Annual Gala & Awards

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President’s Welcome Address

Kayode Anifowose: NPG President/ Founder

On behalf of the executives of the Nigerian Professional Group (NPG), welcome to the first Annual Gala & Awards. Our welcome is heartfelt as you join us on a journey in celebrating excellence. We are confident that you will enjoy this maiden event, although modest, we have lined up a worthy show.

This has been an extraordinarily challenging year, as we battle the disruptions to our lives and livelihoods due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we continue to have great concern about our health and the health of the people we love.

Yet, despite this hardship many of us have continued to chase our professional careers, working from home, staring at the wall or looking out a window and hopping from zoom call to zoom call.

However, some who work in the Healthcare industry still had to keep working in the “eye of the storm” endangering their lives to save lives. An industry that is too busy to relax and rarely celebrated for the important role they play in keeping us healthy.

Tonight, in addition to launching NPG’s foremost annual event with the theme – inspiring excellence, we want to celebrate all those who helped our society, and our communities endure and overcome these tough times, through their commitment, hard work, and often at great personal sacrifice.

During this difficult year, we at NPG have embraced transformation, innovation, resilience, and a new bias for action. I want to express my gratitude to all our visionary advisers, executives and volunteers for demonstrating all those qualities and much more. We cannot achieve our goals without you. We need your continued participation, feedback, ideas, and yes, even your constructive criticism. NPG was founded for transformative collaboration amongst Nigerian Professionals in the diaspora. Our membership is an unparalleled group of working professionals, entrepreneurs and students.

I personally invite you and everyone in our community to join us in our work and become an active participant in our commitment to the future narrative of Nigerians in the diaspora.

Thank you for joining us, and I hope you enjoy your evening.

Yours Sincerely,

About the NPG Gala & Awards

A baby does not walk at birth, the bundle of joy is carried, nursed, and nurtured till the baby learns to crawl before he can walk. The primary principle is that growth is evident in movement. Since its inception 3 years ago, the Nigerian Professional Group have continued to take bold strides in nurturing its vision of building a thriving, collaborative and formidable professional community.

The NPG Gala & Awards is an annual initiative geared towards promoting the endeavors, exploits, achievements of Nigerian professionals and their impact on their community. Our commitment is to stay in tune with our professional community and help showcase the achievements of Nigerians in the diaspora and celebrate their contributions.

We will take charge of shaping the narrative of Nigerian professionals within the global professional community.

This year, we have taken the leap of faith, and embarked on a great journey. For our first edition, we have chosen the theme: Inspiring Excellence. This is our declaration of what this initiative will represent for our community and within the global awards space.

2021 AWARD CATEGORIES

For our first edition, in a year fraught with the COVID-19 pandemic, our focus is to recognize the outstanding work, and the exploit of remarkable Nigerian healthcare workers in the healthcare sector, with emphasis on our local community within the New England area.

During this difficult year, we at NPG have embraced transformation, innovation, resilience, and a new bias for action. I want to express my gratitude to all our visionary advisers, executives and volunteers for demonstrating all those qualities and much more. We cannot achieve our goals without you. We need your continued participation, feedback, ideas, and yes, even your constructive criticism. NPG was founded for transformative collaboration amongst Nigerian Professionals in the diaspora. Our membership is an unparalleled group of working professionals, entrepreneurs and students.

I personally invite you and everyone in our community to join us in our work and become an active participant in our commitment to the future narrative of Nigerians in the diaspora.

Thank you for joining us, and I hope you enjoy your evening.

Yours Sincerely,

 

VISIONARY AWARD

The Visionary Award honors leaders whose trailblazing work impacts the ongoing drive to shape the foundation of Africans and create a sense of belonging within our community for African in diaspora. This award also seeks to recognize the commitment, support, and visionary input that continues to shape NPG goals and strategy.

Olukayode Olatilu

CEO and co-founder of EpicGRO Corporation.

Visionary Award

Read Bio

Ohi Omoruan

VP, Surety Plus, Liberty Mutual Surety.

Visionary Award

Read Bio

Ibraheem Badejo, Ph.D

Senior Director - External Front End innovation, Ethicon R & D

Visionary Award

Read Bio

Professor Nimi Wariboko

Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University, United States

Visionary Award

Read Bio
IMPACT AWARD

The Impact Award honors leaders whose commitment, sacrifice and advocacy work drives positive impacts in our community The award recognizes work that presents innovative ideas and contribution to knowledge that has proved influential and impactful in our community.

