This is Why you should attend TEDxYaba 2017 Conference
After months of planning and preparation, TEDxYaba 2017 will hold this Saturday, August 19th 2017 at Hall 1, Ozone Cinemas, Sabo Yaba, Lagos. I have been involved in co-organising a couple of TEDx events in the past and drawing from my experience, I agree with the fact that the TEDx Programme is still the world’s largest grassroots network for discovering and spreading ideas. With over 20,000 ideas shared in 170 countries all amounting to over 1 billion (and growing) views on Youtube, the TEDx platform is ideal for curating and sharing local stories and ideas with a global audience. I firmly believe the impact of the words spoken on the TEDxYaba stage would resonate in this country for several years to come and probably have more far-reaching impact considering the global reach that the TEDx platform provides.
It is against this background that I thought it necessary to write a few words about why the TEDxYaba 2017 event is important and share with you specifically, what we hope to achieve with it.
First of all, let me answer the important question, ‘why Yaba’? Yaba for me symbolises a lot of things. As someone who works in the technology industry, the most obvious is the growing start-up ecosystem. Though it’s too early to comment on whether or not Yaba is (or would become) Nigeria’s ‘Silicon Valley’, one thing is certain, Yaba has become a symbol for innovation, one that I sincerely hope will transcend any debate about its validity as a technology cluster. And this is thanks to the work of those who pioneered this move and those who are daily hacking out solutions and constantly working to grow the ecosystem. The current state governor has also affirmed that the area and the innovators that work there represent the future of the country.
Besides technology, Yaba is also a melting pot of a number of interesting features including educational institutions, healthcare facilities, railway station, religious groups, markets and communities all with very rich histories and made up of individuals with vastly different aspirations and dreams for the future.
On the theme for the ‘Past, Present, Future’, I honestly believe we’re at a major inflection point collectively and individually. As a country, a trend such as #NotTooYoungToRun is just one example of the changing dynamics in the landscape. On the global front, emerging economies are catching up with the progress of the advanced world and are predicted to overtake many of them in a matter of years. Technology is also rapidly changing the way we interact with the world. There is a growing need for us as leaders and innovators to understand these trends so we can fully harness the opportunities they present us in creating a more sustainable future. To achieve this effectively, it is sometimes important to look to the past to see what can be learnt from history.
“I believe that the more you know about the past, the better you are prepared for the future.” — Theodore Roosevelt
At TEDxYaba 2017, you will hear from amazing individuals from very diverse backgrounds. All of them have been deliberately chosen because they bring very important perspectives to the conversations around the theme. They are also all connected to Yaba in some ways either directly through their work, education or symbolically through their innovative spirit or the impact of their contributions. This event is dedicated to curating ideas that reflect the innovations and the innovative spirit that have made Yaba an example to other cities in the country. The talks are curated to help make attendees make sense of the various issues and chart a course for the future by first exploring how we got to where we are. What will the future look like, considering advances in technology? Should we be intrigued or worried? What role will the arts and other areas of human endeavor play in this future? Our speakers will explore these and much more during the event.
Equally important is the carefully curated list of attendees that our team has drawn up, all of whom have interesting ideas and are innovators in their various fields. This again, is deliberate to create a synergy because we believe that during this event, interesting conversations and ideas would be sparked backed up subsequently with corresponding action that would set us on course to a more sustainable future.
Unfortunately, registrations for the event are now closed and our admissions team will be sending out invitations to selected attendees today and tomorrow.We, however, plan to provide a livestream of the event and we will send out notifications once livestream begins for the event. Please follow our social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter for more updates and don’t forget to join the conversations using the hashtag #TEDxYaba17.
Lastly, I would like to thank all of the incredible people working behind the scenes and organisations who have supported us this far: Leadspace, Hotels.ng, Ozone Cinemas, Pulse.ng, Bella Naija, Ynaija, Olorisupergal, Techpoint.ng, Olisa.tv. If you or your organisation is still interested in partnering with us on the event, please email partners@tedxyaba.com or call 0818 394 4905 for more details.
Emmanuel Adegboye
Curator/Licensee, TEDxYaba
