Starting from today — October 1st, 2021 — a new Board of Governors (BoG) will spearhead affairs at the Lagos Angel Network (LAN). According to a press statement released by LAN, the newly-appointed Board of Governors will have Kola Aina as its chairman. The Board of Governors has been authorised to restructure the Lagos Angel Network, with the aim of hiring and enlightening local investors and promoting the idea of early-stage investment in the country.
Appointees of the Board of Governors include Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Biola Alabi Media, Biola Alabi — who serves as the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Governors. Others include Yemi Keri — Rising Tide Africa co-founder, Iyin Aboyeji; Future Africa Founder, Gerrad Olisa-Ashar — Diaspora Angel Network co-founder and Olumide Soyombo; co-founder, Voltron Capital.
The Lagos Angel Network was established to promote the growth and development of a viable early-stage investment sector in the country. The organisation’s main focus has been to help Lagos-based entrepreneurs and small-scale business owners gain enough resources for growth and development through networking and mentoring.
According to a spokesperson for the Lagos Angel Network, the organisation has helped mentor and enlightened and invested in more than one hundred different startups in Nigeria since its inception in 2012.
Through LAN, many other Angel communities have been founded including South South-East Angels (SSEAN), Rising Tide Africa (RTA), the Diaspora Angels Network (DAN), and Abuja Angels Network (AAN).
“Angel investors are extremely relevant to the economy of any successful nation and the Lagos Angel Network can play a key role in promoting policy and education. Under our servitude, we will continue to ensure that the Lagos Angel Network becomes more relevant and will become the fountainhead for capital and advocacy,” Mr. Aina told TechCabal.
According to the new LAN head, the newly-appointed Board of Governors will make policy advocacy, education, investment recruitment, and deal pipeline and matching a top priority.
“As our market’s pioneering velocity has increased, we will strive to make sure that the Lagos Angel Network membership and diverse syndicates within our community participate actively in delivering the oldest known and most seamless risk capital in Nigeria and Africa in general, within the next decade,“ Mr. Aina said.
It is important to note that the new Board of Governors will be taking the mantle of leadership from Tomi Davies and Dotun Sulaiman (co-founders of the Lagos Angel Network), Dipo Adebo, Yemi Keri, Bunmi Lawson, David Richards and Collins Onuegbu.
