Dear Alum,

We are excited to share the highlights of the first 3 quarters of HBSAN activities in 2015. The Association has successfully recorded over 8 events this year, one event per month on the average, and birthed new circles – Agric Business and Education Circle. We are also set to create more circles in different industries that would involve members in the affairs of the Association. These future industries include power, real estate, technology, finance and investment.

In addition, as part of our plan to build our professional brand, we changed our email address officially to Contact@hbsan.org

We have more events to come before the awards night so please read on for further details, but here are the highlights of 2015 so far:

1. Members’ Forum – Lagos Chapter
2. Launch of the Agric – Business & Education Circles
3. Members’ Forum – Abuja Chapter
4. New Venture Competition (NVC
5. Fireside Chat with the Honorable Minister of Agriculture
6. Lunch with the Harvard Center for African Studies
7. Student Mixer with HBSAN Alumni
8. Reflection on Leadership Speaker Series

2015 End of the Year Dinner and Leadership Awards

The HBSAN Leadership Awards is coming up on Saturday, December 5, 2015 by 5pm at Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos.

Currently, we are receiving nominations for the 2015 Leadership Awards on General Management, Entrepreneurship and Social Impact.

CLICK HERE TO SEND YOUR NOMINATIONS NOW

1. Members' Forum - Lagos Chapter
(Held at Four Points Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria on Thursday, January 29, 2015)
The guest speaker was Mr. Bismarck Rewane (Leading Economist & CEO, Financial Derivations Limited). The event featured discussion and presentation on Macro-economic Outlook for 2015. Issues such as the oil prices, government/industry policies, currency fluctuations, upcoming elections and key trends to lookout for that may impact private enterprise s & business professionals were discussed. The cocktail event provided a platform for members to network among themselves, discuss planned and ongoing events of the association and generally provide input to the Board on HBSAN related matters.

2. Launch of Agric-Business & Education Circles
(Held at the Amercian Guest Quarters, Ikoyi, Lagos on Thursday, February 26, 2015)
Theme: “Creating an Enabling Environment for Private Investments in Nigeria”.
The Industry Circle program’s Patron, Richard Kramer, Chairman of African Capital Alliance opened the program by discussing HBSAN’s history of impact in order to set the historical backdrop for the Industry Circle program. Vivian Shobo, CEO of Agusto & Co, led a discussion around Nigeria’s current macro environment, recent challenges, and how HBSAN as an organization can effect change. The circles, along with future ones, will facilitate the interaction of members with common interests and create a platform for having positive impact on our business environment. The Agriculture Industry Circle, managed by Kola Masha, Founder & Managing Director, Doreo Partners seeks to be an avenue for the private and public sector to engage and advocate for policies that will spur greater investments and growth of Agribusiness in Nigeria. The Education Circle will be managed by Pelumi Adeleke, Business Development Manager, Phillips.

Click here to read more about Agric-Business Circle updates:
1. http://Letter to the Vice President on APC Manifesto Review_HBSAN Agric Circle_21June2015
2. http://Original Review of the APC Agricultural Manifesto by HBSAN Agric Circle_22Apr2015
3. http://Technology Enabled Yield Acceleration_HBSAN Agric Circle_2015
To join any of the HBSAN Circles, kindly send an email to Contact@hbsan.org

3. Members'Forum - Abuja Chapter
(Held at the Clan Cafe, Clan Place building 3rd Floor, plot 1386A Tigris Crescent Maitama, Abuja (FCT) on Tuesday, March 20^,2015
The guest speaker was Alhaji Mahey Rasheed, Chairman Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). Also, HBSAN executives represented by the Association’s President - Mr. Ladi Balogun Membership Secretary - Mr. Folabi Ayoola, met with the Abuja Alumni and shared the Association’s Vision, and scheduled programs among others.

The forum featured fireside chat with Alhaj Rasheed, and interactive discussion on the Role of NSIA and building a savings base. Alhaji Rasheed gave insights into the economic activities & progress made under the Goodluck Jonathan’s Administration these include; increase in the number of Nigerians in the real sector, increased diversification of the Nigerian non – oil sector e.g. the Agriculture sector.

