Chairman of Ocean Marine Solutions, Capt Idahosa Okunbo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SIFAX Group, Dr. Taiwo Olayinka Afolabi, and President & Founder of Belemaoil Producing Ltd, Mr. Tein Jack-Rich would lead a high-level discussion on the urgent interventions need address the rising menace of modern slavery and human trafficking in Nigeria. With the coming on board by these three business leaders in the fight to end modern slavery, it is expected that stakeholders in the struggle to end modern slavery, would join the fight for a human trafficking-free nation.
The conference organised by the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum (NYPF) which would hold in Abuja on June 10, 2019, is expected to feature other prominent speakers and opinion leaders. Chairman of the forum, Mr. Moses Siasia said the speakers would be discussing various options to end human trafficking in Nigeria and Africa. Okunbo is a retired Commercial Pilot and a business magnate, with a business profile spanning over 30 years in Nigeria. At the age of 21, he graduated from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Training Centre, Zaria as a professional Commercial Pilot. Later on, he went on to establish Hoslyn Ventures Limited, a company focused on procurement in the Oil and Gas sector and, since then, his business interests have grown in leaps and bounds.
Owing to the restiveness in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, Captain Okunbo set up Ocean Marine Security Limited, a pioneer Marine Security company responsible for offshore asset protection for major oil companies in Nigeria.
As one who has been in involved in the development of human capacity as an air force officer and an employer of labor, Capt. Idahosa sees a connection between trafficking in human, especially the youth population, and the consequence of lack of productivity in the economy. On his part, Dr. Taiwo Olayinka Afolabi, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SIFAX Group, a multinational conglomerate, believes that tackling the issues of human trafficking will help eliminate the negative image brought on Nigeria and indeed the rest of Africa.
He emphasis the role of entrepreneurship in curbing modern-day slavery saying that equipping young people with requisite skills will invariably allow them more options and reduce the chances of them being trafficked.
Dr. Taiwo Afolabi with about three decades of rich entrepreneurial experience, and through the dint of hardwork, foresight, resilience, vision, and knack for excellence, has emerged not only as one of the leading business icons in Nigeria but also reckoned with across the world.
His involvement in the fight against trafficking in persons and modern slavery explains his desire to ensure a society where people are free to pursue their dreams and excel by doing so.
Afolabi is a seasoned maritime consultant and a Fellow of many professional bodies including Nigerian Institute of Financial Management (NIFM), Institute of Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (IFFN) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators of Nigeria. Due to his rich experience, Afolabi is a sought-after speaker and facilitator at various industry conferences and mentoring programmes.
Aside being renowned for his business acumen, he has also established a reputation as a public-spirited individual. His philanthropic philosophy has driven him to give hope and support to many public causes.
The major focus of this philanthropic initiative is education, where many schools, from primary to tertiary level have received immense support and assistance.
Also, Jack-Rich is regarded as an exemplary philanthropist. He founded J+G Global Gas & Oilfield Limited in 1998 and other subsidiaries to provide oil and gas related services. Today, he is the President/Founder of Belemaoil Producing Limited, being the first world-class indigenous independent Exploration and Production (E&P) Company operating in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria with a host of strong partners across the globe to emerge from an Oil Producing Community in the heart of Niger Delta Region.
Belemaoil Corporate Social Responsibility Model which is hinged on not only providing sustainable development projects in its communities of operation but ensuring that social investment deliverables are provided for host communities.
