This August at the University of Ibadan, Ibadan will witness a gathering of young professionals from across various sectors for the very first edition of the Business Campus Invasion. This event, hosted by Aanuoluwapo Adepoju is tagged “Designated Survivors“.
In this interview, Aanuoluwapo, who has hosted a number of similar events shared his motivation for hosting “Designated Survivors”, how it is different from other events he has hosted and why business people and professionals who want to make an impact cannot afford to miss it.
1. “Designated Survivors: Finding Meaning After Chaos” is an unusual theme for a business conference, were you going through chaos were you responding to when you picked it?
For many people, chaos comes at different stages of life, but one thing is certain: you will always experience your own form of chaos. For some, it is leaving the university and trying to find their feet. For others, it is when their business is going through a difficult season.
Life is constantly producing survivors, but you don’t become a designated survivor simply because you survived the chaos. You become one when, after surviving it, you are able to find meaning in it.
And that’s why we picked this theme: to prepare students, business owners, and creatives for life before and after the chaos. We have different panelists coming to share their stories and how they became survivors and, eventually, designated survivors in their different industries.
2. You’ve run Business Breakfast and Night Business School before this, in what way(s) is this event different from those?
Business Breakfast is a gathering strictly for business owners. It’s like a breakfast session where we have tea, bread, or biscuits while talking about business, sharing ideas, and networking. It’s a paid event.
Night Business School is where I teach, mostly for long hours, and go deep into different business topics. But Business Campus Invasion is different because it is specifically designed for students.
This first edition is at UI, especially for students in 300 level and those who are about to graduate. We want to help them find meaning after chaos, prepare for what comes next, and become designated survivors in their different fields.
3. “Finding meaning after chaos” can tip into motivational-speaker territory, what’s the one operational takeaway, not just a feeling, you want someone to walk away with?
Lol, I understand perfectly, and I get that a lot. But the most important thing for me is that everyone who attends the event begins to see possibilities they may not have considered before and learns how to position themselves for better opportunities that can advance their lives and businesses.
4. What’s a piece of common startup/business advice you actively push back against?
“Consistency is the key” is something I push back against when it is presented as the complete solution to growing a business. You can be consistent and be consistently wrong.
You also have to look at the factors of production.
Consistency is not one of them, while capital is. Sometimes, what you need is access to funds. With the right strategy and the right resources, you can get better results.
5. Is this a one-off UI edition or the start of a campus circuit, and what would make you call it a success beyond attendance numbers?
It’s a campus invasion series. UI is just the first place my team and I are going because I graduated from UI, and this is my way of giving back to my alma mater. We have other campuses in mind, and they will roll out as time goes on.
For us, beyond attendance, I want to see someone walk up to me 10 years from now and tell me how the event shaped their perspective. Another person might tell me they started their business because of something they learned at the event, and many more stories like that.
It’s a long-term goal for us. Whatever happens immediately after the event, we will be happy, but we are thinking long-term here. We want to see more designated survivors rise.
We will always win.
Designated Survivors comes up on the 22nd August 2026, by 9AM prompt at Room 32, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan. Attendance is Free , but registration is required. Register for the event HERE