Ethel A. David

MD, Premier Health Systems Inc (PHS)

Impact Award

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Frances Igiebor

MD, Angel Care

Impact Award

Read Bio

Group Picture: Honorees & NPG Leadership Team

Event Highlights

Press Release

2021 Awards | Social Links

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After Party: DJ Emteezy rocked the Gala After Party

One of Naija’s best DJ on the east coast, Boston based – DJ Emteezy will be dropping the finest Nigerian Afrobeats and so much more…as we celebrated another eventful year.

DJ emteezy has always been an avid listener of music of all genres since late childhood and started DJ’ing several years ago at events in the Boston and New-England area. His musical versatility helped him expand from his initial comfort zone to unfamiliar musical territories and he has developed his signature style and become a DJ without musical boundaries. DJ emteezy has a BS in Biochemistry and Masters’ degrees in accounting and Business Administration and is also a Certified Public Accountant.

Sponsors

ag logo primary (1)
District_Hall
Screenshot_20211205-153001
Copy of EpicGRO
oga-lion
NSBE Boston Professionals Logo - transparent

Partners

ag logo primary (1)
District_Hall
Screenshot_20211205-153001
Copy of EpicGRO
oga-lion
NSBE Boston Professionals Logo - transparent

Olukayode Olatilu

Olukayode Olatilu is the CEO and co-founder of EpicGro Corporation. An organization that helps businesses transform their industries through technology. Mr. Olatilu leads the delivery and operations of technology capabilities and services globally, as well as technology risk and information security, for which he has been an active proponent of IT security best practices.

Olu establishes IT strategies, policies, and procedures by evaluating organizational outcomes; identifying problems; evaluating trends; and anticipating requirements. He works as an advisor, to senior executives, of technologies that can improve their efficiency and effectiveness. Specialties: IT Strategy and Technology Transformation, Virtualization, Infrastructure Optimization, Data Lifecycle Management, Information Security, Disaster Recovery, Cloud initiatives.

He is an author with articles published in the ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association) Journal. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Regional planning, University of Lagos; Masters in IT, Bentley University; and an MBA from Emory University.

As a member of this esteemed advisory board, Olu will leverage his expertise to support and guide NPG Fundraising initiatives. Specifically, he will provide guidance and assistance with the organization’s fundraising campaigns to benefit the 2026 vision.

Ohi Omoruan

Ohi Omoruan is currently the VP, Surety Plus, Liberty Mutual Surety.

Prior to that role, he was the Senior Director for Liberty Mutual Surety’s Portfolio and Risk Management Team, within the Contract organization.

In this role, he is responsible for underwriting strategy, innovation, product management, product development, and underwriting operation initiatives across its Contract business.

Ohi joined Liberty Mutual in 2010 via the Corporate Development Program. He is an alumnus of Liberty’s Corporate Development Program. 

As a CDP, Ohi worked in Enterprise Legal Services, Underwriting, Claims, and Surety.

Prior to joining the U.S Contract organization, Ohi was Director of Global Strategy and Business Development for the Surety organization.

Prior to Liberty Mutual, Ohi worked at MasterCard Advisors, the Global Consulting Practice arm of MasterCard Worldwide, as Director of Global Operations.

Ohi earned his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Baruch College, (City University of New York) and his MBA from Fordham University with concentrations in Finance, Management Strategy and International Business.

Ohi has been instrumental to motivating the leadership of NPG in shaping the mission, and future outlook of our initiatives.

Ibraheem Badejo, Ph.D

Ibraheem Badejo, Ph.D. Senior Director – External Front End innovation, Ethicon R & D; is a prolific inventor, entrepreneur, and early-stage healthcare investor whose career spans many years in different roles in the Medtech ecosystem. Ib in his current role at Ethicon (a Johnson & Johnson company) supports Ethicon R&D – in providing external innovation support and counsel to all platforms across the Ethicon Franchise, including identification and advancing early-stage external opportunities aligned Ethicon growth strategy. Prior to his current role, from Nov 2013 to June 2021, Ib was a Medtech new venture leader at Johnson & Johnson Innovation, identifying and investing in early-stage assets of strategic alignment to Johnson & Johnson Medtech sector.

From 2010 to 2013. lb was a Research Fellow at the Global Surgery Group of Johnson & Johnson, responsible for innovations and intellectual property for Ethicon Biosurgery. From 2006 to 2010, he was the Director of Applied Research & New Technology Assessment of novel biomaterials Prior to that, he was the Chief Scientist of Closure Medical Corp (acquired by Johnson & Johnson in 2005). lb was the lead inventor of DERMABOIND Advanced – currently commercialized by Ethicon and market leader in the Topical Skin Adhesive platform.

