Bimbo Roberts Folayan
MBCS CITP
abimbola70@aol.com : chairman@canuk.org.uk +447903560623: +447904284865:
BRIEF PROFILE Bimbo who has just been unveiled as Arik Air International, ‘Brand Ambassador’ has garnered all round experience in private and public sectors both in Nigeria and in the United Kingdom. A graduate of the University of Ife, he later participated in a M.Sc. Conversion programme at Greenwich University (UK) in Information Systems and Computing. Bimbo is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Prince 2 Certified Practitioner, and holds the British Computer Society (MBCS) Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status. Based in the UK, he currently works as an Independent IT specialist in Europe. Bimbo also worked with the Guardian Newspapers and was a publisher of a UK based tabloid called ‘The Main Issue’. Bimbo is a Nigerian with a rare social conscience who has initiated, participated in and executed various activities and ventures with other Nigerians with the aim of promoting democracy, good governance and the development of Nigeria and Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora. He was a pioneer staff of the ‘People's Bank of Nigeria’ and worked closely with Pa Tai Solarin and Mrs Maria Sokenu in disbursing small-scale loans to Nigerians. As the Programme Manager of the Bank, Bimbo was responsible for setting up of bank branches, centres and the disbursement of micro business credit for local communities across Lagos State and its environs between 1989 and 1991. Bimbo has worked with various financial institutions as a financier after the liberalisation of the banking sector in Nigeria. In 1992, Bimbo, through his company Goldstar Advanced Summit, promoted the writing, publication and launching of 'The Educational Theory of Dr Tai Solarin', an event which became a national issue at the time because of important comments made at the launching by national figures. His IT consultancy in the UK has seen him participate in several bank and telecommunication merger projects across the UK and parts of Europe. Bimbo’s clientele include IBM, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest Bank, Halifax Bank and Bank of England amongst several others. He was part of the team that completed the harmonisation and re-branding of NTL, Telewest, and Virgin Telecoms (Virgin Media). He is the senior partner of ABN Limited based in the UK. Bimbo was the Chairman of the Ekiti Economic and Investment Forum (EEIF), an Economic and Development think tank comprising of Ekiti State experts and professionals around the world, member of the National Think Tank in Nigeria and was the Chairman of the Main Events Task Force of the Nigeria @ 50 celebrations in London. As the President of the Association of Nigerian IT Professionals in the UK (ANITP), he is now the Chairman of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK). CANUK is the umbrella organisation of the hundreds of Nigerian professional, cultural, state/welfare based and social organisations in the UK and is the head of the entire community in the UK.
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LEADERSHIP POSITIONS Founder/Vice President, Nigeria Leadership Forum (NFL) President, Association of Nigerian Information Technology Professionals, UK Chairman of the Ekiti Economic and Investment Forum (EEIF) Member of the National Think Tank Group of Eminent Nigerians Chairman of the Nigeria@50 Main Events committee in London (Organised by Nigerian High Commission, CANUK and NIDOE EUROPE) Chair, Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK) Brand Ambassador, Arik Air International
HONOURS AND AWARDS Appreciation Award, Nigerian Sociological and Anthropological Students Association, University of Lagos, 2002 Career Achievers Award, Greenwich University, Greenwich London, 2005 Patron, Association of Nigerian Students, Luton University, Luton, UK Serikin Yakin (King of War) of Kagara Town, Niger State Garkin Kowan Pada (Member of Emirs Palace) of Kotangora town, Niger State
COMPANIES AND DIRECTORSHIPS Director- GoldStar Advanced Summit (Nigeria), Publishers and Promoters of the ‘Educational Theory’ of Dr Tai Solarin ABN Ltd, IT Consultancy Registered in the UK Publisher - Defunct UK based tabloid: ‘The Main Issue’ Director- Pound Xpress (£1 Retail outlet in London) Executive Director, PlatformNIG: http://www.PlatformNIG.org
ORGANISATIONS
London Chambers of Commerce Nigerian/British Chamber of Commerce Northern Offshore Federation, NOF Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK, UK) British Computer Society (BCS) The Chartered Institute for IT The Britain Nigeria Educational Trust The British Council For Africa
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