THE 2023 edition of the Warwick Africa Summit, themed Elfu Huanzia Na Moja– A Thousand Begins with One, aimed to emphasise the role of each individual in driving positive change and making an impact on the continent, writes Ewura Ama Thompson.
It embodies the idea that even the longest and most difficult journeys can begin with a single individual who strives for change.
This annual interdisciplinary conference is organised by a group of students at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom and focuses on the development of the African continent. Its aim is to bring together students, professionals, academics, and leaders to discuss African issues and promote sustainable development.
Previous Summits have featured several prominent speakers from various sectors, including business, politics, and academia, such as Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of Econet Wireless, Ghana’s Second Lady Samira Bawumia and Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man and founder of Dangote Group.
This year’s summit, held on February 25-26, was in a hybrid format – online and in-person – featuring speakers with proven track records in various fields. They included Gambia’s First Lady Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, Toyin Saraki, Founder-President of The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Mary Edoro the Chief of Staff and Head of Strategy at BellaNaija, Africa’s leading media-tech company, Dr. Rachel Sibande, Founder of Malawi’s first Innovation Hub, Henry Baye, the Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank in Jersey, and Jonathan Offei-Ansah, the Founder and Publisher of African Briefing Magazine.
The speakers were segmented into various panels, including Ready, Set, Green: Our Resources and Sustainability, Africa Beyond Aid: Our People, Heart of the Continent: Artistic Development, Money Talks: Our Economies, Entering a New Era: Technological Advancements and Innovation, and Changing the Narrative: The LGBTQ+ Perspective. These themes focused on various sectors in Africa, their role in its development, and how the youth can be equipped and empowered to facilitate sustainable change.
Jonathan Offei-Ansah, who spoke on the Africa Beyond Aid panel, underscored the kind of industry collaborations Africa should make to improve its economy. He mentioned how partnering with China in the right way can spearhead the urbanisation and economic growth of the continent since the Chinese have been major players in the global construction industry.
The Money Talks* panel discussed why a single African currency having one currency is not the only solution to its development since various African countries are at different levels of development. The panellists also pin-pointed how Africa has the most youthful population in the world, and how a youthful population is more likely to contribute to economic growth since they are entrepreneurial, forward-thinking, and more likely to take risks and innovate beyond the usual boundaries.
The panel agreed that Africa’s youth demographic is the region’s biggest opportunity. ‘That [demographic] represents one of the biggest, most attractive retail markets in the world,’ Henry Baye said.
He added: ‘Everybody producing everywhere is looking for people to buy what they produse. So this growing population, at 2.6 percent per year across Africa, is probably the most attractive retail market anywhere in the world. So how do we play on that potential?
‘Beyond being the biggest retail market, beyond being those who drive entrepreneurship, the continent has also leapfrogged a lot of areas when it comes to technology. And this is not a fluke.’
Baye asked; ‘So how do we merge this into our thinking about the opportunities this demographic presents?’
The summit also shed light on the discrimination faced by the LGBTQIA+ community in Africa and how deep-rooted homophobia in the continent limits the personal and professional development of those who identify as queer.
The two-day summit was informative and insightful, and the students who worked tirelessly for the past seven months to put it together must be commended for its success. The summit sparked new dialogues among students and professionals and proved that there is hope for Africa with the potential to change the negative narratives associated with the continent.
‘People regularly speak of “the power of the youth” but rarely do they acknowledge just what impact the youth have,’ commented Claire Hardy, Co-Founder & Managing Director – Move the World, a charity focused on improved early learning in Ghana.
‘This 2-day hybrid summit with 20+ speakers from around the world was fully designed and delivered by University of Warwick students – I was and still am blown away. Such professionalism, such passion and such dedication to ensure that everything was in place and the conversations were flowing,’ she added.
The Community Impact Team Project for this year’s Warwick Africa Summit in collaboration with Move The World aims to raise £3,000 to fund a Get Global Programme for a class of 30 students in Ghana. You can show your support by visiting the link on their Instagram bio (@warwickafricasummit).
‘This summit gave us renewed hope for the continent and we look forward to seeing the great things that the youth will do. We eagerly await the next Warwick Africa Summit!’ another participant commented.
*An article on the Money Talks panel will appear in the March-April edition of the Africa Briefing magazine later this month
