# Odiong Akpan

> Odiong Akpan is the founder and CEO of Ubulu Africa, also publicly described as managing partner. His work spans venture building, innovation management and collaboration among universities, businesses and public institutions. A former transmission engineer with degrees from Nigeria, Warwick and Bradford, he also serves in education and innovation networks and writes about the institutional conditions needed for African innovation.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Ubulu Africa; also described as Managing Partner
- **Organizations:** Ubulu Africa, Ubulu Development Foundation, Ibom Innovation Network, TechQuest STEM Academy, FutureMap Foundation, UNDP timbuktoo Policy Impact Unit, AfriLabs Research Group
- **Education:** BEng, Electronic Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, MSc, Engineering Business Management, University of Warwick, Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), University of Bradford School of Management
- **Known for:** Founded Ubulu Africa, an innovation management and venture-building organisation., Completed a DBA at the University of Bradford, conferred in July 2023., Directed the Pitch2Win 2024 programme and its selection of 15 finalists from more than 1,000 applications.

## Career timeline

- **2005** — Joined Vmobile Nigeria as a transmission engineer in June, according to his March 2026 retrospective.
- **2007** — His team worked on aligning Nigerian operations with the expanding Celtel One Network, according to his retrospective.
- **2022** — Presented on research capabilities within innovation hubs at the AfriLabs Annual Gathering, listed as Managing Director of Caspania.
- **2022** — Announced a goal of visiting at least 100 universities worldwide within 24 months to advocate for university-industry collaboration.
- **2023** — Moderated the investor panel at Pitch2Win 3 on July 11 as founder of Ubulu Africa; received his Bradford DBA in July.
- **2024** — Programme director for Pitch2Win 4, which selected 15 finalists from more than 1,000 applications.
- **2025** — Advertised as founder and CEO for a July 23 investor-readiness session in Uyo; spoke as CEO of Ubulu Development Foundation at the December BGIS reception.
- **2026** — Published essays on Saltaire and cross-border innovation; identified in October reporting as programme director of Akwa Ibom Tech Week.

## Achievements

- Founded Ubulu Africa, an innovation management and venture-building organisation.
- Completed a DBA at the University of Bradford, conferred in July 2023.
- Directed the Pitch2Win 2024 programme and its selection of 15 finalists from more than 1,000 applications.
- Serves on the TechQuest STEM Academy board and as a director at Ibom Innovation Network.
- Recognised by NIGCOMSAT for accelerator mentoring and facilitation.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Identified as programme director for Akwa Ibom Tech Week, scheduled for November 2-7, 2026, across Uyo and Ikot Ekpene.
- **2026-03** — Published Borderless by Design, drawing on his Vmobile/Celtel experience to argue for cross-border AI infrastructure and governance.
- **2026-02** — Published Beyond Buildings, using Saltaire to discuss place, people, programmes and partnerships in innovation hubs.
- **2025-12** — Spoke as CEO of Ubulu Development Foundation at the BGIS reception for a programme supporting 14 women-led ventures.

## Links

- Website: https://ubulu.africa/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/odiong-innovation/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/chiefodiong

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/odiong-akpan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22