DAY ONE | FRIDAY, MARCH 26th
Please note that the two panels “Infrastructure Development in Africa” and “Aid vs. Investment” will run concurrently.
“Infrastructure Development in Africa” This panel will explore the role of private enterprise in developing and financing infrastructure development projects, and the key policies and initiatives (both public and private) required to ensure that investments in infrastructure are, in fact engines for sustainable growth and prosperity in Africa. Panelists will seek to address areas of opportunity and constraints as they pertain to infrastructure development across the continent. Topics to be covered include: what role the private sector has in addressing these issues and ensuring that investment in infrastructure is an asset to Africans, the telecommunications market, energy access, privatization among African countries and the specific challenges faced and opportunities available for advancement in Africa’s infrastructure.
PARTICIPANTS:
Dr. George Banjo, Senior Consultant, World Bank
Dr. Chantal Colle, CEO, Alô-Guinée and Founder, La Fondation Chantal Colle
Ify Umunnakwe, Founder and CEO, Lexon Capital
Panel Moderator: Dr. Ellen Morris Ph.D, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Arc Finance Ltd.
Panel organized by Gbenga Olowoyeye and Kifle Bantayehu
“Aid vs. Investment” This panel will focus on the comparative effectiveness of aid and foreign investment in achieving economic development and advancing social and economic rights in African nations. Beginning with an examination of recent trends in foreign investment and the objectives and methods employed, participants will then speak to the extent to which the profit-seeking incentive is an appropriate model for ensuring the sustainability of capital in-flow into Africa and laying the bedrock for economic self-sufficiency.
PARTICIPANTS:
Barbara James, Principal, Henshaw Capital Partners
Eric Kashambuzi, UN Liason and Principal Advisor, Millennium Promise
Andrew Rice, Journalist, The New York Times
Graham Sinclair, Investment Advisor and ESG Architect, Sinclair & Company
Panel Moderator: Scott Shuster
Panel organized by Chiz Nwokonkor
Please note that the following two panels “African Fashion Going Global” and “Greasing the Wheel: Law, Corruption and the Economy” will run concurrently.
“African Fashion Going Global” With the FIFA World Cup being hosted in South Africa this year, it seems like all eyes are on the continent, but they are not all looking at football. Fashion designers and others in the world of style are mesmerized by the trend of Afro-centricity, but as an African in the industry, do I have to stick to my roots to be successful? Given the current global recession, what opportunities do African countries have to capitalize on, as companies seek emerging markets with untapped potential? From business plan to clothing line, if you want to be in the fashion business, what do you need to know about entrepreneurship in this highly competitive industry?
PARTICIPANTS:
Oluchi, Supermodel and the original Face of Africa
Busie Matsiko, Co-Founder, Fashion Indie Media
Aisha Obuobi, Designer and Founder, Christie Brown
Mimi Plange, Designer and Founder, Boudoir D’huîtres
Panel Moderator: Zandile Blay, Fashion Market Editor, Paper Magazine
Panel organized by Madonna Kendona and Osahon Akpata
“Greasing the Wheel: Law, Corruption and the Economy” In August 2009, the head of Zambia’s Anti Corruption Task Force, Maxwell Nkole, was removed from his position, a week after his unsuccessful prosecution of the Country’s former President, Frederick Chiluba, and his refusal to drop an appeal at the insistence of the government. This troubling instance of governmental meddling, captures both the progress and failings of the continent. 50 years after Independence: democracy has replaced dictatorships as the dominant mode of governance; political stability and peaceful transfers of power have replaced the coup d’états and civil wars as the only means of regime change; and courts have begun to function with some measure of independence.
As Africa celebrates it’s Golden Jubilee, it is particularly timely to consider role of law and legal institutions in the continent’s economic development. The goal of this panel is to discuss: (1) the prioritization of the rule of law and the legal reforms necessary for economic growth, (2) the impact of corruption on economic development, and (3) the implementation and enforcement of legal norms. Your knowledge and perspective will be critical to our dialogue as we examine how best to move our continent forward.
