By Ernest Addo
It is about the biggest public-private sector initiative toward enhancing intra-African trade within the sub region.
Come 26, through to 28 January 2023, the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) would be hosting business magnates of international repute as well as many African political greats to its maiden Africa Prosperity Dialogues conferences – dubbed the Kwahu Summit on Africa’s prosperity- in the greater Accra and the Eastern regions.
The Kwahu Summit is under the aegis of President H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Africa Business Council, UNECA, UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa and the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC).
It is themed “AfCFTA: From Ambition to Action, Delivering Prosperity Through Continental Trade”, and would focus on the role of leadership in transitioning from Ambition to Action:
Chiefly amongst the objectives for the maiden dialogue series is for the participants to share best practices and deal-making among a community of experts, and practitioners to expedite the movement of people, goods and services within the continent as envisaged under the AU’s Agenda 2063 and the AfCFTA.
The Kwahu Summit would also offer Africa’s political and business leaders a platform to achieve alignment on how to fast track and deepen trade and investment on the continent, whiles creating awareness and building shared ownership of the AfCFTA and enhancing its inclusive implementation.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, our President, is expected to be joined by many of his colleagues, including Presidents of Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, Rwanda, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Mozambique and Angola.
Other notable leaders expected to participate in the Summit are: business giant Alhaji Aliko Dangote (Chairman, Dangote Group), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Director General, WTO), Dr. Adesina Akinwumi (President, AfDB), Mr. Tidjane Thiam (Special Envoy of the AU), Prof. Benedict Oramah (President, Afremimbank), Mr. Ralph Mupita (Group CEO, MTN), Hadi Halloche (Global Co-Head, Trafigura Group Pte Ltd), Mr. Anthony Elumelu (Chairman, Heirs Holdings), Mr. Samaila Zubairu (President/CEO Africa Finance Corporation), H.E. Kayra Harding Bart (Vice President, National Assembly of Panana), Mr. Strive Masiyiwa (Chairman, Econet Global Ltd), Maria Ramos (Chairperson, AngloGold Ashanti), Mr. Thomas Kogolo, CEO South African Airways, Mr. Julius Mwale (Principal Investor, Mwale Medical and technology City) and other captains of industry.
The Africa Prosperity Dialogues, an initiative of APN has been uniquely designed to offer a strategic and trusted annual platform to drive intra-African trade. It is a platform where the highest political and business decision makers in Africa, supported by other thought leaders, would meet to discuss, and come out with clear, actionable initiatives to enhance trade and prosperity in Africa as aligned with the AU’s Agenda 2063.
Stay tuned for more.