The Faculty – 2021 – MBA For Africa

Meet the Faculty

MODULE ONE

Introduction to the Music Business Industry in Africa

Abuchi Peter

CEO, CHOCOLATE MUSIC

Mr. Abuchi Peter Ugwu is the Chief Executive Officer at iconic Nigerian record label, Chocolate City. He is a respected professional in the Nigerian and African music industry as well as the wider creative sector. In addition to this, Mr. Ugwu is an accomplished marketer and executive. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Entrepreneurial & Business Management from the National Open University of Nigeria, and got his start in the music industry in 2008, working as an engineer and producer on a number of Chocolate City projects. He went on to manage one of Africa’s most prominent music acts M.I. Abaga spanning over a decade. While doing this, he has worn several hats of leadership including, Head of Business Development in 2015 & Chief Operating Officer from 2019 to 2021 at Chocolate City Music. In 2019, Mr Abuchi was appointed Vice President for Bean Creative Agency, a talent management and digital marketing agency based out of Lagos, Nigeria where he has championed many campaigns and worked with several brands. In April 2021, he was announced as the Chief Executive Officer at Chocolate City, and is tasked with steering the direction of the label as it champions innovative music out of Nigeria and Africa.

Addy Awofisayo

LEADER, YOUTUBE CONTENT PARTNERSHIPS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Addy Awofisayo leads YouTube Content Partnerships in Sub-Saharan Africa overseeing strategic relationships with Creators, Artists, Publishers and Broadcasters to grow the creative economy on the continent via YouTube. At YouTube, she has led initiatives such as the YouTubeBlack Voices, and Afrobeats music talent program and other programs to celebrate and empower creatives on the continent. Addy is passionate about amplifying Africa's voice in the world. Prior to joining Google, Addy led content strategy and acquisitions at CBS Africa, and started her career in media and entertainment at Discovery Communications with a previous background working in Finance at Microsoft. Addy holds a M.Ed from Harvard University and a B.Sc in Commerce from McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia.

Ade Bantu

FOUNDER, BROTHERS KEEPERS. FRONTMAN, BANTU

Ade Bantu is a Nigerian-German musician, producer music consultant and social activist. He is best known as the front man of the 13-piece award winning band BANTU (Brotherhood Alliance Navigating Towards Unity). Based in Lagos, the bustling megapolis which he calls his muse, Ade Bantu and his band have over the course of several albums embarked on sonic adventures that celebrates and explore the complexities and contradictions of navigating daily life in the 20 million city of dreams and chaos. Ade Bantu’s music is a fusion of Afrofunk, Afrobeat, Hiphop and Yoruba music. Driven by a strong desire for social justice his band’s lyrics address issues around corruption, injustice, migration, xenophobia and urban alienation. Ade Bantu is the creator of Afropolitan Vibes a quarterly concert series & annual music festival which has been running for over 8 years in Lagos. He is the founder of the chart-topping Afro-German music and anti-racism collective Brothers Keepers and he was also a judge on the TV show Project Fame West Africa. Ade Bantu’s 30 year recording career has seen him work with various international acts and helped him build an extensive music and film industry network that spans several continents. He has recorded with various national and international acts such as UB40, Nneka, Asa, Sound Sultan, Tony Allen, Fatai Rolling Dollar, Seun Kuti and many more. Besides music, Ade Bantu has developed and executed numerous performing arts, cross-cultural and community arts projects like Framewalk and BornTroWay across Europe and Africa. He also curated “Naija Pop In HD” as part of the Ex-Africa exhibition series in Brazil. In September 2020 his band BANTU released the long player “Everybody Get Agenda” which debuted at the top 5 spot on the European World Music Charts.

