Ismail Bello was an award-winning Nigerian Business Development Consultant, Youth Advocate, and Digital Technology and Innovation Expert. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and a Master’s degree in Information Technology. He had more than 10 years of expertise in civic leadership, youth development, and community development in the nonprofit sector. He specialized in developing intervention training programs and projects that encouraged civic engagement, political leadership, and good governance. He had 8 years of experience as a young mobilizer and strategist for youth development, working on programs supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through Yiaga Africa, the US Embassy in Nigeria, and the European Union Youth sounding board (EU). He created innovative engagement models and development strategies for promoting access to good governance and political leadership among young people in Nigeria. He worked on a UNDP-sponsored project at Yiaga Africa that resulted in a policy framework which was submitted to Nigeria’s lawmakers and led to age reduction to allow young people to run for office at the local, state, and federal levels of government in Nigeria.

The United States Embassy in Nigeria shortlisted his contribution in 2021 for a nomination at the prestigious International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) on Human Rights and Civic Engagements for Youths in Washington, D.C., United States. He was also appointed as a youth advisor in the EU Delegation to Nigeria’s Youth Sounding Board, where he worked with partners in the project’s implementation to help develop and implement youth-focused strategies that had given young leaders the tools they needed to spark transformative leadership change for youth political participation in communities and cities across Nigeria.
As the visionary behind the Youth Entrepreneurship Support Hub (YES-Hub), Ismail pioneered a transformative social enterprise that links Nigerian youth entrepreneurs and graduates with essential resources, facilitating entrepreneurial success and socioeconomic growth; YES-Hub’s initiatives promote job creation, economic development, and SDG Goal 8 by offering entrepreneurship training, growth strategies, and financial backing, equipping individuals to establish sustainable businesses and contribute to Nigeria’s economic advancement.

Furthermore, Ismail’s dedicated mentorship at YES-Hub has led to numerous entrepreneurs securing the prestigious Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) grant, offering vital guidance in the application process and enabling successful funding acquisitions, empowering entrepreneurs to translate their ideas into impactful solutions addressing critical challenges within Nigeria’s landscape. Ismail holds a degree in computer science and masters in information technology.