Technext Convo: Join Abubakar Suleiman and Dickson Nsofor for an evening of chat, networking and drinks next week

Recall that earlier this year, our Content Chief, David Afolayan disclosed that Technext has repurposed its 2023 event plan to engender stakeholders’ interaction and industry reach. In this light, Technext is organising the first edition of Technext Convo, an exclusive event for key stakeholders to meet, greet and share knowledge over drinks in Lagos.

Themed “Building in Uncertain Times”, the event will take place in Lekki next Thursday, 9th of March, 2023.

The strictly by-invitation event will feature a fireside chat with Mr Abubakar Suleiman, Managing Director of Sterling Bank and Dickson Nsofor, co-founder and CEO of Kora. Both speakers will share valuable insights from years of leading businesses in uncertain social and regulatory circumstances that will help business owners and founders scale their organizations in the present economic clime.

Meet the speakers

Abubakar Suleiman and Dickson Nsofor have years of experience managing organizations and guiding them to succeed despite challenges. These two individuals have played vital roles in reimagining the financial space in Nigeria.

Abubakar Suleiman, Sterling Bank

Abubakar Suleiman joined Sterling bank in 2003 and was appointed the managing director and Chief Executive Officer in 2018. He has held leadership roles in Financial Advisory, Treasury, Asset and Liability Management, Risk Management, and Corporate Finance and Strategy.

He managed the acquisition and integration of Equatorial Trust Bank into Sterling Bank in 2011.

He oversaw Sterling Bank’s growth and efforts in cushioning the effects of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on Nigerians, including reducing the restructuring fees on loans. He has guided the design of the H.E.A.R.T. (Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Transportation) strategy for Sterling Bank’s investment plan.

Dickson Nsofor, Kora

Dickson Nsofor is the CEO and Founder of Kora, a cross-border payments and remittance platform utilizing technology (+Blockchain) to make payments within, to and from Africa seamless.

He founded the organisation in 2018, five years after graduating from Covenant University, to solve the operational challenges of transferring and tracking funds to troubled world regions.

Under his leadership as Chief Executive Officer, Kora has expanded to Canada and the UK and has received a commercial PSSP license from the Central Bank of Nigeria. Its B2B services have helped local and global businesses to sell, build and scale effortlessly.

Building in uncertain times

Many brilliant business ideas have failed to materialize for different reasons. The challenging macroeconomic conditions that have seen the layoff of thousands of staff worldwide make it difficult for founders to scale.

It’s important because without scaling appropriately, a company might not meet its full potential or, even worse, fail altogether.

Paul Graham, the co-founder of YCombinator, says, “the only essential thing [for startups] is growth. Everything else we associate with startups follows from growth,” in his essay Startups = Growth.

Many Nigerians are still reeling from the aftermath of the presidential elections. And most are uncertain about the future. How can startups grow, considering the current state of the Nigerian, African, and global economies? Is this the right time to launch a new business or product? If not now, then when?

These questions and more are on the minds of current and intending business owners, and the Technext Convo would provide an opportunity to get answers and learn from people who have built both

How to attend Technext Convo Q1 2023

You can request an invite to Technext Convo here