Jimi Aina

DIRECTOR, NEW GROWTH AREAS AT LAGOS INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

Jimi Aina started his career at Caledonian Motors as a Business Development Officer before setting up a real estate development company, Amity Mortgage Investment Company where he developed several construction projects across Lagos State. He doubled as a Business Development Consultant for the prestigious Wiseview Legal Consultancy, where he was responsible for Special & Political Client Management. He joined Lagos State Internal Revenue Service as Board Secretary in September 2015. As the Board Secretary, he was saddled with the responsibility of taking charge of all technical issues in the Administration; representing the Agency in the corporate world and the media. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Agency’s call center; 0700 CALL LIRS. Furthermore, he also related with the Departments and Units within and outside the Agency concerning technical areas in Taxation whilst serving on several statutory and ad-hoc committees. He was exceptional in the discharge of his duties during his stint as the Board Secretary; further serving as the Chairman, Policy Enablement Committee of the Lagos State KITE@Yaba Project and LIRS Reform Champion, Ease of Doing Business Stakeholders Team whose contributions led to an improvement in Nigeria’s Ease of Doing Business ranking from 170^th in 2016 to 131^st in 2019. He was subsequently appointed as Director, New Growth Areas in Jan 2019. He has a degree in Biochemistry from Lagos State University as well as Executive Education at Harvard and Columbia University.

Justin Ige

PRINCIPAL, CREATIVE LEGAL

JUSTIN IGE, LLB; BL; ND (Music Tech.); MCIArb. (UK)

Justin is principal at Creative Legal, and has worked as a media and entertainment attorney for several years and has been successful in establishing public performance and mechanical royalty regimes. He has several years of experience in copyright due diligence, rights management, rights enforcement and a broad spectrum of media and entertainment transactions involving right owners, music users, attorneys and regulators. He has represented several persons and organizations, including local and multinational companies in sealing major deals and resolving important disputes. Justin has served as legal consultant, solicitor and attorney on a myriad of issues relating to content and technology; visual art; film and audiovisual works financing, production, distribution and marketing; media; advertising; music production, music publishing, music licensing and royalties; events, concerts and tours; hotels and hospitality; talent and artiste engagement and management etc.

Collective Management

The importance of the work that Justin has done over the years in Nigeria as it relates to music copyright collective management and enforcement is perhaps difficult to overstate. The work has expanded the frontiers of compliance with Nigerian copyright law to include historic and sustained payment of different types of music royalties by media and entertainment industry players; including major broadcasting organizations, hotel owners, telecommunication companies, locals and multinationals.

Justin has successfully negotiated some of the most important agreements and has successfully prosecuted some of the most important court cases in the development of Collective Management in Nigeria. The Collective Management Organization for Audiovisual works in Nigeria, Audiovisual Rights Society Ltd/Gte (AVRS) also relies on support services from Creative Legal.

Contributions to Educate the Public

Justin has, as a guest on several radio and television shows and through several publications, discussed a multitude of media, entertainment and advertising law issues in Nigeria. He once maintained a weekly media and entertainment newspaper column in a popular national daily.

Contributions to Entertainment Industry Regulatory Framework

Justin led the team that developed suggested amendments and re-drafts to the Copyright Act CAP C28 L.F.N 2004, which is the principal legislation and regulatory foundation for the entertainment industry. These suggested amendments were developed particularly with the Nigerian film industry in view and were done on behalf of the Audio Visual Rights Society (AVRS).

Justin was also part of another team that similarly developed suggested amendments and re-drafts to the Copyright Act CAP C28 L.F.F 2014, which amendments and re-drafts were developed particularly with the Nigerian music industry in view and were in this case done on behalf of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON). Justin also worked to develop a complete redesign of what is proposed by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), the primary regulatory government agency for the entertainment industry, as the set of rules and regulations to fill an existing regulatory lacuna on the administration of music covers.

All these regulatory suggestions are currently under consideration by the NCC. Experience having shown that both industry players and the courts appear to be more comfortable with a more active regulatory role in the fixing and determination of royalty tariffs, Justin initiated the first-time use of a regulatory device; a Dispute Resolution Panel for the resolution of disputes on royalty tariffs. In doing this, he has sought to discover in practice the strengths and weaknesses of this method.

Recognition

Justin was in 2015 entered into the Copyright Society of Nigeria Roll of Honour in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the promotion of the copyright culture and the defense of the rights of creative people in Nigeria.

Creative Legal has been ranked alongside Banwo & Ighodalo as a Tier 3 leader in media law practice in Nigeria by Media Law International.

