to insurance, consumers need to understand that they are covered for sudden and unforeseen events and not damage resulting from normal wear and tear.  On the show, Nonso Mordi talks with Mishaya Chettiar, Executive head at Everything.insure about Property insurance: what it entails and strategies to maintain our properties Mishaya has over 10 years of experience in the management consulting field, working for a diverse range of companies such as Accenture, RMB, JD Group and Mercedes-Benz, but all with a definite specialisation in Financial Services. She has run her management consulting practice for the past 5 years and has led the digital transformation of the First Equity Insurance Group.⁠ As the Executive Head of Everything.Insure, Mishaya is directly involved in the strategy, innovation, marketing, all-important User Interface, and overall User Experience design of this revolutionary digital insurance marketplace. During her time at Accenture, she was involved in multiple branding campaigns that cultivated a passion for innovation and a keen eye for detail and design which shines through strongly in the E.I platform – everything has to be pixel-perfect.

Nigeria’s power sector has been a source of concern for the masses as its numerous challenges affect their day-to-day lives. There is an urgent need for solutions, which the documentary “UP NEPA” addresses. "Up NEPA!" sheds light on the ongoing electricity supply challenge in Nigeria that has lasted for more than 50 years.  On the show, we speak to Ishaya Bako, the director and writer of the documentary series on the making, the systemic problems within the power sector and the urgent need for solutions. Ishaya Bako is a Writer & Director. His passion for filmmaking cuts across fiction and documentary narratives. He studied filmmaking at the London Film School where he graduated with a distinction and has since gone on to direct over a dozen short films and two award-winning documentaries – ‘Fuelling Poverty’ and ‘Silent Tears’. His films have been screened at film festivals in Seattle, Durban, New York, London, Lagos and Clermont-Ferrand.

Africa is poised to play a critical role in the global tech ecosystem, providing innovation, talent, and new market opportunities in areas such as mobile technology, e-commerce, fintech, and the digital economy. As such, the Global Tech Africa (GTA) Conference 2024 is set to Drive this Tech Innovation across the Continent. The Global Tech Africa (GTA) Conference, 2024 is Returning for the second year with the theme: Global Collaborations, Local Transformations and we have Dr Emmanuel Tarfa, CEO & Co-Founder, Kryptr | Partner Enzo Krypton & Co to shed more light on this

Over the last few years, African festivals have increased during summer across the Diaspora and over the Continent. However, many music professionals have often called for better integration, harmonisation and promotion across the different African regions to ensure that more opportunities are unlocked across the African music landscape and enterprises to help access financing, promoting tourism and economic development. On the show, Nonso Mordi speaks with Katherine McVicker on the role of African music festivals and events in supporting Africa's growing music industry, increment revenues and tourism and what policymakers and various African tourist agencies need to do to facilitate this and deliver socio-economic impact and foster employment. Katherine McVicker is the Founder and Director of Music Works International and co-founder of ACA. An experienced public speaker and booking agent, in her 30-year career specializing in jazz and world music, she has helped to develop the international careers of a wide range of artists, including Norah Jones, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joshua Redman, Branford Marsalis, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. She has developed promoter networks in Europe and Scandinavia and is currently working on developing similar networks in South America and the Asia-Pacific region.

In this insightful interview, Nonso Mordi speaks with Abdul, the visionary CEO of Teekpay, to explore the remarkable journey of building a pioneering WhatsApp micro-payments platform. From the initial spark of inspiration to overcome formidable challenges, Abdul shares the highs and lows of developing Teekpay into a leading player in the fintech space.

Lagos Leather Fair, an annual showcase of Africa’s Leather Industry, has announced the launch of its 2024 fair with the theme “Levelling Up to spur the growth being made across the African Leather ecosystem. This inspired today’s discussion "The African Leather Ecosystem: Growth and Advancement." Africa's leather industry, rich in heritage and potential, stands at a pivotal juncture. With its unique craftsmanship and abundant resources, the continent is poised to become a significant player in the global leather market. However, realizing this potential requires addressing challenges and seizing new opportunities for growth and innovation. On the show, Nonso Mordi speaks to Adetoun Ajeigbe, the visionary Founder and Creative Director of Joel Lani, and a prominent exhibitor at the Lagos Leather Fair 2024. With her extensive experience and deep understanding of the industry, Adetoun will share her insights into the current state of the African leather ecosystem, its remarkable growth, and the advancements driving its evolution.

In the fast-paced world of technology, Product Management has emerged as a pivotal role, bridging the gap between innovation and market needs. Whether you're an aspiring product manager looking to break into the field or a seasoned professional aiming to stay ahead of industry trends, understanding the nuances of this dynamic role is crucial. Today, we are thrilled to have Stanleysius Chileke, a seasoned Product Manager Stanley Chileke is committed to helping Young people like himself get their starting point in life right through mentorship on Career paths and Life goals. Stanley has built a career in Product Management and now plans on giving back to the society through his knowledge gained. He is currently a Product Manager with Wellcome Sanger Institute, building solutions for life sciences that support the fight against malaria, Covid-19 and other diseases ravaging the world Africa and the world at large.

On the show, we focus on carbon markets and the role this innovative new financial market can play in driving down emissions in Africa and globally. ANETE Garoza, Co-founder & Chief Climate Officer (1Mtn) to shed more light on this topic She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 and is widely seen as a leader in Africa's technology and business field.

Nonso Mordi speaks with Chloe, the visionary founder behind Afrorama, a pioneering platform dedicated to connecting African talent with opportunities to drive positive change. Through Afrorama’s innovative approach, Chloe has been instrumental in harnessing the rich and diverse pool of talent across the African continent, empowering individuals to make meaningful contributions to addressing pressing global challenges.

At the Omniverse summit, we meet with FRANCIS ‘franque fire’ NJOKU, Visual Artist and founder, Ukraft. His perspective looks at the independent, social and astral relationship circle within my community people's behaviour, attitude social beliefs and environment physically and mentally, as he chooses to represent them in abstract and vivid stories from my local explorations. In a bid to further inspire the environment and African urban cities to embrace sustainable living among various projects, it led to establish an art and crafting solution-based company and start-up running on MVP early stage, the UKRAFT limited,

While the figures on consumer spending are yet to be released, it is no secret that an increasing number of consumers shopped online and used new forms of digital payments.
Financial technology company Paystack's Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) 2023 reveal huge growth in digital forms of payments such as card, EFT and QR payments, with the vast majority of customers preferring to pay for orders with a card.
E-commerce platforms including Shopify and WooCommerce saw large increases in sales too. Adopting these new technologies will be essential for businesses and entrepreneurs to remain competitive in 2024.
On the show, PayStack Country Lead, Joel Bronkowski looks at how businesses can leverage commerce to remain competitive in this new year, 2024 and how they can benefit from online payments as well