Our Speakers

Keynote Speaker 

Dr. Chika Esiobu

Chika Esiobu holds a doctorate in African Studies from Howard University, Washington, DC. Her work is grounded in the exploration of Indigenous knowledge as a foundational pathway to individual, community, and societal transformation, as well as planetary renewal. Dr. Esiobu’s interests include traditional medicine, ecological knowledge, agroecology and Indigenous education and culture. She currently teaches at Soka University of America, California. Dr. Esiobu has conducted research on Indigenous knowledge in Africa in collaboration with global organizations, including the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Development Research Centre, Canada and the Swedish International Development Agency. She is widely published and is the author of Indigenous Knowledge and Education in Africa (Springer, 2019). Her TED Talk, “How Africa Can Use Its Traditional Knowledge to Make Progress," has garnered critical acclaim. She has shared her insights at Yale University, the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, the London School of Economics and the African Union, among others. 

African Knowledge Systems in a Global World

Panelists: 

Dr. Idraesit Ekaette

Dr. Idaresit Ekaette is a bioresource engineer whose research focuses on the development of sustainable food systems and bio-based products. She is an Assistant Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Bioresource Engineering and the Department of Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry at McGill University, Canada. Her research expertise includes food fortification, agri-food waste valorization, and biopolymer development, with an emphasis on practical solutions that advance food security, environmental sustainability, and socioeconomic development. 

Dr. Ekaette leads the Food and Biomaterial Engineering Laboratory at McGill University’s Macdonald Campus. She is actively engaged in the training and mentorship of highly qualified personnel, as evidenced by her scholarly publications and participation in national and international conferences. Dr. Ekaette is a Sustainability Education Fellow at McGill University, a member of the Canadian Society for Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CSABE), where she serves on the Food and Organic Waste Management Committee, and a Scholar of the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship. 

Dr. Vincent Abe-Inge

Vincent Abe-Inge is currently a PhD researcher at McGill University and holds a doctoral degree in Food Science and Technology from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

His current research focuses on modelling inclusive and equitable sustainable dietary guidelines for sustainable dietary transitions. With a professional background as an assistant lecturer and researcher in Ghana, Vincent possesses deep expertise in food systems analysis, dietary pattern analysis, alternative proteins, sustainable nutrition, political economy of dietary transition and food science. He has shared his work on global platforms, delivering presentations at major local and international conferences in Ghana, Canada, France and Singapore. 

Vincent brings extensive experience in knowledge transfer, sustainable dietary analysis, food product innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration aimed at building resilient, equitable agri-food ecosystems. Vincent is the founder of AidHUB Ghana, a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting hunger in Ghanaian orphanages. 

 

Moderator:

Lindsay Kamgang

Lindsay Kamgang holds a Master’s degree in Bioresource Engineering (Integrated Food and Bioprocesses) from McGill University and is passionate about sustainable food systems and global food security. She has experience in food manufacturing and regulatory affairs, supporting compliance in large-scale production environments. Beyond her technical work, Lindsay has served as a representative within the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program and the Bioresource Engineering Department at McGill University, and she creates educational content online to help students navigate academic and professional opportunities. She is particularly interested in how African knowledge systems and agricultural traditions can inform innovative and sustainable global food solutions, especially across the African continent. 

 What Makes Youth-Led Solutions Truly African?

Panelists:

Djamilla Toure

Djamilla Toure is a Montréal-based social entrepreneur, community leader, and communications strategist. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Sayaspora, a community organization and independent media platform dedicated to amplifying the voices and leadership of women from African diasporas through media, training, and innovation-driven social initiatives. 

Djamilla holds a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development from the University of Sussex, integrating social justice, economic sustainability, and environmental responsibility into all her initiatives. Her leadership has been recognized with the RJCCQ Women in Leadership Award (2025). She was also named a Quebec Black Changemaker (2023). 

A sought-after speaker, she has delivered talks at TEDxLaval, UQAM, Concordia, McGill, and Sciences Po Paris. Her work has been featured in media outlets including CBC Quebec, CityNews Montréal, and TV5 Monde, highlighting her impact on community development and representation. Djamilla Toure is committed to building inclusive, sustainable structures that transform systems and expand access to leadership for underrepresented communities. 