Efe Omorogbe

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, HYPERTEK DIGITAL

Talent manager, music executive, writer and creative entrepreneur, Efe Omorogbe has worked in a wide variety of capacities for more than two decades. From songwriting and A&R work on major music projects to live events, production and filmmaking, he has garnered experience in many facets of creative enterprise in one of the key emerging markets in the world. Graduate of University of Lagos, BA, English (Ed), class of 1996, Efe Omorogbe worked in entertainment media as associate editor, Hip-Hop World magazine, the progenitor of HipTV and associate producer of Global Sounds (Nigezie) before focussing fully on Now Muzik, a talent management, label and consulting firm reputed for its work with 2Baba (2face Idibia), Sunny Neji, Seyi Shey, Timi Dakolo, Mr. Raw, Paul Play, Ruggedman, Niyola and J Martins amongst many. A prolific writer, Efe Omorogbe's work covers editorial, copy, script and song writing. He shares co-writer credits on 2face/2Baba hits like "Spiritual Healing", "Dance in the Rain", "We Must Groove" ft. Burna Boy and "Opo" ft. Wizkid to mention a few. Efe Omorogbe is co-founder and CEO, Hypertek Digital/960 Music Group where he has provided A/R and executive producer support for projects by 2Baba, Dammy Krane, Rocksteady and Sir Victor Uwaifo. Efe is founder/creative director at Buckwyld Media Network, the creative solutions company which has delivered major projects in live events (Buckwyld 'n' Breathless, Star Music: The Trek, Eargasm); product launches (GAC G8); development programme campaign (Get It Together); tourism promotion (Jos Chillin') and film (Power of 1). The building of a world class support structure for effective rights protection and sustainable growth in the entertainment industry remains a passion for Efe Omorogbe. His work in partnership with key industry leaders birthed Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in 2010 and Omorogbe has served on the board as director for several years. He has also served as associate co-producer, AFRIMA since inception. Efe Omorogbe's name has featured a good number of times on the "most influential entertainment personalities in Nigeria" lists over the last fifteen years. Some of the recognition he has received include: Lifetime Achievement Award - SSMA (South South Music Awards) 2018; Unsung Hero of the Entertainment Industry- CVL (Centre for Values & Leadership) 2015; Culture Ambassador- NANTAP (National Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners) 2015; Manager of the Year - AMEN (Award for Musical Excellence in Nigeria) 2007. Efe Omorogbe other interests include agribusiness, sports and hospitality. He is a director at Innobia Agro-Allied Ltd and Mees Palace Football Academy and Effizie.

MODULE TWO

Business Structure of the Music Business Industry

Wiseman Qinani N.

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, CAPASSO

Wiseman Qinani Ngubo is an intellectual property lawyer from South Africa. He is currently the Cheif Operations Officer at Africa's fastest growing collective management organisations, the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association (CAPASSO).

Ngubo graduated with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees in 2009 and 2011 respectively. He also holds a PG Cert In Intellectual Property Law (2015).

As part of his role, he has been involved in ensuring the initiation and sustained growth of digital licensing on the continent. Through this involvement, Ngubo has obtained crucial technical expertise relating to the licensing and protection of copyright works on the digital environment. Ngubo is also involved in various copyright lobbying efforts in South Africa aimed at ensuring the current copyright laws reform to protect the rights of creatives.

DR. Carlos Chirinos

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY

Dr. Carlos Chirinos is Associate Professor at New York University in the United States and specializes in innovation and social entrepreneurship in the music industry. Carlos Chirinos’ work explores innovation and creativity in emerging global music industries, looking at the role of music in public health, international development and social change. He has been a key consultant for radio and music projects in Europe, Africa and Japan, with funding from the World Bank, USAID, IDRC, the Wellcome Trust and Toyota Foundation. He was awarded the Director’s Teaching Prize at SOAS, University of London in 2009. Carlos received an award from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Department of Defense, and USAID, to develop Africa Stop Ebola, a global music campaign to raise awareness about Ebola in West Africa that was featured in the New York Times, The Guardian, BBC and CNN. Currently, Professor Chirinos collaborates with the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center, curating music performances to engage the Latin community living in New York City. He is also involved in projects in the UK, Tanzania, Cuba and other countries, looking at the role of music industries in economic development, tourism and social entrepreneurship.

