African managing director of M-Net, Biola Alabi, until recently, has been named a 2014 Yale World Fellow. Alabi served as M-Net’s Africa Managing Director for five years until January 2014, when the continent’s leading television content provider appointed her as the Director of special projects. She joins 15 other World Fellows selected this year from thousands of applicants across the world. 

As Africa managing director, Alabi spent the past five years increasing and enhancing M-Net’s Africa portfolio, her achievements including the launch of Africa Magic Hausa, Yoruba, Swahili and expansion of the Africa Magic brand to eight channels. She also oversaw four editions of the popular reality series, Big Brother Africa, as well as the face of Africa Finale fashion and modelling extravaganza held in Nigeria in 2010.

Last year, Alabi was voted as West Africa business woman of the year as well as being named one of 20 young power women in Africa by Forbes magazine

The Lagos-based 40-year-old is only the seventh Nigerian selected for the prestigious fellowship since the programme’s inception in 2002. Attending Yale’s campus in New Haven, Connecticut, for five months, Alabi will take part in specially-designed seminars in leadership, management and global affairs; receive individualised professional development training; attend courses and engage in discussion with a wide range of distinguished guest.

“Spending five years at the forefront of the flourishing African film and television industry with a business as dynamic and visionary as M-Net has been an incredible experience,” Alabi said. “Now, as I look forward to immersing myself in the Yale World Fellows programme, I must express my sincere appreciation to M-Net for the opportunities, given to me to learn and to lead.”

After her Yale fellowship, Alabi will pursue new career opportunities. M-Net Sub-Saharan Africa CEO Patricia van Rooyen said Alabi’s selection as a Yale World Fellow was well-deserved recognition of her talent, commitment and leadership. “African film and television are much richer for her hard work and inspired, visionary thinking over the past five years, we wish her every success in what will certainly be a glittering career” Van Rooyen said.