For those Nigerians who have come across it at one time or the other, I’d like to ask — how did you first hear about TED?
I imagine that most would answer that it was courtesy of Chimamanda Adichie’s resoundingly popular TED talk. She’s hardly the first Nigerian to deliver a talk via the globally acclaimed platform, having been preceded by Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Chris Abani. But her speech, which has since racked up north of 3 million views and is on the list of the 20 most watched TED talks so far, is the most likely thing to pop into a Nigerian’s head whenever they are confronted with the concept of TED.
Delivered in 2009, Oxford England, that speech is the most familiar TED experience that most Nigerians have had. Up till now that is. Because this October, Nigeria’s biggest TED event is coming to Victoria Island, Lagos. According to the organisers –
TEDxVictoriaIsland is a local, independently organized event in Victoria Island, Lagos that strives to re-create the unique experience found at TED, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers congregate to share what they are most passionate about. The fundamental goal of TED and TEDxVictoriaIsland is to spread ideas and advance the discourse on innovation and creativity.
This not Nigeria’s first TED event either. TEDxIfe and TEDxIkoyi have both taken place in April and May respectively. The main difference however is that neither are as big as TEDxVictoriaIsland in terms of the sheer number of guests that will be admitted — while TEDxIkoyi was capped at 99 guests, TEDxVI is expected to host up to one thousand audience participants.
However, what is even more impressive than the size of the event is the size and calibre of the speaker line up. Numbering 22 at last count, the speaker panel for TEDxVictoriaIsland comprises a phenomenal sample of individuals who are making things happen and disrupting the status quo in Nigeria and Africa across multiple disciplines — business, media, technology, agriculture, health, entertainment and more.
One look at the speaker line up, and you just know that this is one event that you don’t want to be told about — it’s not like there are many events where you’ll get to see how a Nigerian techie built a high performance sports car in his backyard while BankyW is waiting in the wings, more likely rehearsing a speech, not a song.
Just in case some of the faces don’t ring a bell, I can tell you that Storm Records’ Obi Asika, Interswitch’s Mitchell Elegbe, Media and e-commerce mogul, Sim Shagaya, and corporate magnate, Kola Masha are just a few of the awe-inspiring people who’ll take the stage on that day. Together, their presentations will cut across four sub themes – rocking the future, feeding the future, reaching the future and teaching the future.
From my conversation with Femi Akinde, a global TED Fellow, as well the TEDxVI organising team arrowhead, I understand that apart from profound expositions from the speakers, we can also expect to witness the launch of several ground breaking technologies, game changing products and major initiatives from various individuals and entities that will exhibit at the event.
I confess, I’m one of those “last-carrying” Nigerians whose first TED talk was Chimamanda’s. Since I joined the cool kids in the TED mania however, I’ve gone on to become an avid TED talk collector and have downloaded all sorts of inspiring speeches across the whole gamut — revolutionary, reflective, random, and riveting. Despite being second-hand experiences (since I’ve never been to a real life TED event), all the TED talks I’ve watched have the same things in common. They all leave me more alert, more curious and more determined to do something that can change the world around me for the better.
I anticipate the same experience come Friday next week. Are you coming? The programme is scheduled for the 12th of October at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, and is strictly a pre-registration event, so head on over to TEDxVictoriaIsland.org to book your tickets while they are still available. The event will also be streamed live via Google+.
About TED: TED is a nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader.. the TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level.
*Last carrying – being the last to become aware of something that is apparently notorious.