Munyaradzi Chanetsa

FOUNDER, KREEYATE AFRICA. A&R MANAGER, AFRICA FOR SONY ATV MUSIC PUBLISHING SOUTH AFRICA

Munyaradzi (Munya) has dedicated his professional life to the business of music and entertainment. He is the founder of Kreeyate Africa and is also currently employed as A&R Manager: Africa for Sony ATV Music Publishing South Africa. With over 10 years experience in the music and entertainment space he also has vast experience in the sourcing, licensing, curation, creation, monetization and distribution of audio and visual content. He has extensive experience across the continent due to directly engaging with mobile and online platforms, independent record labels, artists and publishers. Kreeyate is a dynamic creative entertainment marketing agency which exists to bring exceptional, conscious driven and unique entertainment content from Africa to the World. On a mission to educate creatives on the importance of copyright Munya has recently launched the “Happy Endings” initiative. A after being inspired from watching the biggest copyright infringement case which was about South African musician, singer and composer Solomon Linda while studying at Academy of Sound Engineering. Munya also watched Netflix’s The Lion’s Share which further motivated him to do the project of remaking the song "Mbube" and ensuring that the wrong that was done in the past is not repeated. Additionally Munya is gearing to launch an educational platform purely focusing on music business called www.MOTIAfrica.com. M.O.T.I that stands for masters of the industry sole purpose is to provide all the information required for any creative wanting to enter the music industry. Further, as an employee of Sony ATV Music Publishing, Munya has given presentations and attended key forums centered around copyright across South Africa, Angola, Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria. Before joining Sony, Munya was employed as the Head of Licensing for the Composer, Author and Publishing Association of South Africa. Prior to that he was the Head of Operations: Africa at Content Connect Africa from 2009 – 2019 and prior to that he was the Head of Marketing and Promotions for Putumayo World Music in South Africa from 2007 to 2009.

Nothando Migogo

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CO-FOUNDER, SOSELA. DIRECTOR, 1020 MANAGEMENT

Nothando holds an LLB (2003) and LLM (2008) from Wits university (Johannesburg) and has been in executive management for 12 years. Nothando is currently an executive director and co-founder of Sosela, a business strategy and legal advisory company that specializes in the entertainment and media sectors. She is also a director of 1020 Management, which is the management, publishing, agency and licensing arm of the 1020 Group of Companies. The 1020 Group includes 1020 Cartel, the Johannesburg-based record label.

Ibukun Abidoye

EVP OF MUSIC, CHOCOLATE CITY LIMITED

Ibukun “Aibee” Abidoye, Esq. is a Nigerian Music Business Executive. Trained as an attorney in New York, Aibee has logged several years of transactional experience, with particular focus on the music business. She is a recognized expert in the licensing, distribution and publishing of indigenous music content for film and television and has collaborated with platforms such as YouTube, 9Mobile and Facebook in advancing the growth of the creative industries within Nigeria. She is an active advocate for the rights and recognition of Artists, Songwriters and Producers in the content value chain and is a vocal proponent for the need to restructure the Collection Management processes in Nigeria. In her current capacity, she sits as the first female Executive Vice President of Music at Chocolate City, as well as the only female on the Board, following her involvement in the ground-breaking partnership between Warner Music Group and Chocolate City. She is also a Trustee on the Boards of Music Publishers Association of Nigeria, and Record Labels Association of Nigeria. Prior to joining Chocolate City, Aibee worked as a law clerk for Hon. Sterling Johnson Jr. (US District Court), and at the Johnny Cochran Law Firm. Aibee received her B.A. in Political Science at Pepperdine University, a Music Business and Management certification from UCLA and her J.D of Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School in New York. She is a Certified Mediator.

Angela Ndambuki

REGIONAL DIRECTOR, IFPI, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA (S-SA)

She is Regional Director, IFPI, Sub-Saharan Africa (S-SA)

Osafile Oladotun

EVENTS PROJECT & PRODUCTION MANAGER

Oladotun is an Events Project & Production Manager with over 10 years experience initiating and delivering sustained results in the events Industry. She has been involved in Project managing subsets of the events industry including live music, theatre, conferences, festivals and concerts. She spent 5 years working at the Eko Convention Centre of the Eko Hotels and Suites as an Audio-Visual Production Coordinator before founding Titanium Productions, an Events Production Company six years ago. She has a degree in Dramatic Arts from Obafemi Awolowo University with specialisation in Technical Theatre.

