Olumide Adeleye is a social entrepreneur and educator. He is the President of Twim Infomedia Solutions Group, consisting of Twim Art Institute, Twim Studios, Twimi.tv and Trinitiweb Infomedia. He has directed and produced a number of projects for a wide array of organizations. He also is a media consultant to the Azikel Group, one of the biggest indigenous firms in Nigeria. His passion is to solve the widespread problem of unemployment in Africa by raising entrepreneurs through vocational and entrepreneurship training. This brilliant young man was named the South West Nigeria winner, and overall Finalist for the Ford Foundation Prize for Youth Employment.
As a radio host, teacher and mentor to many young entrepreneurs, Olumide is widely consulted as one of Nigeria’s leading voices on youth employment and small-scale start-up. His contributions have been featured on a number of reputable media and has been honoured with a number of awards.
As a creative entrepreneur, he is also a Photographer, Documentary Filmmaker, Website / Graphics Designer and Blogger. Besides these, he has a strong background in Information and Communications Technology and hold a number of reputable certifications.
The Twim Art Institute, formerly known as Twim Academy, is one of Nigeria’s leading schools of arts and vocational education. The institute offers short-term certificate courses, as well as apprenticeships, in areas that are relevant to the needs of the Nigerian market within the context of a global world. The Twim Art Institute is approved by the Oyo State Board for Technical Education.
The Institute has helped hundreds of youths to find employment and fulfilment by helping them discover and develop their creative passions and linking them up with opportunities in the huge events and entertainment industries. Twim Academy is a social venture: a government-approved vocational school that builds entrepreneurial minds in the media and creative arts. Vocational skills taught in this academy include: Photography, Digital Filmmaking, Website Design, Visual Effects, Graphics and Computer Literacy. Twim Academy has a special focus on solving the problem of unemployment in Nigeria and its programme are geared mainly towards helping young people become self-reliant or employable.
The Twim Art Institute been in existence for about 5 years, accomplishing many milestones and innovating all the way.
The original idea was to have a commercial photography studio in the serene city of Ibadan. That photography studio- known as Twim Studios- was what Olumide founded after returning to Nigeria from a vocational school in India.
In early 2015, Twim Academy was selected as one of the MasterCard Foundation and Ashoka’s “Innovations for Youth Employment in Africa” winners and featured at the Ashoka Globalizer Summit in South Africa. The same year, the Twim Academy founder, Olumide Adeleye, was a finalist for the Future Awards Ford Foundation Prize for Youth Employment. New York Forum Africa, a global think-tank, also listed Twim Academy as one of the top 50 “Most Innovative Startups in Africa.”
The Twim Art Institute has grown over the years with fellowships and training from Leap Africa, The DO School in Germany, Yunus & Youth, and many others.
Soon a myriad of events would force him to reconsider his model. The biggest of them was a devastating burglary which forced him to not only see the biting problem of unemployment in Nigeria, but how he was naturally equipped as a teacher to train people who would become entrepreneurs (or easily employable) thereby solving that problem. This dark period birthed Twim Academy, which would today be known as the Twim Art Institute. Twim Academy began with a focus on media and creative arts. It has now expanded to include fashion, interaction design, performing arts, and culinary arts. From the 3-bedroom flat in Akobo, Ibadan, Twim Academy expanded to two flats. Today, The Twim Art Institute utilizes a much bigger campus with several classrooms and studios. This growth in a sector that is largely abandoned by society has come because of the relentless dedication of The Twim Art Institute’s team to delivering great learning experiences and providing real solutions to the problem of unemployment.
Olumide is the host, Director’s Angle on radio, a popular inspirational broadcast and talk-show series airing on Star FM, Ibadan. He is a contributor to reputable on-line and print media such as Ventures Africa and the curator, Kudizone.com.
While he was an undergraduate at the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Olumide Adeleye realized that he had a strong flair for media. He therefore trained himself in graphics and website designs. He was awarded a full scholarship for a web and software diploma at Karrox, an Indian IT firm. Olumide served as a youth corps member in Osun State and received official commendation from the governing board of the National Youth Service Corps in the state for his role in promoting Osun State’s culture and tourism potential on the web.
Thereafter, Olumide proceeded to India to pursue his media options. He attended Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics where he studied the basics of Visual Special Effects. He also understudied under Satish Kumar, an Indian Film Director and Producer. Olumide’s strong background in IT, earned him certifications by EXIN, Microsoft, and EC-Council.
According to the proverb of King Solomon which says “A man that is diligent in his business will not dine with ordinary men, but with princes and nobles”. Indeed, Olumide can be associated with excellence, one who will not settle for less. Greatness is not cheap, it requires persistence and passionate pursuit of purpose.