The clock has finally ticked into the weekend of the 2016 TEDxGbagada conference in Lagos, Nigeria. One look at the list of speakers, performers and host, and you know that this year’s conference would be a great end of year self-development gift. Themed, ‘The Pareto Change’, the conference speakers will, in Gbagada on Saturday, 19^th November, share the time-tested 80:20 principles that changed everything in their lives, businesses, and society.

Lined up are 7 speakers: Smart Money Africa founder, Arese Ugwu, Google’s country manager for Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, 93 Days filmmaker, Steve Gukas, founder of Mothers Delivery Kit, Adepeju Jaiyeoba, disability advocate, Temitope Okupe, founder of African Newspage, Adam Alqali and founder of BAU Research and Development, Gossy Ukanwoke. On the conference’s lighter side, soul singer, Maka and spoken word artist, Amaka, will be on ground.

The host is CNN African Voices anchor, Keturah King, while Omoo Anetekha anchors networking.

A chat with organizer of the TEDxGbagada, Mercy Akamo, revealed that missing out on registration would not be a worry. “We hope to host 300 registered individuals, but there are plans for live video streaming, plus live feed on Instagram and Twitter. That way, the conference will make a potential social media reach of more than 2,500 millennials during the conference. Anywhere you end up on that Saturday, stay close to your phone for ongoing updates from stage and even backstage. This year’s TEDxGbagada chose speakers from technology, writing, journalism, maternal health, filmmaking and more. Why? We have our audience in mind. We understand the multifaceted industries that are relevant to them. The overall aim of the conference is to share and birth audacious ideas and knowledge, all to and personal success, which in turn reshapes boundaries of ability and society reality,” she said.

TEDxGbagada will be joining the likes of other TEDx conferences held in Accra, Euston, Paris, Silicon Valley, Oxford, and 1600 other places, all organized by passionate volunteers.

Last year’s conference, themed ‘Let there be Light’, had featured the likes of Timi Dakolo, Toyin Poju-Oyemade, Taofick Okoya, Mark Essien and Bovi.

TEDxGbagada is licensed by TED, which is a US-based not-for-profit enterprise devoted to the propagation of ideas worth spreading. It also celebrates and spreads locally-driven ideas in technology, science, entertainment, design and business, through conferences in more than 100 languages across the world.

Just in case you missed out on a New Year’s resolution to develop your knowledge and skills, the TEDxGbagada Conference may just be the platform you need to soak up ideas.

Mazi Emeka