During his career, Ib has led teams in the development of commercialized biomaterials-based products and new technolo-gy/products licensed or acquired. Ib received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Toledo, where he was the Robert Whiteford Memorial Scholar for Outstanding Graduate Research and a Petroleum Research Fund Fellow. Ib received the Science Alumni Award, Avila University in 2014. Ib received the 2020 Distinguished Alumni Award (College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics) from the University of Toledo in 2021. Ib is the recipient of 24 US patents, he’s also well published in many peer-review journals.

 Ib spends some of his spare time meeting the needs of others and giving back to the world. He has participated and led mission trips in rural North Carolina, Mexico, Kenya, Haiti, Trinidad, and Tobago. He currently serves on the board of trustees of Avila University, board member of MedShare – a not-for-profit medical mission organization.

Visiola Foundation, member of the executive committee, and on the board of Southeast Life Sciences (SELS). Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center (M2D2). He also supports Coulter Foundation Programs at Georgia Tech / Emory Univ, Drexel Univ. Unn of Michigan, Univ of Pittsburgh, and the Science Center – QED Program, John Hopkins Thalheimer Fund Investment on advisory board role. Ib has held various positions at Bayer, North Carolina State University. and the College of Charleston. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Drexel University.

As a member of this esteemed advisory board, Ib will leverage his expertise to support and guide NPG Fundraising and Vision & Strategy. Specifically, he will provide guidance and assistance with the organization’s fundraising campaigns to benefit the 2026 vision; also provide guidance, education and advice as the organization’s leaders execute the 2026 vision.

Professor Nimi Wariboko

Professor Nimi Wariboko holds a Portist-class honors degree in Economics from the University of Port Harcourt (1984). MBA from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. also with distinction from Princeton Cheological Seminary. New Jersey, USA. After his Ph.D, in record time, he became a full professor also in record time in the United States. A specialist economic analyst, he developed investment/commercial banking expertise in Nigeria and the United States. Wariboko also served as strategy advisor to the top 20 investment banks in the world while working on Wall Street, New York, USA. In 2011, he was also a consul tant to the Central Bank of Nigeria on the Financial System Strategy (FSS 2020), and in 2011 and 2012, he advised the National Security Adviser of Nigeria on the economic dimensions of national security.

He is a Visiting Professor of Economics at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Dr. Wariboko is the Walter G. Muelder Professor of Social Ethics at Boston University, United States. A lively transdisciplinary thinker, he loves to unfold, refold, enfold, and energize past and present ideas and hopes in relation to the possibilities of future human flourishing. His scholarship spans several fields of study, including economics, finance, accounting, global monetary system, management, history, anthropol-ogy, literary analysis, philosophy, theology, Pentecostal studies, development studies, and economic ethics.

Before going into the academy, he was a journalist/editor in Lagos, Nigeria, and an investment banker in Lagos and Wall Street, New York He has served as a management and strategic consultant to govern-ments, corporations, and the Central Bank of Nigeria. Dr. Wariboko has also taught in business schools, teaching mergers and acquisitions. security analysis, international business and marketing, and financial statement analysis. His first book published in 1993 was on financial statement analysis. His second book published in 1994 was on bank analysis and valuation. Between 1994 and 2022 he published 19 monographs and edited 6 volumes. The total number of his academic publications is well over 100. His next book, The

Split Time:

Economic Philosophy for Human Flourishing in African Perspective will be published in August 2022. This book crafts a rigorous economic philosophy of Nigeria’s development.

Wariboko is also a political consultant. He has worked as a top strategist and field operation manager for candidates running for offices both at presidential and state levels in Nigeria, going back to 2007. He hopes to provide the same set of services for candidates in 2023.

Select Honors:

A book analyzing his transdisciplinary scholarship, The Philosophy of Nimi Wariboko: Social Ethics. Economy. Society and Religion was published 2020. The editor Professor Toyin Falola of the University of Texas at Austin, a world-class historian brought together 26 scholars from all over the world (political theorists, theologians, ethicists, religious, scholars, historians, Africanists, and philosophers to anaste his scholarship and contributions to the academy

Ethel A. David

Ethel A David started Premier Health Systems Inc (PHS) from scratch are from Bendel State University, Ekpoma, gave birth to this great agency. Over the last 8 years. PHS specializes in rehabilitation services for individuals who cannot independently care for themselves and has established itself as a relevant service provider in the Massachusetts community serving individuals who have traumatic and acquired brain injuries.

