Mosunmola Abudu (Mo), heroine and evangelist for accomplishment is the presenter of Moments with Mo, the runaway show on Mnet which puts pressure on the individual to stand up and be counted.
Moments with Mo, is Mo’s defiant and challenging attitude of providing a platform through which Africa’s untold stories of success and achievement can be told and heard to encourage the continent.
‘Our challenge is to credibly debunk the tendency of the western media that portrays us as the dark continent which exemplifies disease, despair, destruction, disaster, destitution and deceit’, she said.
Mo is sharing her drive and ultimate vision by taking on her next challenge in life, and that is to … Inspire Africa!
Born September 1964 in Hammersmith Hospital in London to Mr. and Mrs. Akintunde, Mo’s family roots are in Ondo Town, in the South Western part of Nigeria. She is the eldest of three sisters. She lost her father at the age of 11. Mo spent most of her youth in the UK where she worked her way through college attending the Ridgeway School, Mid Kent College and West Kent College. She went on to receive her Masters degree in Human Resources Development at the University of Westminster in London.
She began her professional career in 1987 as a Recruitment Consultant with the Atlas Recruitment Consultancy firm in the UK. Within a few years she rose to the position of Branch Manager.
In 1990, Mo was headhunted by the Starform Group, a very successful business information group in the UK to manage the prestigious Corporate Credit Management Exhibition. Mo successfully managed the exhibition from 1990 through 1992. Additionally, she assumed responsibility for the research, design and production of several conferences and seminars whilst at Starform.
In 1993 she returned to Nigeria. On her arrival she was once again headhunted, this time by Arthur Andersen. Her initial assignment was as Head of Human Resources and Training for Esso Exploration & Production Nigeria Limited (Exxon).
By the year 2000, having successfully completed her responsibilities to the ExxonMobil HR Transition and Merger Team, Mo fully recognized Nigeria’s growing need for a trained and highly motivated talent pool that would take Nigerian businesses into the 21st century. Taking advantage of her growing reputation as a HR specialist, Mo resigned from ExxonMobil to start Vic Lawrence & Associates Limited (Popularly known as VLA).
Today VLA is rated as the fastest growing and the largest indigenous HR & training management consultancy firm in Nigeria.
While involving herself in a number of business activities, her next really significant achievement was the conceptualization and building of The Protea Hotel, Oakwood Park, situated along the Lekki Expressway in Lagos, which was commissioned in August 2004.
Set on over 1 hectare of land, comprising of state-of-the-art training, conference and leisure facilities, The Protea Hotel, Oakwood Park is the first new built hotel of its type ever in Nigeria. Ever true to her purpose, Mo’s concept for the Protea Hotel, Oakwood Park was to create a facility that would meet the needs of professionals needing the serenity of a suburban location featuring fully equipped and dedicated training and conference facilities together with the comfort of executive accommodation and leisure.
Today, the Protea Hotel, Oakwood Park plays a significant role in the development of Nigeria’s business community hosting an array of business events, conferences, workshops and training courses.
Despite her busy schedule, Mo finds time to involve herself in community self improvement efforts. Of significance is her participation on the board of directors of Junior Achievement Nigeria, a non-governmental organization promoting business skills development amongst Nigerian youth. Here Mo sits and plans with fellow board members that include the managing directors of ChevronTexaco, Coca-cola International, ExxonMobil, the Dangote group and others.
Another recent accomplishment which Mo is extremely proud of is being appointed the editor of VLA Knowledge, a monthly people management magazine that shares with its avid readers a variety of news, articles, features, surveys, book reviews and a health file.
With all of the above activities and accomplishments, Mo feels ready to share her drive and her ultimate vision by taking on her next challenge in her life, and that is to … Inspire Africa!
She is married and has two children; a daughter age 16 and a son age 10.
