The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dr Mudashiru Obasa, has called for an aggressive and deliberate alignment between public policy and private capital as the surest path to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s youth population.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inaugural edition of The Seyi Tinubu Colloquium held in Lagos on Monday, October 12, at the Eko Convention Centre, Victoria Island, the long-serving lawmaker insisted that tomorrow has already arrived for the next generation. Therefore, he continued,
structural inclusion is no longer a political favour but an urgent economic necessity.

Obasa said, “The theme of this first edition – Shaping the Future Together – is both an intellectual blueprint and an urgent governance directive. It acknowledges an undeniable reality: we cannot architect a sustainable, prosperous future if we lock the very visionaries of that future out of the room today.”

He maintained that political rhetoric has for too long comforted young people with the cliché that they are the leaders of tomorrow, but that the nation no longer has the luxury of waiting for the future.

Speaker Obasa directed a sharp call to action at the captains of industry, policy makers, tech ecosystem builders, and media executives, noting that government alone cannot carry the weight of national transformation. He challenged corporate leaders to view the country’s brilliant young minds not merely as consumers or an audience, but as venture partners.

He urged the private sector to move beyond traditional Corporate Social Responsibility activities and commit to deep, structural investments in early-stage equity, institutionalised mentorship infrastructure, and high-impact incubators. Such investments, he said, must be deliberately matched by enabling public policies if they were to scale and endure.

Highlighting his legislative track record in the nation’s economic hub, the Speaker noted that the Lagos State House of Assembly, particularly, has consistently refused to be a passive bystander.

The Assembly, he said, has deliberately driven funding into localised tech hubs, expanded digital literacy, and created environments where young entrepreneurs can thrive without systemic bottlenecks.

He pointed to critical frameworks such as the Lagos State Wealth Fund and the progressive work on the Lagos Innovation Bill as concrete examples of public policies designed to complement and attract private capital.

While commending the host, Seyi Tinubu, for his ingenuity and foresight in establishing the colloquium as a vital cross-generational bridge, the Speaker concluded that the true success of the maiden edition will not be measured by the eloquence of speeches, but by the velocity and volume of actions and its ability to serve as an incubator for strategic public-private alliances.

The Seyi Tinubu Colloquium is an annual high-level intellectual platform designed to foster national development through public-private synergy and cross-generational leadership.

Centred around the themes of leadership, patriotism, innovation, enterprise, and collaboration, the inaugural edition brought together corporate titans, policymakers, and next-generation innovators, among others, to co-create actionable blueprints for economic self-reliance, technological inclusion, and sustainable national progress.

Organisers of Real Talk With Kike have unveiled a high-profile lineup of speakers for the programme’s seventh anniversary celebration, which will also commemorate ace broadcaster Kikelomo Atanda-Owo Abati’s more than 20-year journey in the Nigerian media industry.

The milestone event will hold on October 10, 2026, at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos, bringing together leaders from government, business, media and culture for conversations on Nigeria’s future.

Leading the keynote sessions are Dr Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, and Mr Vlassis Liakouris, Group Managing Director of Mandilas Group Limited.

Also confirmed as distinguished speakers are Mr Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director of Sahara Group, and Dr Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, Founder of Rise Network, while Mrs Bola Adesola, Chairman of the Board of Ecobank Nigeria, will deliver the goodwill message.

The speakers will engage the theme, “The Future of Nigeria: Where Leadership, Innovation, Culture and Media Converge to Shape Nation Building,” exploring how governance, enterprise, innovation and storytelling can shape national development.

According to the organisers, the theme reflects the philosophy that has defined Real Talk With Kike over the past seven years as a platform for meaningful conversations on leadership, society, business, relationships, culture and contemporary issues affecting Nigeria.

For Kikelomo Atanda-Owo Abati, the celebration marks two significant milestones. Beyond the programme’s seventh anniversary, it also celebrates more than two decades of broadcasting, making the occasion a tribute to longevity, impact and the power of dialogue.

The multidisciplinary speaker lineup mirrors the event’s nation-building focus. Hamzat is expected to share perspectives on public leadership and governance, while Adesina and Liakouris will discuss private-sector leadership, enterprise and innovation. Akerele-Ogunsiji will contribute insights on education, youth development and innovation, with Adesola bringing the perspective of corporate governance and financial-sector leadership.

The October gathering is expected to attract policymakers, business executives, media personalities, creatives and guests who have been part of the Real Talk With Kike journey since its inception, reinforcing its reputation as one of Nigeria’s leading platforms for thought-provoking conversations.

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