Rivers Entrepreneurs and Investors Forum [REIF] is a non-profit making organization whose sole interest is the economic advancement of Nigeria.
It was conceived out of a genuine desire to have a common platform where the individual and collective interests of Entrepreneurs, Investors and MSMEs doing business in Nigeria shall be addressed. Officially registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission [CAC], Nigeria it was founded by Mr. Ibifiri A. C. Bobmanuel, a Nigerian and an indigenous Entrepreneur of long standing with various interests.
The desire to set up the Forum sprang from the dire need to grow the local economy by positioning the private sector to be drivers of the local economy, rather than the public sector. REIF’s doors are open to all genuine Investors, Entrepreneurs and people of good will with a common purpose of creating prosperity for the state through growing their own businesses.
At Rivers Entrepreneurs & Investors Forum, we believe in the dictum, that a State is prosperous when her citizens are prosperous. REIF’s long term goal is to make Nigeria a haven for Investors, thereby attracting DIRECT FOREIGN INVESTMENT (DFI). For this to happen, we must create investor confidence, first for local investors because charity must begin at home and ultimately to attract foreign investors. This can only happen if conscious steps are taken to make our environment conducive for business to thrive.
Board of Trustees
Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff - Chairman
Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff was the first Military Governor of Rivers State, Nigeria after it was created from part of the old Eastern Region, Nigeria. He held office from May 1967 until July 1975 during the military administration of General Yakubu Gowon. He was also a member of the Supreme Military Council. Alfred Diete-Spiff is an Ijaw from Bayelsa State and the Amayanabo (King) of Twon-Brass, Bayelsa State, born on 30 July 1942. He was educated at St. Joseph’s College, Western Cameroon and Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, England. He joined the Nigerian Navy and was commissioned ships diving officer in 1964. When appointed Military Governor of Rivers State in 1967, he was a Naval Lieutenant Commander aged 25. In December 2009, Diete-Spiff was National Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Auctioneers.
Late Chief Odoliyi Lolomari - Past Vice-Chairman
Chief Odoliyi Lolomari, F.Inst. Pet., FNMGS served as Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Nigeria’s OPEC representative. Chief Lolomari has over 50 years experience in the petroleum industry. He serves as the Chairman of Frontier Oil Limited. He serves as a Director of Notore Chemical Industries Ltd. He is Founding Member of Nigerian National Oil Company (NNOC) and the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR). Chief Lolomari is a Fellow of the Institute of Petroleum, London and the Nigerian Mining and Geosciences Society. Chief Lolomari has a bachelor's degree in Physics which he obtained from the University of London and a Diploma in Oil Technology from the Imperial College (DIC) London
Giandomenico Massari - Member
Engr. (Chief) Giandomenico Massari SMIEE, IEEE,FNSE,SMASQ,JP, Registered Engineer,the current General Manager of Danelec Limited and DanelecFze,is a well- grounded engineer,highly experienced corporate administrator, an accomplished researcher and a philanthropist.As an electronic engineering and information technology expert and has played significant roles in the field of electronic engineering in Nigeria and abroad to lots of institutions. He is Chairman,Institute of Appraisers and Cost Engineers. Massari was born in 1954 in Italy.He attended various schools in Italy,UK and the United States of America. Hehasa B.Sc and M.Sc in Electronics Engineering and PhD.
Engr. George Okoyo - Member
Engr. George Okoyo was born on the 4th of February 1960 to the late Okoyo Eronmhonsele of the Okakulo Royal family of Otohkimi and Mrs. Otiti Okoyo of UgberaseIzokpu family, Otokhimi, both in Ugboha, Esan South East Local Government area of Edo State. He had his Primary School education at St. Basil’s Primary School, Otokhimi, Ugboha in the late sixties after which he proceeded to Lagos for his secondary education. George attended St. Finbarr’s college, Akoka where he passed out with flying colors in 1980; the same year he got admission to read Mechanical Engineering at the University of Benin.
