MAPUTO, Mozambique, November 10, 2015/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
The Africa 2.0 Annual Leadership Symposium is less than 20 days away, and the best and brightest minds from across Africa will be gathering in Maputo from 24-26 November at the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Centre. This year marks the five year anniversary for Africa 2.0.
The conference theme is Synergy: Stronger Together with a focus on showcasing how, along side partners, we can be faster, stronger and better through effective collaboration.
To register for the conference click here: http://www.apo.af/Lc705x
To attend, take part in the Press Conference or cover the event, contact Gavin Rash: gavin@africa2point0.org
The focus areas for their workshops, panel discussions, international speakers and hack-a-thons (workshops designed to crack the trickiest challenges we face) are:
Entrepreneurship: Building an enabling entrepreneurship ecosystem
The launch of the Africa 2.0 Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) and panel discussions with key investors, a StartUp Africa pitching competition for 20 African Entrepreneurs (including mentors and judges from local Mozambican StartUps)
Technology: Making the robots work for us
Africa 2.0 will be launching their partnership with We Think Code (teaching young Africans to code), and looking at the critical themes of how to get more women in to science technology and how technology can help leapfrog Africa’s transformation and address particularly African challenges.
Women: Women as drivers for change
Ensuring effective resource allocation for African women to access healthcare, as well as looking at the role of women in peace building activities and addressing the obstacles that female entrepreneurs encounter.
Agribusiness: Tackling food security through agropreneurship
The Africa 2.0 No Hunger programme will be launched in this workshop, and representatives from Dangote and FAO will look at how nurturing agro-entrepreneurs can support African development in sustainable ways. We will also have assess how Governments have met the commitments of the Maputo Declaration through allocation of funds to agribusiness
These areas are all part of the Africa 2.0 Manifesto (http://www.apo.af/dmDz9I)– a document put together by the organisations Champions, and endorsed by Institutions like the African Union and several Heads of State, to address the vaccum that exists for a common and aligned vision for the youth of the continent.
Africa 2.0 will be launching the Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Programme at this event – an innovative initative that addresses the full entrepreneurship ecosystem by using technology, providing acecss to funding, mentorship and incubation support. Entrepreneurship is one of the ways to address youth unemployment by harnessing the demographic dividend of African Youth. In parrallel to the main conference, a StartUp Africa (http://www.apo.af/g4UDG2) entrepreneurship competition will be hosted, showcasing over 20 young entrepreurs that are changing Africa and addressing critical African challenges with their innovative businesses.
The conference will begin on the evening of the 24th of November with an Opening Cocktail (with performances from Mozambican musicians Gabriella and and an Award Ceremony, giving recognition to the change makers of Africa as well as announcing the new Africa 2.0 Advisory Board..
Expected participants and special guests:
- H.E. Olusegun Obasanjo, Former President of Nigeria
- Ahmed Kassam, Advisor of President of Kenya
- Dr. Sipho Moyo, Director of the Cabinet and Chief of Staff , African Development Bank
- Tshepo Mahloele, CEO Harith Fund Managers
- Diana Layfield, Regional CEO Standard Chartered
- Amadou Gallo Fall, Managing Directors NBA Africa
- Ambassador Charles Stith, Executive Chairman of The Pula Group
- Mamadi Diane, Advisor to President of Côte d’Ivoire
- Moustapha Ben Barka, Deputy Secretary General to the Presidency of Mali
- Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University
- Thomas Konditi, CEO GE Africa (Transportation)
- Samba Bathily, Chairman CEO Akon Lighting Africa
- Anthony Kume, CEO Republic Oil
- Alassane Doumbia, Vice President Sifca Group
- Moise Katumbi, Governor of Katanga Province
- Younes Maamar, CEO eONE Investments
- Laureen Olsson, Director Amethis Investment Fund ($500m fund)
- Aristide Ouattara, Senior Manager Deloitte Consulting
- Akere Muna, Chairperson of the International Anti-Corruption Conference
- Tewodros Ashenafi, South West Oil International (Ethiopia)
- Ngugi Kiuna – Head Of Africa Rand Merchant Bank
- Malenga Machel, CEO Whatana Group (Mozambique).
- Hon. Maj. (Dr.) Mustapha Ahmed Rtd. MP minister of youth and Sport, Ghana
- Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings
- Graca Machel, Chairperson of Graca Machel Trust
- HE Joacquim Chissano Former Mozambique President
- Mozambican Ministers of Science Technology, Gender Social Affairs, Finance and Industry Commerce
The 5 year journey of Africa 2.0 Foundation has been full of successes, and through the determination of the organisations membership community of young emerging leaders across the African continent and the Diaspora, this has been achieved:
BUILT A SOLID PLATFORM
- Presence in 35 countries around the world on 5 continents
- More than 600 active and committed emerging leaders community
- 53% of members are female
- 45 Nationalities represented
- Reached 97,000 facebook followers in 12 months
- 5 members ranked in Forbes top 10 most Powerful in Africa (2014)
- Selected by President Obama to co-run the YALI Regional Leadership Centers in Ghana and Senegal to train 500 emerging leaders in the next 4 years.
LAUNCHED KEY IMPACT INITIATIVES
- Piloted and Scaled Up Startup Africa
.Mobilizing over 8000 entrepreneurs in 12 countries
.Mentoring 1000 and
.100+ received access to funding and incubators
.Generating 700 jobs in 18 months
- Generated more than 400 cross border business opportunities
EMERGED AS A THOUGHT LEADER OF REFERENCE
- Mobilized attendance from more than 3500 Global, African Leaders over 5 years.
- Partnered with Africa Forum representing 38 former Head of States and Governments
- Raised the Rebranding Africa Narrative with 65% of the top African and International media.
- Launched the Vision Africa 2.0 Manifesto endorsed by 43 Ministers of Education
- Helped Shape the African Agenda on Panafrican and Global Stage (G20,WEF, AU)
Visit www.africa2point0.org for more information