Olayinka Ezekiel

GENERAL MANAGER, DIGITAL MUSIC COMMERCE AND EXCHANGE LIMITED. COO, AMPLIFIHUB

Olayinka Ezekiel is a music business executive with colossal analytical experience in the Nigerian music industry as a business developer, strategist and data analyst. He currently serves as the General Manager of Digital Music Commerce and Exchange Limited, a pan African IP valuation, catalog administration, acquisition, licensing and rights management company based in Lagos with branches in Ghana and Tanzania. Also, he is the COO of Amplifihub; an online African music marketplace with 11k+ active users that allows music producers in Africa to license and sell beats and also give away beats. As a music business executive, he has worked with companies such as Parlophone Records, Fox Group, Warner Music, NFL, MusicTime! etc. Ezekiel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Redeemer's University, Nigeria.

MODULE THREE

Music and The Law

Alimah Demola-Seriki

ASSOCIATE COUNSEL IN THE CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL PRACTICE GROUP, DENTONS ACAS-LAW

Alimah Demola-Seriki is an associate counsel in the Corporate and Commercial practice group of Dentons ACAS-Law (formerly ACAS-Law). She has experience in all areas of intellectual property law and has advised clients in diverse areas of intellectual property law, particularly as it relates to trademark searches, registration and oppositions. She also has experience in handling all aspects of Entertainment, Sports and Media Law including contract review, general advisory for high-profile artists. She is also involved in commercial transactions which include due diligence, regulatory compliance. Alimah earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication from Rutgers University in 2014 and graduated from the University of Leicester with an LL.B. in 2017. She was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 2018. Alimah is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria (IPLAN).

Fawehinmi Oyinkansola

PRESIDENT, DIGITAL MUSIC COMMERCE AND EXCHANGE LIMITED. FOUNDING PARTNER, TECHNOLAWGICAL PARTNERS.

Fawehinmi “Foza” Oyinkansola is a visionary entertainment business Leader with a solid legal background and impactful 7+ years of practical experience spanning the entertainment and media law, Entertainment business management and transactional expertise. As one of the leading entertainment lawyers in. Africa from Lagos Nigeria, she is known for adding significant value by leveraging a combination of legal proficiency, industry knowledge and business acumen to influence key stakeholders. She demonstrates practical application of laws and regulatory issues, corporate governance and business practice and finance while partnering closely with team members to achieve growth and corporate goals. She is a founding partner at Technolawgical Partners a boutique entertainment law firm based in Lagos with significance industry stake in key decision making. She has grown to co found several companies such as Incubation Factory Entertainment, a label service company that provides management, distribution, marketing, promotion, event production and merchandise services. She has worked with individuals and companies as such spanning Sarz, Timaya, GoodGirl LA, Boomplay Music, Music Time!, ColdPlay, Warner music, Teni the entertainer etc. She currently serves as the President of Digital Music Commerce and Exchange Limited a pan African IP valuation, catalog management and administration company based in Lagos with branches in Ghana, Tanzania and Ivory Coast.

Jean-Elie Ilunga

INTERNATIONAL PARTNER MANAGER FOR AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST, PRS FOR MUSIC

Jean-Elie Ilunga is the International Partner Manager for Africa and the Middle East at PRS for Music. In this role, Jean-Elie oversees PRS’ relationships with societies and stakeholders across these regions, alongside representing the interests of writer and publisher members, ensuring their royalties are paid quickly and accurately when their music is used globally. A passionate music expert, he holds a Master in Entertainment Law (LLM) from Westminster University and has over 14 years’ experience in music rights management. Prior to joining PRS for Music, Jean-Elie worked as Head of Licensing at Blue Mountain Music, where he represented the music catalogues of artists such as Bob Marley and U2 and was responsible for sample clearance of hit songs from the likes of Jay-Z, Kanye West, Chris Brown and Pitbull amongst many others. Outside of his role at PRS, Jean-Elie is a manager and member of Immaculate Taste, an agency dedicated to unearthing talented musicians and creatives. Acts managed by Jean-Elie have reached the top 10 of the UK Official Singles and Albums Chart, including Stormzy producer, XTC and Tinchy Stryder producer, Prince Rapid. His passion is to enlighten and empower music creators by raising awareness on the various facets of the music business.

