Stakeholder Group: Civil Society
Region: Africa
Biography
‘Gbenga Sesan 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 opportunities) and MISSPIN (the social campaign that is tackling cybercrime issues in Nigeria). Originally trained as an Electronic & Electrical Engineer at Obafemi Awolowo University, ‘Gbenga completed Executive Education programs at Lagos Business School, New York Group for Technology Transfer, Oxford University, Harvard University, Stanford University, Santa Clara University and University of the Pacific. His consulting experience includes assignments completed for numerous institutions, including Microsoft, Harvard University, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Freedom House, Res Publica, Computer Aid International, Heinrich Boll Foundation, the International Telecommunications Union and British Council.
‘Gbenga has consulted and presented papers in over 30 countries. A member of the United Nations Committee of eLeaders on Youth and ICT, he is a Crans Montana Forum Fellow, Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow, Ashoka Fellow, Our Common Future Fellow and Cordes Fellow. ‘Gbenga was Nigeria's first Information Technology Youth Ambassador and served as the Vice Chair of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s African Technical Advisory Committee. 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. He was appointed a member of the Presidential Committee on Roadmap for the Achievement of Accelerated Universal Broadband Infrastructure and Services Provision in August 2012. His book, In My Own Words, an annotated autobiographical collection of essays, was published by Imprimata in September 2009.
In 2012, 'Gbenga was listed by CNN as one of the Top 10 Leading African Tech Voices, and by Ventures Africa as one of 40 African Legends Under 40. He has been honoured with the 2012 Global Network for Africa’s Prosperity (GNAP) Fellowship, 2011 Cordes Fellowship, 2010 Santa Clara University GSBI Fellowship, 2010 Crans Montana Forum of New Leaders for Tomorrow Fellowship award, 2010 Our Common Future Fellowship award, 2009 OAU Distinguished Alumni award, 2009 National Youth Merit award, 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. He has been profiled as an Icon of ICT in Nigeria and he keeps a personal website at
www.gbengasesan.com. ‘Gbenga is married to Temilade Sesan, PhD, an expert on Energy Poverty and Development issues in sub-Saharan Africa.