Lagos never sleeps, and on Saturday night, the commercial nerve centre of West Africa proved once again why it remains the ultimate breeding ground for innovators, industry disruptors, and visionaries.
It was an evening of pomp, ceremony, and intellectual firepower as the University of Reading, alongside Henley Business School, gathered high-net-worth alumni, boardroom executives, and policy leaders for its milestone Centenary Celebration and Awards night at the Four Points by Sheraton, Victoria Island.
Setting the tone for the event, Jon Foster-Pedley, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement (Sub-Saharan Africa) and Dean of Henley Business School Africa, noted that the 100-year milestone offered a fitting moment to spotlight alumni shaping the economic, social and creative fabric of countries across the continent. 'We trust we are as much of a feather in their cap as they are in ours,' he said.
The roll call of attendees and honourees cut across critical sectors of the economy, featuring top entrepreneurs such as Dr Paul Orajiaka of the Auldon Group and Dr Peter Ogudoro, leader of the one-million-strong Nigerian Teachers’ Community.
Steve Babaeko, CEO and Chief Creative Officer @ X3M Ideas, delivered the keynote at the event. He urged alumni to deploy their education, experience and influence to support the next generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs and professionals.
'We have the education, and we have the instinct. That is a rare and powerful combination. We are not meant to sit at the top and admire the view. We are meant to reach down and pull the next ones up.'
The night saw five University of Reading and Henley Business School alumni across energy, sustainability, innovation, enterprise, techpreneurship, and civic engagement honoured for their contributions to Nigerian and African progress.
Women in leadership
Mike Adenuga Group Executive Director and board member of Globacom and Conoil, Sade-Michael Adenuga, received an award for her contribution to business and women’s leadership. Adenuga has built a distinguished career spanning law, governance, telecommunications and strategic business leadership. She is a certified barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and serves as an inspiring example of the impact women can make in business, helping to pave the way for future generations of female leaders.
Sustainability and energy innovation
Volsus Energy Managing Director, Tomiwa Bayo-Ojo, was recognised for his work championing solar energy growth and promoting innovative, environmentally responsible approaches to energy access challenges. His work exemplifies the impact of combining business expertise with a strong commitment to sustainability and social progress. Volsus focuses on expanding affordable solar power solutions, manufacturing local Made-in-Nigeria solar inverters, and developing clean tech across regions such as Abuja and Lagos, while its Solar for Health initiative is focused on installing solar mini-grids at primary healthcare centres.
Innovation and enterprise leadership
Dr Samuel Ndubuisi-Brown, an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, and business leader, was recognised for his outstanding commitment to driving both commercial and social impact. As Group Chief Executive Officer of Browncon Group and co-founder of innovative financial enterprise Raha, he has championed entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and investment in sustainable growth across multiple African markets, and is leading efforts to establish Africa’s first Green Climate Finance Bank, creating new pathways for investment in a more sustainable future.
Distinguished global impact
Beatrice Eyong earned an award for her more than 35 years of work in international development and fighting for gender equality and women’s empowerment across West and Central Africa. As the UN Women Representative in Nigeria, she has dedicated her career to advancing the rights and opportunities of women and girls, influencing policy at the highest levels and delivering lasting social impact.
The evening was part of a series of global events organised by the University of Reading’s Global Engagement teams. The series began in India, moved through Malaysia and Thailand, comes now to Nigeria, and closes in South Africa in November. To mark the occasion in Lagos, the University joined forces with its business school – Henley Business School – an 80-year-old institution that has been actively building people in Africa for the past three decades.
At the event, Foster-Pedley also announced plans to deepen the University's presence across Sub-Saharan Africa, explaining that the university’s international strategy was focused on regions experiencing significant economic transformation, including Malaysia, China, India, the Nordic countries and Africa. Africa alone will account for about a quarter of the world’s population by 2050, he noted, ensuring that the continent is increasingly important to global economic development, especially as trade among countries in the Global South grows.
'The growth of this century is in the middle countries and in the South, working with each other. The greatest opportunities of the next fifty years will emerge where those countries meet.'
In this changing world, the University of Reading would not only continue to welcome Nigerian students to its campuses abroad but would increasingly bring its expertise and programmes to Nigeria. "We are widening what we offer Nigeria, not narrowing it," said Foster-Pedley.
As Head of the Henley Business School Nigeria Alumni Association, Dr Paul Orajiaka expressed his delight at the centenary celebration, saying the quality and diversity of award recipients demonstrated the impact of the school's alumni on Nigerian society.
"This is a testament to the school's training of her students in not just academics but also in leadership and values."
Closing the glamorous celebration, Foster-Pedley charged attendees to keep championing forward momentum across the continent: 'Let’s celebrate tonight. Tomorrow, we’ll continue building the future together.'