Ojewale Kikelola

SENIOR ASSOCIATE, DENTONS ACAS-LAW

Kikelola Soyode Ojewale is a Senior Counsel in Dentons ACAS-Law (formerly ACAS-Law). She is a member of the Corporate and Commercial practice group. Kike’s focus is on intellectual property, particularly trademarks, patents, copyright, industrial designs and trade secrets as they relate to multinationals, small and medium-sized enterprises and creatives. She advises clients on the exclusivity of brands, protection and enforcement of trademarks, brand endorsements and all matters relating to television, music, fashion, sports, cinema, advertising, theatre and film. She is also experienced in structuring, negotiating and drafting intellectual property licensing, merchandising, franchising and publishing agreements and transactions.

Komolafe Olatokunbo

SENIOR COUNSELIN THE CORPORATE AND COMMERCIAL PRACTICE GROUP, DENTONS ACAS-LAW

Olatokunbo is a Senior Counsel in the Corporate and Commercial practice group of Dentons ACAS-Law (formerly ACAS-Law) and is based in Lagos. Since joining the Firm, Olatokunbo has quickly gained experience in a wide range of commercial transactions particularly corporate restructuring, corporate acquisitions and divestments, transactional advisory regulatory compliance and company secretarial matters. Additionally, Olatokunbo has carved a niche for herself with a focus on media, sports and entertainment law in a short period of time. She regularly advises the firm’s high-profile clients in the entertainment industry on various matters ranging from business advisory, preparation and review of contracts, tax matters and regulatory compliance. Olatokunbo is an avid music lover who enjoys making music, singing and dancing. She is a voracious reader and loves meeting and engaging new people. In her spare time, she volunteers with a number of charitable organizations to give back to the society.

Olumide Mustapha

SENIOR ASSOCIATE, DENTONS ACAS-LAW

Osaze Ebueke

SENIOR MANAGER, MTN. MEMBER, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MARKETING (NIMN). MEMBER, NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS (NIPR)

Osaze is an experienced marketing professional with an extensive career in both marketing and public relations. He is a member of the National institute of marketing (NIMN) as well as the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). He lives the marketers’ dream having had diverse experience in different disciplines working with Africa's leading telco MTN since 2005. He has led various roles in sponsorship management, Youth and brand segment, Mobile money and retail engagement and was previously part of the Digital and VAS services team before moving to his current role as SM for sponsorship and promotion.

Wale Kalejaiye

MUSIC ARTIST AGENT

Coming to law from a background in music, Wale has built a burgeoning music practice representing rising stars from across the globe, working with talented artists, songwriters and producers as well as independent management and record companies. With an approach that focuses exclusively on protecting his clients' interests, he has developed a strong reputation for proactively supporting emerging artists in every aspect of their work and business, right from the start of their careers. Wale's work in the music and entertainment industry is informed by his substantial experience in live events, branding and social media, having previously worked with social media influencers, digital start-ups, advertising agencies and leading online merchandise companies.

Yemisi Falaye

SENIOR ASSOCIATE, DENTONS ACAS-LAW

Yemisi Falaye is a Senior Associate at Dentons ACAS-Law (formerly ACAS-Law). She is a member of the Corporate Commercial practice group and particularly heads the Entertainment Law Group of the firm. ‘Yemisi has over the years garnered in-depth experience in providing premium legal advice and representation to individuals and organisations in the entertainment industries in Nigeria, which include film, music, theatre, art, television, radio, publishing and digital media. Asides from entertainment law, ‘Yemisi also has a wide range of experience in Intellectual Property, Immigration and Company Secretarial matters in Nigeria. She focuses on the prosecution of trademark, patent, copyright and design on behalf of clients. She manages the immigration status of several expatriates in Nigeria and is involved in general corporate and commercial matters in the firm.

Otu-Ekong Ukoyen

SENIOR ASSOCIATE LEAD, BRAND PROTECTION AND EGM

Otu leads the Brand Protection and Employment & Global Mobility practice of the firm. Otu specialises in intellectual property. He has over a decade of experience and his expertise covers key areas in brand protection and intellectual property matters including the ownership, maintenance, protection and exploitation of intellectual property assets, copyright, patents and industrial designs, the management of global trademark portfolios, anti-counterfeit strategies, the monitoring and flagging unauthorised use of IP rights and assets, the issuance of notices of ownership, cease and desists; the implementation of take downs, monitoring of raids, prosecuting and defending oppositions and cancellation proceedings and formal litigation. Otu advises clients across a diverse range of industries including advertising, entertainment, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, electronics, and technology companies, as well as organisations in the real estate, manufacturing and construction industries. Otu also advises the public sector on policy and regulatory matters. Otu was part of the team that secured a ground breaking decision at the Court of Appeal, Lagos in respect of collective management of copyright. He is currently involved in a number of highly contentious litigation matters on passing off, industrial design infringement and copyright infringement at the Federal High Court, Lagos. Otu has participated actively in the INTA Legislation & Regulation Committee - Middle East-Africa-South Asia and is the current Vice President the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria.

