Biola Alabi

Biola Alabi is a Nigerian businesswoman. She is the CEO of Biola Alabi Media (BAM),[1] a production company that produces TV series and movies for the Nigerian market, such as the food travel series Bukas and Joints, movies; Lara and the Beat [2][3] and Banana Island Ghost.[4] She previously served as Managing Director for M-Net Africa[5] part of the globally-renowned Naspers Group, where she launched seven Africa Magic channels including the indigenous language channels; Africa Magic Yoruba and Hausa. She also developed the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards which is regarded as the “African Oscars”.

Biola Alabi is an angel investor [6] and advisor in the fast-growing African technology and media startup ecosystem. She is a limited partner in numerous funds, and has invested in companies like Trove Technologies,[7] and Chekkit.[8][9] She is a Non-Executive Director at Unilever Nigeria PLC,[10] a member of the board of directors at Monty Mobile,[11] and the Chairwoman of Big Cabal Media.

Early life and education

Biola was born in the US to Nigerian parents. The eldest among four children of Yoruba origin,[12] her father is from Akure in Ondo State, while her mother is from Ilesa, a town in Osun State. Alabi attended University of Cincinnati where she graduated with a degree in Public and Community Health,[13] she furthered her education with a program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and Yale University's Jackson Institute of Global Affairs.[14]

Career

Alabi founded Grooming for Greatness, a leadership development and mentorship program for a new generation for African leaders. Alabi held the position of Managing Director for M-Net Africa, part of the Naspers Group. Prior to this, she was based in the United States where she was part of the executive team at the influential children's television brand Sesame Street, and a member of the marketing team that launched the Korean motor vehicle corporation Daewoo in the USA.[13] In 2018, Alabi took part initialing massive collaboration art piece Remember To Rise.[15]

Corporate Boards

• Unilever Nigeria PLC, Non-Executive Director [10]
• Monty Mobile, Member of the Board of Directors[11]
• Big Cabal Media, Chairwoman

Biola Alabi Media (BAM)

Biola Alabi Media (BAM) which began in 2015 is a production company that provides services to broadcasting stations, digital industries and entertainment distribution platforms. BAM tells African stories to the world. Its first TV show, Bukas and Joint was widely received. It was rated the most watched TV food show across the country.

Filmography

• Banana Island Ghost[16] (2017) as The Executive Producer
• Lara and the Beat[3] (2018) as The Executive Producer

Awards and recognition

• 2012 – 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa by Forbes Magazine [17]
• 2012 – World Economic Forum Young Global Leader [18]
• 2013 – CNBC Africa's AABLA West African Business Woman of the Year [18]
• 2014 – Yale World Fellows Recipient (Named 1 of 16) [19]
• 2018 – Financial Times top 100 global female executive [20][21]

See also

• List of Nigerian film producers

References

1. "Biola Alabi Media". www.biolaalabimedia.com. Archived from the original on 2020-01-15. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
2. "Bukas & Joints - A journey of culinary delight in Africa". www.bukasandjoints.com. Archived from the original on 2020-02-15. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
3. Dada, Gbenga. "'Lara & The Beat' screens at Pan African Films and Art Festival". Pulse. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
4. "Banana Island Ghost Breaks Box Office Record". Vanguard.
5. Owoeye, Fikayo (27 October 2018). "Meet Biola Alabi, a crusader changing the African narrative through entertainment". Nairametrics. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
6. "raising new female investors for Africa".
7. "Nigeria's First Micro-Investing Platform, Trove, Adds Crypto Currency Trading".
8. "anti-counterfeiting firm, Chekkit closes $500,000 pre-seed funding round".
9. "health-tech startup, Chekkit announces 500k pre-seed funding".
10. "Unilever Nigeria PLC Board". Bloomberg News.
11. "Monty Mobile Board Of Directors".
12. Mutiat Titilope Oladejo (2022). A History of Textiles and Fashion in the Twentieth Century Yoruba World. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 83. ISBN 9781527579231.
13. Awodipe, Tobi (23 June 2018). "Abiola Alabi: We want to tell young people that you can pick yourself up and rebuild". Guardian Woman. The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
14. "Yale - Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellow BIOLA ALABI 2014 CEO Biola Alabi Media Consulting". Retrieved 20 February 2019.
15. "Innovative Painting: Remember To Rise a London Business School collabo endorsed by the noteworthy". Omenkaonline.com. 13 November 2018. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
16. "Banana Island Ghost Full Cast". Uzomedia. Retrieved 2017-05-20.^[permanent dead link‍]
17. "Mnet's Biola Alabi, Nigerian lawyer make Forbes list of 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa – See Full List". YNaija. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
18. "Biola Alabi | World Economic Forum". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2017-04-12.
19. "Yale World Fellows - Biola Alabi".
20. "Biola Alabi listed on 2018 Financial Times Top 100 Global Female Executives".
21. "Nigerian Women make FT 100 Global Female Executives List".