BOLA OLOWE CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT
Along with his wife and co-founder, Kemi, Bola Olowe provides strategic direction for the foundation, advocates for its core issues, writes relevant books, produces programmes and projects, procures and reviews all major grants.
Bola Olowe maintains contact with individual and corporate local, national, and international partners, grantees and donors to further the foundation’s goal of providing a rallying point for catalysing national rebirth, through the New Generation Vanguard, leadership training workshops, seminars and conferences, Youth Leadership Congresses, quarterly publication of The New Generation magazine/journal, production of television programmes and coordination of annual awards/medals of merit to outstanding individuals and corporate entities in Nigeria and the larger black family anywhere in the world. This is to celebrate the best things about the Nigerian and indeed the black man.
He also uses many public appearances in the Nigeria and abroad, including speeches, interviews, missions, books and articles, to focus attention on these issues.
Bola was born in May 1960 in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State Nigeria. He is Managing Director of Graceforte Ltd. and Director of Konsadem Associates Ltd., a company of Civil and structural Engineering Consultants based in Ibadan. The Bola Olowes have three children (two girls and one boy).
KEMI OLOWE CO-FOUNDER
Along with her husband, Kemi Olowe is co-founder of the Grace Leadership Foundation, which seeks to develop a new generation of leaders by bringing improvement to people’s lives through the creation of an enabling environment by training, mentoring and leading by example.
In her role with the foundation, Kemi Olowe works with local, national, and international partners and foundation grantees to further the foundation’s goal of improving equity in four areas: gender, youth, education, health; education; micro credit, skills acquisition and support for at-risk persons or groups in Ibadan and indeed Nigeria. She is also a member of the Society for Women In Nigeria (SWAN), Ibadan; a group that provides advocacy and education for sex workers with respect to the prevention of AIDS.
Kemi received a bachelor’s degree in animal science and economics from Obafemi Awolowo University in 1986 and a master’s degree in agricultural economics from University of Ibadan in 2004. She is currently studying for a doctorate degree in Agricultural economics also at the University of Ibadan.
Bola and Kemi Olowe live in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. They have three children.