Otu is recognised by a number of legal directories. The World Trade Mark Review 2020 described him as "a rising star” and in 2021 as “a go-to for foreign brands establishing themselves in Nigeria and local companies seeking to expand their business and influence”. Chambers and Partners 2021 acknowledges Otu for his handling of patents and designs, as well as IP infringement issues, acting for both startups and established companies.

MODULE FOUR

A&R and Music/Talent Deveopment

Chaz Jenkins

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER, CHARTMETRIC

Chaz is a chief commercial officer at Chartmetric and helps with strategy, marketing and client relationships. He also advises major and independent labels, as well as managers and publishers, on streaming, helping them create new ways to grow audiences for artists globally. In the past, he held senior positions in major record companies and founded Grammy Award-winning indie labels, as well as working in the live music sector and nightclubs. Chaz lectures internationally in universities and speaks regularly at conferences including Google Zeitgeist on the future of the music industry.

Nikita Chauhan

FOUNDER, TRANSLATENC

Nikita Chauhan. Founder of TranslateNC a talent management and strategic marketing hub. Nikita cut her teeth within the music industry producing two of the BBC's highly revered radio shows on 1xtra; The Friday night Hip Hop show with DJ Semtex and ‘Destination Africa’ hosted by DJ Edu. Whilst at the BBC, Nikita was a member of the 1Xtra playlist team, curating new music and championing new artists emerging within Hip Hop, Afro Pop, and traditional African genres. Producing iconic moments across the station from Santan Dave's first ever live freestyle, to ground-breaking interviews with Drake, Burna Boy, 50 Cent, WizKid, to recording DJ Khaled at his Beverly Hills Mansion, and celebrating the MTV MAMA's with a curated week of programming across the schedule. Several years later Nikita founded TranslateNC, with clients ranging from Nike and the NFL, to NBA and Marvel. TranslateNC is home to leading DJ's artists and producers such as GuiltyBeatz who has produced several bangers for Ms Banks, Headie One, and Beyonce. DJ Semtex hip-hop DJ, broadcaster and author of 'Hip Hop Raised Me', leading south-asian DJ and producer DJ Limelight, Dallas Mavs officials DJ Poizon Ivy & singer/songwriter Twitch. In addition to this Nikita exec-produces the ‘Hip Hop Raised Me’ podcast with DJ Semtex, the weekly podcast has featured the likes of Chuck D, Fivio Foreign, French Montana, Nas & many more.

Obinna Agwu

MUSIC ENTHUSIAST, A&R AND TALENT MANAGER

Agwu Obinna is a music enthusiast, A&R and talent manager with a few years experience in the Nigerian music industry. He's also the host of the Listening Sessions Podcast which seeks to democratize valuable knowledge within the industry by speaking to the people who make things work.

MODULE FIVE

Marketing Management

Kushal Patel

HEAD, TRAINING, MUSIC ALLY

Kushal (or Kush for short) is Music Ally's Head of Training, responsible for delivering digital strategy workshops and consultancy to record labels, management agencies, industry trade bodies and universities. Kush also works across Music Ally's marketing services roster and has worked on campaigns for the likes of Hollywood Records, Blue Raincoat Music and Rare Sound. Kush has always had a keen interest in technology, initially working at a financial technology company after graduating from The London School of Economics. He continues to explore the latest trends at Music Ally, regularly conducting research and hosting webinars on topics such as gaming and livestreaming. His past music industry experience ranges from playlist pitching at independent label AntiFragile Music to social media management at music marketing agency Burstimo. His diverse professional background offers him a unique perspective on a range of artist marketing strategies.

Marlen Huellbrock

HEAD, DIGITAL MARKETING, MUSIC ALLY

Marlen has been working at Music Ally since 2019 and now heads up their Marketing Services department, supporting management and label clients in all things digital marketing. She's also part of Music Ally's Training team, where she develops and delivers digital marketing training to a wide range of industry clients. Before joining Music Ally, Marlen worked within Universal Music's brand partnerships team in Germany and Switzerland and completed an MA in Music Business Management at the University of Westminster.

