Bright future for Africa business as African business leaders gather in Ghana?
By Peterking Quaye, Accra – Ghana – The future of businesses in Africa to grow or improve in the delivery of their goods and services is paramount to present a bright future for African businesses. The gathering of business minds will surely help in this direction. Africa’s biggest and most diverse leadership gathering, the Vodafone African Business Leaders Forum (ABLF), kicks off at the Accra International Conference Centre.
The theme for the forum is: ‘Enhancing Africa’s Business Opportunities through Effective Public-Private Partnerships.’ Leaders from across the public and private sectors of the continent will be attending the three-day (November 10-12) gathering that is designed to elicit from them thoughts and actions that will accelerate Africa’s development.
Ghana’s president, John Evans Atta Mills, gave the keynote speech at the opening, which will set the ball rolling for three days of inspiring exhortations, deep thinking, knowledge-building, and networking.
Over 80 eminent speakers made up of government ministers, senior public-sector officials, entrepreneurs, top-notch business executives and CEOs from Africa and beyond will be sharing their thoughts and insights on development issues of the continent. These include Africa’s Leadership and Developmental Agenda; Navigating Africa’s Economic Growth; Africa’s Corporate Governance Systems; Business Leadership in a Competitive Landscape; The Media and Africa’s Economic Development Agenda; and Education and Human Capital Development in Africa.
Others are Women in Leadership & Entrepreneurship; Information and Communications Technology Development in Africa; Finance, Banking and Investment; and Energy in Africa. A unique feature of the event is the 101 Young Leaders Forum, which will rally together 101 young, enterprising leaders from different parts of Africa to discuss entrepreneurship and explore ways to optimise the continent’s vast potential in areas such as agriculture and agri-business.
Mrs. Edith Dankwa, Executive Director of the Business & Financial Times, lead-organiser of the event, said ahead of today’s programme: “This is certainly a coalition of the willing. We are having a diverse representation of people and great minds who want to fight poverty and under-development on the continent.” She continued: “This year, in particular, we aim to create a platform for African leaders to brainstorm ideas around the creation of opportunities, which we see in plentiful supply in every part of the region.”
In the words of Kyle Whitehill, CEO of Vodafone Ghana, headline sponsor of the ABLF 2011, stated: “Leadership always makes a difference; and we are supporting this event because we recognise the value of leadership to Africa.” The Vodafone ABLF promises great results for delegates who will be attending. It is a platform for business leaders in Africa and the Diaspora to share insights and debate business development options.
Delegates will have the opportunity of learning from the experiences of renowned entrepreneurs and prominent world-class business leadership experts. The high-level networking sessions also provide opportunities for strategic business partnerships among participants. Aside these, there will be an international exhibition, where companies and businesspeople will present their unique products, services and brands to an exclusive and well-defined group of organisational and individual customers.
Other sponsors associated with the forum are Zenith Bank, International Energy Insurance (IEI), Air Namibia, Virgin Atlantic and Briscoe Technologies. Mrs. Dankwa noted: “The calibre of sponsors who are working with us on the seventh edition of the forum speaks to the importance of this annual event. And I look forward to seeing every leader or manager from every corner of the continent join us at this historic gathering.”
