An LGBT advocate and HIV activist, Adebisi Alimi was the first person to ever come out as gay on Nigerian television. After an attempt on his life in 2007, he fled to the UK where he was granted political asylum. Before he left, he founded The Independent Project for Equal Rights-Nigeria, where he served as Executive Director and pioneered several Nigerian LGBT youth initiatives. In the UK, he helped to set up Britain’s first international LGBT organization, Kaleidoscope Diversity Trust, where he served as media spokesperson and Director for Africa until 2012. As a Fellow of AVAC, an HIV prevention and treatment fellowship based in New York, he promotes the need for community involvement of more Black gay men in Europe on the mobilization in the fight against HIV. His development work focuses on promoting human rights for gay African men and the prevention of HIV/AIDS. “I am an Angelic Troublemaker! A very passionate storyteller and public speaker, writer and Human Rights Advocate.
Adebisi tells stories from a deeply personal place as a means to inspire others.
He is equally passionate about diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on emerging markets. Over the past five years, he has worked with multinational companies across Nigeria and Africa to help localize their global D&I portfolios. Drawing on his deep understanding of the cultural and political dynamics of various African countries, Adebisi supports businesses in increasing their profit margins while simultaneously championing ethical diversity and inclusion practices that set them apart from competitors.
With over fifteen years of experience in the charity sector, Adebisi has focused extensively on LGBT rights in Africa. Since relocating to the UK, his work has evolved to incorporate the intersections of LGBT rights with race, gender, poverty, and leadership.