Patrick Ross

SVP, DIGITAL STRATEGY, MUSIC ALLY

Originally from Atlanta, GA, Patrick went to Belmont University in Nashville, TN to learn the music business. In 2007 he escaped to the UK, for various reasons he can’t go into, and has been working in the UK music industry ever since. He started out working with indie labels and artists, doing what he called "web presence management”, making dope MySpace pages and being just about the only person with access to Facebook Ads in the UK. (As they only let Americans book them back then.) He served as Head of Digital Marketing for digital distributor AWAL, and eventually VP, Digital Marketing for Kobalt’s Music Recordings and Label Services division. 2018 saw him join Music Ally, as SVP, Digital Strategy where he oversees digital marketing campaigns and business strategy, as well as training the global music industry. He also lectures at The University of Westminster, Falmouth University and Berklee College of Music. And when he’s not doing that, he manages recording artist Ruben Dawnson.

Chuka Obi

Chuka has amassed over two decades of experience in various creative functions including Copywriting, Art Direction, Illustration, Comic Book creation and Sound Design across several leading brands. Before venturing into Advertising in 2008 he was a comic book writer & illustrator, and a graffiti artist.

He has worked extensively on building brands like MTN, Johnnie Walker, Pepsi, Star, Heineken, Interswitch, VISA, Maggi, Golden Morn, Fidelity Bank, Mouka, Knorr, Royco, Lipton, Guinness, Malta Guinness, AXA, Wrigley’s, Oando, Verve, Quickteller, Golden Penny, Wakanow, Patricia, Piggyvest, Abeg, Bet9ja, 2Sure, 7UP, OctaFX and many more. Before assuming the role of Director of Creativity & Innovation at Globacom, he was ECD at Publicis Nigeria, and before that ECD at DDB Nigeria.

In his spare time (which sadly isn’t a lot) he facilitates trainings, workshops and discussions for young creatives, as well as for the African Union.

Andreas Katsamba

PRESIDENT - STRATEGY, MARKETING & OPERATIONS at CHARTMETRIC

Andreas is an experienced Executive with an entrepreneurial spirit and a demonstrated international career in the entertainment industry. Skilled in Strategy, Management, Operations, Planning, Marketing, Analytics, Budgeting, Market Entry Strategies & Global Expansion. Recently completed GMP at Harvard Business School and has a degree in Business and Management.

Nikita Chauhan

FOUNDER, TRANSLATENC

MODULE SIX

Events and Touring

Asa Asika

COFOUNDER, THE PLUG ENTERTAINMENT

Asa Asika is a Co Founder and Principal of Plug Entertainment Lagos, Nigeria. He has been involved in various facets of the Entertainment Industry since childhood and spent a decade working in PR and marketing for Storm Records which produced various top talents. In 2013, Asa established Stargaze, a management company whose focus was on the youth and upcoming artists. Stargaze handled many top accounts where he focused on creating beneficial relationships. Asa also manages Afrobeat forerunner Davido and has played a critical role in his success story. With this deep vision and passion for all things entertainment in Africa, Plug Entertainment was founded in 2016 alongside Abiodun "Bizzle" Osikoya. Asa oversees Plug’s strategic relationships in hopes to foster and garner an impactful relationship between music in Africa and the rest of the world. Since inception Plug has now added sports to its portfolio. Plug also provides services like talent management, music distribution, label services and co-produces one of the biggest events in Nigeria called The Mainland block party.

Edi Lawani

ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS ENTREPRENEUR

Edi Lawani is an entertainment business entrepreneur, based in Lagos state, Nigeria. An industry thought leader, his work experience spans across music business consulting, musicians’ union administration and talent management. A consummate live event producer, director and manager; he has been a leading player in music, concerts, fashion, sports and ‘made-for-tv’ events, in the last 30 years. A team player with a vast network across the African creative industry landscape; he has participated in and delivered projects in West Africa, East Africa, North Africa and Europe. A quality control enthusiast, he is a cultural diplomacy advocate.

SKILLS:

Music Business management
Radio / TV production
Live event design, production, management and directing
Talent management
Training and mentorship.