Ethel has always been entrepreneurial and started her own business in 1993 – Anointed International Ltd, an Oil and Gas Technical Tools and Safety Equipment Service Sales and Service Company servicing with the likes of Schlumberger, Halliburton, Saipern, Agip, and Elf. based in Port Harcourt Nigeria, (The Oil City). She diversified into investment property development in Port Harcourt, Delta state, and Lagos state and continues to grow and maintain her portfolio.

In 2008, relocated to the USA in pursuit of happiness, and she arrived in Massachusetts where she found fulfillment and peace. At the time, the easiest entry job she found was caregiving in group homes operated by big Agencies for individuals with mental health/developmental disabilities, where she started off as a residential counselor.

Her hard work and commitment saw her rise quickly to Sen Residential Counselor, Treatment Coordinator, and a Program Manager with five years. In these roles, she gained valuable experience and insight into state regulations, industry policies, protocols, procedure and the acquired skills relevant to effectively delivering services individuals served. She found great fulfillment in supporting, helping and advocating for these individuals with disabilities that she now serves.

At the time, she was registered for a graduate program in Biotechnology at Worcester State College, her entrepreneurial inclinations made her drop out in my second semester, leaving wearing a lab coat mixing chemicals in the laboratory to focus fully on her growing responsibili-ties. After five years working in Human Services, she decided to turn her passion to purpose by combining her know-how in the industry. managing and serving individuals with disabilities, with the knowledge of the employment opportunities for the immigrant community, to create Premier Health Systems, Inc (PHS).

After the searching for opportunities for Residential services for individuals did not come through, she braved the herculean task of securing her first contract. The referral was just a four hour service and she hired staff to work those hours and PHS took off and has since continued to grow in strides.

PHS continues to work on increasing the number of residential services for the population served in MA and hopefully in the future obtain federal accreditation to establish Skilled Nursing Facilities and Rehabilitation Centers in MA and all over the US.

Frances Igiebor

Frances Igiebor started Angel Care in 2014, a story of tenacity, selfless service, and sheer faith. Although a graduate of UNIBEN, Edo State, Nigeria; when she moved to the United States in 2010, she started afresh at the Middlesex community college, then to UMass both in Lowell, where she got a double major in Management and Marketing.

While still contemplating what career path to take, she again embarked on her MS in Nursing at Northeastern University, Boston; and acquired a real estate license as well, chasing her numerous passions and covering all the bases that formed the foundation for Angel Care.

Afterward, she decided to find a way to combine her management, marketing, and nursing qualifications together, which gave birth to Angel Care VNA, a home health agency focused on caring for people post-hospitalization. Angel Care provides services ranging from Physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, nursing, social worker, for individuals and help care for them and nurse them back to health. They also care for individuals with chronic conditions that require continuous care ensuring they help prevent re-hospitalization.

The process of getting licensed, to getting all the credentials for the business took about 2 years. However, even after the credentials were approved, the business could not do much due to some legal, and regulatory issues around moratorium hence could not get a State license to practice with the state. While many businesses folded up due to this dry spell, she pivoted and found some opportunity in non-emergency medical transportation

As the business name implies. Angel Care have recorded some angelic turning points in their journey. While they barely stayed afloat, they began to get clients who were ready to pay for their 24/7 care service out of pocket. Also, this client insisted on their service or no other even though they were in an assisted living residence. The management of the facility were forced to accept Angel Care. Which was a rare thing for a young business without referral or proven track record.

Frances never lets any good opportunity pass by and she gave this trusting client exceptional service. Afterwards, the residential facility management added Angel Care to their approved list of agencies and started employing their services, leading to more word-of-mouth referrals, and began to grow the client base of Angel Care organically.

Another interesting turning point in the business was how her pro-bo-no work. She had served this client for free and this fateful encounter with a visiting nurse from the client’s insurance company led to getting a contract with an insurance company that opened the door to take on more clients which was a big break for Angel Care.

Frances treats her employees as her primary clients and this model has led to Angel Care’s growth. The business continues to thrive with 5 divisions, Angel Care Visiting Nurse Agency, Angel Care Transportation, Angel Care AFC & GAFC, Angel Care Staffing, Angel Care Clinic.

They have since grown from a staff strength of 1 to over 150 and the stop gap transportation business has over 40 vehicles in its fleet.