Chief Jamal Shahimi - Member
Chief Jamal Shahimi is a Port Harcourt-based dredging and marine contractor, the managing director and CEO of M.F.W Dredging and Marine Nigeria Ltd. The son of immigrant Lebanese grandparents who arrived Nigeria in the early 1900s, Chief Shahimi has cut his teeth in the ever-busy oilfield environment of the Niger Delta, especially in Port Harcourt and surrounding cities where he deals in sand and engages in dredging for shoreline protection and canalization.
Barr. Franklin Peterside - Member
Franklin F. Peterside is a 1984 law graduate, who was called to the Nigerian Bar, as a Barrister and Solicitor in 1985. The Principal Partner of Global Law Firm and a Notary Public of Nigeria, Franklin F. Peterside is an active member of several professional bodies, including the Nigerian Bar Association and International Bar Association, and has attended many courses, seminars, and conferences within and outside Nigeria. Franklin F. Peterside is a member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria (Affiliate of the Institute of Directors, UK) and a Paul Harris Fellow of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. From Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State of Nigeria, Franklin F. Peterside is married to Professor (Mrs.) Nnenna Frank- Peterside, with whom he has three children; Sean, Moira and Jan.
Board of Administrators
Mr. Ibifiri A.C. Bob-Manuel - President
Mr. Ibifiri A.C. Bobmanuel is the founder and President of Rivers Entrepreneurs and Investors Forum (REIF). A passionate believer in the potentials of Rivers State, Bobmanuel has proven himself as a visionary leader in various business and social domains in Rivers State. He is currently the CEO of various businesses notably Bobmanuel I. A.C. Construction. He has an experience of over 25 years in business management, which cuts across the automobile, construction and Agricultural sectors of the Economy. He holds a Master Degree in Business Management [MBM] from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University [ATBU] – Bauchi, Nigeria.
Mr. T.M.T. Braide - Secretary General
Mr. Tekena Michael Titus Braide, is the Secretary General of Rivers Entrepreneurs & Investors Forum (REIF). He is also the CEO / Managing Director of FILLIRO INTEGRATED SERVICES LTD, a company he established in 2010. A licensed Exporter, the company is also into Maritime, Logistics and Contract Services. He is also the Managing Director of Kalatel Nigeria Limited, a company which undertakes freight forwarding and shipping Agency business among other things. The experience of this technocrat is never in doubt. For over thirty (30) years he has been in the business world. He has wide experience in the Maritime, Construction, Production, Marketing, Telecommunications, Oil & Gas (Export) sectors. He made forays in the business world, when he joined Eastern (Overseas) Agencies Limited, the family’s Freight Forwarding and shipping business in 1981. Since then, he has been in the private sector. In 1991 he left the family business and joined a construction firm called Kydon Nigeria Ltd. Between 1994 and 1996, he was the Depot Manager of 7up bottling company in Rivers State. In 1997, he co-founded a construction company called STONS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY LIMITED. His hobbies include, reading, writing, travelling and Listing to classical & sentimental music etc
AmaOpusenibo (Engr.) B. J. Chapp-Jumbo - Treasurer
Amaopusenibo (Engr.) B.J. Chapp-Jumbo is a member of the Board of Trustees of REIF and also doubles as the Treasurer of REIF, is a visionary and result oriented leader. As the CEO of BIE-USHA (W.A) Ltd., a position he has held for over 27 years, Chapp Jumbo has contributed to the development of the local content in both the upstream and down stream sectors of the petroleum industry in Nigeria. He is a member of various professional bodies.He holds a Bachelor’s Degree [B.Eng.] in Mechanical Engineering.
Ineba E. Bob-Manuel - Director of Research and Development
Ineba Elizabeth Bob-manuel is a development practitioner specialized in Peace and Security and Adult Education (Capacity-Building), holding a masters degree in these areas respectively. She is experienced and interested in Research, Gender, Monitoring and Evaluation, Democracy, Governance, Migrations, Cultures, Project Management, Capacity building and Languages, on which she has short-courses. For most of her career, Ineba has continued to combine theory and practice, working on both the theoretical and practical approaches of project implementation. She is widely travelled and looks forward to growing to the top of her career as she initiates changes across various regions of the world. She can be best described as being at the budding top – career level, and hopes to contribute her ideas and thoughts to strengthening institutions in various countries and regions to enhance development and globalization.
