Dayo Israel Biography: Profile Of APC Youth Leader Who Rolled With Queen Elizabeth, Obama, Others—Temidayo Israel Abdulai, a 36-year-old Lagos State indigene, born on 29th January 1986 in Mushin, to the Abdulai Family, in Olowogbowo (Agboole Baba Eleran/Baba Dudu) and the Banire Family in Ibita Ofin Lagos Island emerged the national youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the just concluded national convention of the party.
Israel emerged through a consensus that saw four other co-contestants — Ibrahim Alli-Balogun, Olalekan Smart Edwards, Dada Olusegun, and Rinsola Abiola — stepping down for him.
He became APC’s first national youth leader to be elected from the South West after the position was zoned to the region by the party.
Due to his excellence and several advocacies aimed at spurring development in Nigeria and Africa, Israel has been recognized by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh and invited to a private reception held at Buckingham Palace.
The Barack Obama administration had also invited him to the White House President’s Forum for Young African Leaders in Washington DC.
Israel is a recipient of the Mayor of London’s Young PEWA (Person Earnestly Working for Africa) Award.
The new APC national youth leader currently serves as an Executive Permanent Board Member of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, appointed by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to oversee quality assurance of all public primary schools in the state.
Based on information on his LinkedIn account, Israel attended the London Metropolitan University where he obtained LLB Law in 2009 and Master of Arts in International Relations in 2010.
He also holds different diploma certificates from the Harvard Business School Executive Education, Cambridge Judge Business School, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD), a global civil society initiative, described him as a “vibrant personality” who has been “an advocate at the tender age of 14 years old” and started attending meetings of the United Nations (UN) at the age of 15.
In an appreciation speech on Sunday, Israel said he had started “collecting the manifestos of most of my co-aspirants and fusing them into our agenda.”
He urged the four others aspirants to join hands with him to move the party forward, saying “We have a lot to offer for the progress of our party, the youth constituency and Nigeria as a whole.
“I have also set up a committee to help coordinate our first series of events and engagements with young stakeholders and I have approached most of my co-aspirants and support groups in Abuja to send a representative to serve on that committee. I would reach out to others to do the same.
“I demonstrated my readiness to work with everyone by personally reaching out to my co-contestants. I held meetings with them. I also began talks of collaboration, to see how we can go into the convention with a united front. This is because I believe that collaboration is key.
“We want our administration to be all-inclusive, from bottom up, and not just reflective of Abuja. After all, it is the office of the National Youth leader, and not Lagos, Oyo, Nasarawa, Kano, or Abuja youth leader.”
Dayo Israel
Dayo Israel from Nigeria, who studied several different courses at London Met is now a motivational speaker and international advisor to many world leaders, business executives and young entrepreneurs. He is a larger-than-life character who exudes energy and inspires those around him. Indeed his most recent achievement (one of many) as being voted “One of Africa’s top 30 most inspirational young people” encapsulates our first impressions of him.
Dayo’s background.
From the age of nine, Dayo started the only child-led non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Nigeria at the time – General Action Against the Violation of Human and Children’s Rights, an organisation which spearheaded the campaign for the promotion of children’s rights in Nigeria. As a result of this, he was elected onto the Nigerian Children’s Parliament at the age of 14 and became the first deputy senate president of Children’s Parliament for Nigeria. At the age of 15 he started attending meetings for the United Nations (UN) and also took his first trip to Europe under the Global Peace Walk. A year later, he travelled to London with the British Council as a speaker for Connecting Future’s Programme and also spoke at a UN General Assembly Special Session on Children. He continued to be involved in many other notable global activities which were committed to children’s rights.
The decision to study at London Met
Dayo started at London Metropolitan University on the International Foundation Programme and continued onto the LLB and finally completed his MA International Relations in 2010. His past achievements and connections to various international organisations and charities meant that whilst studying at London Met he continued to grow and develop his impressive portfolio of achievements. He acknowledges that the University supported him immensely in his life work. During his time at London Met, he wrote to the Vice-Chancellor about his various activities with the UN and other such organisations. Dayo impressed him so much that the University paid for Dayo to attend a UN conference in Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania during his studies.
How did Dayo benefit from his time at London Met?
Dayo says “the University supported my vision and my dreams and cares about its students. This is why I am so proud to be London Met”.
Since graduating, Dayo Israel has been involved in many high-level international activities that have earned him enormous international accolades. He continues to be committed to his UN activities as well as being focused on advising senior officials in the Nigerian Government. He has also launched his own TV show “Dayo Israel in Conversation with”, shown in Nigeria and the UK.
London Metropolitan University’s then Vice Chancellor Alfred Morris said “London Metropolitan University has always believed that education is not only about the individual but also about how that individual uses their talents to help and inspire others. Dayo Israel, through his commitment to global issues and his inspirational speaking makes that belief a resounding reality. I am proud to count him as one of our graduates!”
About
Dayo Israel was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of African Descent (under 40) as part of the 2017 celebration of the UN Decade for people of Africa Descent at the One UN Plaza in New York. A Henley Business School Young Leader, Dayo has twice been named in 2016 and 2017 as one of 50 UK’s brightest young leaders. He was recognised as one of the top 25 Promising Nigerian Youths under 35 To Serve Nigeria in 2016 and as one of Africa’s top 30 most inspirational young people of 2013. Dayo is a member of the British Council Global Change makers Network and Alumnus of the US State Department International Visitors Leadership Program that has produced over 400 Heads of Government globally.
In recent times, Dayo’s United Nations engagement have included the management and coordination of the UNICEF Nigeria/Lagos State Government Launch of the Violence Against Children Campaign and the Visit of the Special Representative of the Secretary General to the Launch in Lagos.
Through his work at GLEEHD Foundation, Dayo helps drive trade and investment between Africa and the West (Europe and North America) through various activities including Trade Delegations, Business Roundtables, Investment Forums and Bilateral Meetings.
Prior to his role as Regional Director for Africa at GLEEHD Foundation, Dayo served as Special Assistant at the National Assembly of Nigeria, YTI Special Representative to the United Nations, and YGA Ambassador to the United Nations.
At the National Assembly of Nigeria (Office of Senator Omoworare – now Chairman Senate Committee on Rules and Business), Dayo was responsible for Strategy Development, Project Design and Implementation.
Specialties: Project Management, Operations Management, Fundraising, Training and Development, PR and Marketing, Leadership Development, Capacity Building, Preaching the Gospel, Public Speaking and Keynote Speeches