 

Moderator:

Husein Pumaya Yakubu

Husein Pumaya Yakubu is a Ghanaian public policy professional and social entrepreneur with over five years of experience in land and natural resource policy analysis, community development, and research. He began his career as a policy analyst with the Government of Ghana, where he provided technical advice on equitable land access and helped design and administer the Land Sector Multistakeholder Platform. 

He holds a Master of Public Policy from the Max Bell School of Public Policy, McGill University. He currently works as a Program Manager at the McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship. In this role, he leads the design and delivery of entrepreneurship programs for Mastercard Foundation Scholars, supporting young entrepreneurs across Africa and Canada to transform their ideas into impactful ventures through training, mentorship, and ecosystem partnerships. 

Indigenous Knowledge & Modern African Healthcare

Panelists:

Adwoa Safowaa

Adwoa Safowaa is a doctoral researcher at McGill University. Her work stands at the vital intersection of maternal and child health, environmental justice, and sustainable energy. As a recipient of the prestigious McGill-KNUST Development Fount Fund, Adwoa leverages her foundational expertise as a Clinical Midwife and an MPhil in Epidemiology from Ghana to tackle one of the continent's most pressing challenges: the impact of household air pollution on birth outcomes. She evaluates how cleaner energy systems can revolutionize prenatal health by bridging indigenous wisdom with modern clinical evidence. 

As a global voice in her field, Adwoa is a recipient of the Stephen Corber Global Health Award and a frequent presenter at international conferences. Beyond the research, Adwoa is a formidable leader in university governance, serving as a PGSS Councillor, an Advisory Board member for Campus Life & Engagement, and an Executive for the SPGH Black Students’ Association. Adwoa is dedicated to fostering health equity and driving the sustainable energy transitions essential for the future of healthcare 

Michael Chijioke

Designs and structures growth inside of businesses. 

As Founder & Managing Partner of Preside Partners, LLC, Michael leads strategic development and deals origination efforts across healthcare, finance, and adjacent sectors where complexity creates structural opportunity. 

His work spans: 
• Capital-aligned growth strategy 
• Multi-million-dollar contractual negotiations 
• Regulatory and compliance architecture 
• Healthcare systems optimization 
• Venture creation and digital infrastructure partnerships 

Having worked within federal healthcare systems (CMS), payer organizations, and provider networks, he understands how policy, reimbursement, and operations intersect — and where leverage exists. 

He brings together legal precision, public health systems knowledge, and entrepreneurial execution to convert complexity into scalable strategy. 

Yedidya Ebosiri

Yedidya Ebosiri is a public health graduate of the Université de Montréal and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the Université de Sherbrooke. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Medicine at McGill University. 

She has nearly eight years of experience as a mental health worker and completed internships at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), where she contributed to work on sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections in Indigenous communities in Quebec. 

Yedidya is the co-founder of RÉSEAU MAYELE, a nonprofit organization empowering youth within the Congolese diaspora and promoting responsible engagement for sustainable change in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She also served as Editor-in-Chief of SAYASPORA, a Montreal-based organization dedicated to empowering women of the African diaspora. 

 Keynote Speaker

Hammed Alabi

Hammed Kayode Alabi is an edtech leader, 2x TEDx speaker, and social entrepreneur. Raised in Makoko, Africa's largest floating slum, Hammed turned early hardship into a mission, founding the Kayode Alabi Leadership and Career Initiative (KLCI). KLCI's 200+ volunteers have provided life skills to over 10,000 students, while his fellowship has empowered 70 student-teachers with innovative methodologies. 

A Mastercard Foundation Scholar and 2025 University of Edinburgh Being Edinburg Alumni Award winner, Hammed has supported youth in 150+ countries through Peace First and addressed 100+ education ministers at UNESCO. Currently a Transitions Coordinator at the University of Edinburgh, he is scaling Skill2Rural.Org an online courseware, which has reached 128,700+ young people. 

In 2025, he launched Rafiki AI, Africa's first Generative AI career advisor on Whatsapp. It has scaled 10,000+ users across 57 countries, answering 40,000+ queries and exchanging 86,000+ messages. The tool is also utilized by 27 low-income schools and 70+ teachers. In February 2026, he introduced the web-based RafikiX, attracting 460+ users in 15 countries within two weeks. An author of 3 books and 192+ articles, Hammed remains dedicated to democratizing 21st-century skills for Africa's marginalized youth.