4. New Venture Competition (NVC)
(Held at Four Points Hotel, Lekki, Lagos on Saturday March 14, 2015)
In line with the Entrepreneurial Skills Programme, the Association hosted the following teams who participated in the Africa Regional context in this year's global NVC: Cash Flow Capital, Supermart.ng, Young African MBAs, Tomato Jos and Eve & Tribe.

The Panel of Judges included Mr. Fola Ogunsiakan, Mrs. Titi Odunfa Adeoye, Mr. Lerin Davis, Mr. Mezuo Nwuneli, Mrs. Ngozi Edozien & Mr. George Ogbonnaya. The Regional Winner and the Winner of Greatest Impact was Eve & Tribe. The winner received a cash prize of $25,000.

5. Fireside Chat with the Honorable Minister of Agriculture
(Held at the American Guest Quarters, Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday, March 20, 2015)
HBSAN in conjunction with the Agriculture Industry Circle hosted the Honorable Minister of Agriculture to a discussion on business opportunities in Nigeria’s Agriculture sector.

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina discussed his vision for Africa's development over the next decade as well as his bold reforms in Nigeria’s agriculture sector these include; empowering more than six million farmers across Nigeria to embrace agriculture as a vehicle of wealth creation rather than a development program.

The event was interactive and involved a Q&A session moderated by Dr. Doyin Salami, Associate Professor at Lagos Business School, Principal Consultant in Edward Kingston Associates. To view the video recording of the conversation with the Honorable Minister of Agriculture, click here.

6. Lunch with Harvard Center for African Studies
(Held at Hakeem Belo - Osagie's residence, Ikoyi, Lagos on Saturday, June 13, 2015)
The Director of the Center and Pulitzer Prize winning author, Caroline Elkins and her team who were in Lagos were hosted to a lunch to explore the possibility of building a Center in Africa. The lunch hosted by Hakeem Belo-Osagie at his residence was held to explore the possibility of building a Center for African Studies in Africa.

The Center for African Studies serves as an intellectual hub, connecting students, faculty, and members of the wider Africanist community with shared interests through seminars, workshops and conferences throughout the academic year. CAS also funds research and travel in Africa through our grants and internships programs.

7. Student Mixer with HBSAN Alumni
(Held at RSVP, Eletu Ogabi, VI, Lagos on Thursday, August 13, 2015)
This is an interactive event that gives HBS students the opportunity to meet with our divers alumni based here in Nigeria.

8. Reflection on Leadership Speaker Series
(Held at Four Points Hotel, Lekki, Lagos on Saturday, September 12, 2015)
Theme: “Will your brick and mortar store survive?”
The lecture focused on the latest changes in the Nigerian retail landscape, the rise of e-commerce channels and future of traditional brick and mortar stores.

Harvard Business School Professor Jose Alvarez presented highlights from his latest published book entitled as our theme. He recommended the TIPS – Technology, Inventory, People, and Space – methodology for analyzing viability of retailers. He illustrated the decline of brick and mortar stores in developed economies as a result of the rise of e-commerce among other trends.

Bringing the context back home to Nigeria were panelists Mr. Shola Adekoya, current COO and pioneer CFO of Konga,com; Mr. Michael Chu'di Ejekam, CEO of Atreos, formally Head of Retail Sub-Saharan Africa (ex SA) at Actis, a $7.5bn private equity; and Mr. Raphael Afaedor, Co- Founder and Co-CEO of Supermart.ng, Nigeria's leading grocery delivery service, former Co-founder of Jumia. All the speakers agreed that the format of new retail stores in Nigeria is the most critical element to the success of the industry; ultimately smaller and more flexible spaces have the greatest chance of survival.

HBSAN Upcoming Events:
1. HBS Global Networking Night
2. Abuja Members' Forum
3. Annual General Meeting
4. Black Tie Dinner and Leadership Awards
5. Student Mixer with Alumni

Dates:

- Wed, Oct 21, 2015
- November (TBA)
- November (TBA)
- Sat, December 5, 2015
- Thu, December 17, 2015

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Tel: +234 805 809 7864, +234 819 140 8256
Email: contact@hbsan.org

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