Cablegate: Nigerian Nominees for the Presidential

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P 301548Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7604
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS PRIORITY 2385
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RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
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RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY

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STATE FOR S/P (BEHRMAN), AF/FO, AF/W, INR/AA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON KISL NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIAN NOMINEES FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT

REF: STATE 112468

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NOMINEES FOR PRESIDENTIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT
--------------------------------------------- ----

1. The U.S. Mission to Nigeria nominates the following
Nigerian entrepreneurs to attend the Presidential Summit on
Entrepreneurship in Washington. Representatives from the
Economic, Political, and Public Affairs Sections, in both
Abuja and Lagos, and the U.S. Commercial Service and U.S.
Agency for International Development considered leadership
potential, age, regional and ethnic diversity, and gender
balance in nominating these candidates, listed in
alphabetical order.

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IS-HAQ AKINTOLA
---------------

Is-haq Akintola, a Muslim scholar and professor of Islamic
Studies at the University of Lagos, recognized a need to
mediate between people of different faiths, particularly in
the workplace. Convinced that Nigerian Muslims suffered from
discrimination in the work-place due to ignorance and
misunderstandings, he established the non-governmental
organization Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) to act as a
mediator for complaints about alleged religious
discrimination. When MURIC personnel receive information on
possible cases of religious discrimination or other forms of
religious tension in the work place, they contact the
involved parties and seek to resolve issues peaceably to
prevent such differences from producing violence or
increasing mistrust between communities.

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DR. AYOBAMI BARNABAS IKUEMONISAN
--------------------------------

Dr. Ayobami Barnabas Ikuemonisan received his degree in
medicine and surgery from Obafemi Awolowo University in 2009.
He serves as President of the Glimmer of Hope Foundation, a
non-governmental organization that focuses on youth
empowerment and adolescent health and development. As
president of Glimmer of Hope, Ikuemonisan organized several
seminars on the role of professionals treating HIV-AIDS
patients, support for people living with HIV-AIDS, sexual and
reproductive health, and motivational and career fairs for
young people. He conducted research on use of mentorship as
a tool for adolescent health behavior change.

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FATIMA AIKO MOHAMMED
--------------------

Fatima Aiko Mohammed serves as Editor-in-Chief of Draftbill
magazine. Frustrated that Nigerians generally did not know
who represented them in the National Assembly or what bills
and issues underwent debate, she created a list of the bills
initiated since 2006 and their status. She financed the
first edition of Draftbill magazine, where she published this
information with a photographic directory of representatives
and articles about pending legislation. Mohammed has since
published several editions.

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OMOWALE OGUNRINDE
-----------------

Omowale Ogunrinde serves as the Coordinator of the Foundation
for Skills Development (FSD), a vocational and technical
training center for unemployed adults, youth, and the
physically challenged, among others. The Foundation's
training center aims to empower 5,000 people annually with
skills for self-employment. Training, which can be offered
Qskills for self-employment. Training, which can be offered
to up to 200 individuals at a time, covers business
management and practical vocational training. The Africa
Leadership Forum (a partner of the Central Bank of Nigeria)
nominated the FSD to run training for small and medium scale
entrepreneurs to learn the necessary skills to access loans,
set up viable businesses, and grow existing businesses.

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Ogunrinde participated in the International Visitors
Leadership Program (IVLP), after which she used knowledge
gained from her trip about giving back to one's community to
employ self-help funding as seed money to turn FSD into a
self-sustaining business. FSD provides much needed skills
training in one of the poorer areas of Lagos State and serves
as a model business for vocational skills training programs.

2. Mission Point of Contact for this initiative is Political
Officer Cristin M. Heinbeck (e-mail address:
heinbeckcm@state.gov; office telephone: 011-234-9461-4225),
who can be contacted for additional details or follow up with
nominees.

SANDERS

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