PARTICIPANTS:
Dr. Roger S. Leeds, Chairman, Emerging Markets Private Equity Association and Professor, Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies
H. Kwasi Prempeh, Professor, Seton Hall Law School
Nuhu Ribadu, Visiting Fellow, Center for Global Development, & Former Executive Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of Nigeria
Rossie E. Turman, III, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher, & Flom LLP & Affiliates
Jacqueline Muna Musiitwa, Esq., Professor, Hoja Law Firm, and Founder and Executive Director, Transitional Trade
Panel Moderator: Andrew Mwenda, CEO & Managing Editor, The Independent
Panel organized by Yaw Darkwa and Uchenna Ibekwe
DAY TWO | SATURDAY, MARCH 27th
“Brand Africa: Defining a Continent” With the election of a US President whose father is Kenyan and the upcoming FIFA World Cup to be hosted in South Africa, there is a revitalized global interest in Africa. However, most people in the world have never seen pictures of an African city, rarely hear about progressive economic leaps in the countries and the most common images from Africa are less than flattering. Much has been said about re-branding Africa, but who is responsible? Is it the media, the governments or Africans in the Diaspora? Which countries have been successful in changing their negative images and how did they do it? What are the greatest opportunities for young, aspiring African entrepreneurs in media and entertainment today?
PARTICIPANTS:
Femi Agbayewa, Director of Production, Real Livin Films
Helen Jennings, Editor, Arise Magazine
Rosalind McLymont, Editor-in-Chief, The Network Journal
Mark Walton, Executive Vice President of Sponsorship and Corporate Development, The Africa Channel
Panel Moderator: Lola Ogunnaike, Entertainment Correspondent, CNN American Morning
Panel organized by Osahon Akpata and Ziad Zoueihed
Please note that the following two events “African Hospitality: The Power Within” and All for Africa’s Presentation “Planting the Seeds of Sustainability” will run concurrently.
“African Hospitality: The Power Within” The focus of the hospitality industry in Africa has traditionally been on visitors from outside the continent. However, the past decade has seen significant growth in the ranks of middle-class Africans with disposable income and a desire to travel. This panel will focus on the rapidly expanding local and regional tourism sector in Africa and explore the challenges and opportunities it presents.
PARTICIPANTS:
Rumit Mehta, CEO, Immersion Journeys
Andy Murphy, CEO, Eco-Ghana
Sthu Zungu, President, South Africa Tourism
Panel Moderator: Scott Shuster
Panel organized by Osahon Akpata
All for Africa Presentation: “Planting the Seeds of Sustainability”
The presentation will be based on All for Africa’s partnership with the private sector to launch innovative projects that create sustainable local economies, thereby empowering African communities in the fields of health, education, skills training, clean water and micro-financing to better control their destinies. This mission is achieved through:
1. Project development aimed at creating sustainable funding to cover operational expenses for community based programs and charities.
2. The creation of valuable collaborative models between for profit companies and not for profit organizations.
PARTICIPANTS:
Diane L. McDonald , Director of Operation, All for Africa
Please note that the following two summits, “Niger Delta Investment Summit” and “China-Africa: Trade and Investment Summit” will run concurrently.
“Niger Delta Investment Summit” The Niger-Delta Investment Summit is a high-level interactive session during the forum that aims to bring together leading politicians and business practitioners from around the world to discuss development and business opportunities in the region. The participants will speak on the progress made post amnesty deal and how this affects the inhabitants, oil companies, investment climate, and the country as a whole. The summit will give Niger Delta policy makers an international platform to address serious perception and image problems about the area.
PARTICIPANTS:
Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Governor, Rivers State
Chief Ufot Ekaette, Minister, Niger Delta Affairs
Sen. Liyel Imoke, Governor, Cross River State
Air Vice Marshal Larry Koinyan, Chairman, Niger Delta Development Commission
Panel Moderator: Chamberlain Peterside, CEO, New Era Capital Corporation
Panel organized by Robert Onah
“China – Africa Trade Summit” This panel is being organized in collaboration with Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute and seeks to address the major challenges and opportunities that lay ahead in trade and investment between Africa and China as they relate to issues of sustainability, economic growth and development and consumer protection. With most of the major economies trying to recover from the global economic crisis, new questions arise as to the future of trade and investment in the continent, particularly by China, who is now one of Africa’s foremost trading partners. What are the implications of this fragile environment for the economies of African countries? How can a mutually beneficial environment for trade and investment both for local African businesses and foreign ones be ensured going forward? Lastly, who will look out for the interest of the African consumer? This diverse panel of industry leaders will discuss these challenges and help alleviate some of these burning questions.
PARTICIPANTS:
Jian-Ye Wang, Chief Economist, China Import-Export Bank
Remi Bello, Founder & Head of Research, B&M Consulting
Abiodun (Abi) Adisa, Founder, Oridun Capital
Nkunde Mwase, Economist, International Monetary Fund – Strategy, Policy and Review Department
Panel Moderator: Dr. Harry Broadman, Senior Vice President, Albright Stonebridge Group LLC
Panel organized by Kode Nascimento and Innocent Bash