Theme: Deconstruct

This event has been crafted to scrutinize the many faces of gender and how it has grown into an ultra-headed giant.

We're taking our TEDx event to a new level with a call to action in addition to the fine speakers, stimulating discussions, and fresh knowledge we hope to provide. What can all those involved REALLY DO to ensure that the various wahala that has woven itself into the concept of gender is deconstructed and pleated again?

This event will explore what it means to be a male child, especially in Nigeria; how the Nigerian penal code engenders imbalance skewed against women, and how glass ceilings do not discriminate.

American Corner Ibadan
54 Magazine Road
Ibadan, Oyo, 200284
Nigeria

Huwa Okoyomoh

Performance Poet + Podcaster

Huwa Okoyomoh is one of Nigeria’s leading performance poets and podcasters currently living in France. She loves to have fun with her craft as she makes people laugh and cry, however, her pieces are relatable and educating. She worked with brands like La Casera - a leading beverage company in Nigeria - for the emotive ‘This Is Not A Full Stop’ campaign in 2020, The La Casera Independence Day Campaign in 2021, The African Coffee Club celebrating coffee farmers in Africa, and encouraging followers to "Pay It Black". She self-published her first book of poems, The New Song, in 2021 and her new audio collection "Forgotten Dreams" is set to be released in September of 2023.

Janefrances Ojoma Bianeyin

Legal Practitioner + Researcher + Human Rights Advocate

Janefrances Ojoma Bianeyin nee Enema is a Legal Practitioner, Researcher, and Human Rights Advocate. She obtained her LLB and BL degrees from Ahmadu Bello University and Nigeria Law School in 1998 and 2000 respectively. Focusing on criminal defense and representing the indigent and vulnerable when she joined the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria in 2005, her legal career has been under the mentorship of respected legal luminaries and has gained experience in courtroom practice, research, and document reviews. She also served as the Rivers State Coordinator for the Legal Aid Council. Passionate about promoting the rights of women and girls, she participated in various initiatives and committees related to gender-based violence, child labor, and women's rights. Outside of her work, Janefrances enjoys reading, traveling, and watching movies and documentaries. She is married to Michael Ochuko Bianeyin Esq. and they have children.

Mark Amaza

Development Communication & Policy Expert

Mark Amaza is a Development Communication and Policy Expert with over five years of experience in the Nigerian Development sector. He has worked in the sustainability sector with a focus on energy access and circular economy and consulted on political and economic risk analysis matters in Nigeria and West Africa for local and international organizations. He currently works as the Senior Communications Officer at Yiaga Africa, a civil society organization that works on democratic governance and civic engagement issues in Nigeria and across Africa. Mark is also a Member of the Strategy Team of the Not Too Young to Run movement, which successfully advocated for constitutional amendments that lowered the age of eligibility for elective offices. He holds a first degree in Environmental Management from the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, and is an MBA student at the University of East London, United Kingdom.

Seyi Bolaji

Communications Strategist + Broadcaster + Compère

Seyi Bolaji is an alumna of the Kashim Ibrahim Fellowship and a former Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Governor. She is an experienced Broadcaster, Compère, and Writer with a Bachelor’s in English Language and a Master's in Strategic Communications from Ahmadu Bello, University, Zaria. She also holds a PGDE from Zaria’s Federal College of Education. She was a Top 30 under 30 Changemaker Awardee (2021), a Nigerian Sheroe in the civic space (2021), and 100 Women Creating a Better Africa (WCBA, 2022). She is the Founder of ProjectEAC, a movement in Nigeria providing less privileged children the necessary support and motivation to stay in school and access quality education. She has reached over 4000 children. She is a Communications Strategist with Stand With a Girl (SWAG) Initiative, promoting a safe and supportive environment for the welfare of girls in Nigeria. Seyi was a broadcaster with FCE FM and Queen FM, Zaria, Kaduna State.