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Merck Foundation calls for action together with 13 African First Ladies to Build Healthcare Capacity

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More than 10,000 participants attended the hybrid Luminary – onsite and online

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, November 29, 2022/APO Group/ — 

Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Senator Dr. Rasha Kelej and African First Ladies of Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, The Gambia,  Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Sierra Leone, Angola and Central Africa Inaugurate 9th Edition of Merck Foundation (www.Merck-Foundation.com) Africa Asia Luminary 2022; African First Ladies marked together the 5th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 10 year journey of their development programs  by sharing the impact of their partnership programs with Merck Foundation to build healthcare capacity, support girl education and break infertility stigma; More than 10,000 participants including healthcare providers, policymakers, researchers, academia and media representatives from 70 English, French, Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries attended the hybrid Luminary – onsite and online to benefit from scientific and social sessions to address social issues and advance healthcare capacity in 32 critical and underserved medical specialties.

Merck Foundation reported the impact of providing 1470 scholarships to doctors from 50 countries in 32 critical and underserved specialties such as; Oncology, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Preventive, Endocrinology, Fertility, Embryology, Reproductive Care, Respiratory Care, Acute and Intensive Care, Neonatal Care, Pediatric Emergency, Advanced Surgery, Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Palliative Care and Pain Management and more; Link to the Facebook live steam of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary & African First Ladies High Level Panel: http://bit.ly/3XE4EWp

Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, conducted their annual conference, the 9th Edition of “Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary” on 15th & 16th November 2022, as a hybrid conference (onsite and online). The conference was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, Chairman of both of Executive Board of E.Merck KG and Merck Foundation Board of Trustees, and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation and Chairperson of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary, along with African First Ladies of 13 Countries;

  • H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of the Republic of Botswana
  • H.E. Madam ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of the Republic of Burundi
  • H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of the Democratic Republic of The Congo
  • H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of the Republic of The Gambia
  • H.E. Mrs. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of the Republic of Ghana
  • H.E. Mrs. CLAR MARIE WEAH, The First Lady of the Republic of Liberia
  • H.E. Mrs. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of the Republic of Malawi
  • H.E. Mrs. ISAURA FERRÃO NYUSI, The First Lady of the Republic of Mozambique
  • H.E. Mrs. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of the Republic of Namibia
  • H.E. Dr. FATIMA MAADA BIO, The First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone
  • H.E. Mrs. MUTINTA HICHILEMA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zambia
  • H.E. Dr. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, The First Lady of the Republic of Angola
  • H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central Africa

Merck Foundation CEO, Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized, “I am very proud to welcome my dear sisters, our Guests of Honor and Keynote Speakers, the First Ladies of 13 African Countries, who are also the Ambassadors of Merck Foundation “More Than a Mother”. We are together celebrating the 5th Anniversary of Merck Foundation and 10th Anniversary of our programs since 2012 which aim to build healthcare & media capacity and raise awareness on a wide range of sensitive and critical social and health issues like Supporting Girl Education, Ending Child Marriage, Stopping GBV, Breaking Infertility Stigma, Ending FGM, Women Empowerment, and Diabetes Awareness.

“I am proud that Merck Foundation has provided till today, more than 1470 scholarships to young doctors from 50 countries in 32 critical and underserved specialties. This is a great milestone of transforming patient care landscape and leading Africa to a better, healthier and stronger future. I am happy to hear from my dear sisters their experiences and success stories  in their respective countries, together we will be an important part of Africa’s legacy.” added Senator Kelej.

H.E. Mrs. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Botswana & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother said, ”Our partnership with Merck Foundation started in 2018 and since then, we have achieved very important milestones . Together with Merck Foundation, we launched a Poster Contest on “Stop GBV” initiative to end Gender-Based Violence in Botswana and Merck Foundation provided 20 Sewing Machines to the women groups who suffer GBV across Botswana to be able to generate monthly income. Moreover, more than 31 scholarships were provide for our local Doctors in Botswana in 32 different underserved and critical specialties such as: Diabetes, Endocrinology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Oncology, Respiratory Medicines, Acute Medicines and Sexual and Reproductive Medicines”.

H.E. Mrs. ANGELINE NDAYISHIMIYE, The First Lady of Burundi & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother stated, “I am very proud of the partnership we have with Merck Foundation. Through our long-term partnership, 47 scholarships have been provided for our local doctors in critical and underserved specialities such as Diabetes, Oncology, Fertility & Embryology, Sexual & Reproductive care, I am very happy to share that we have succeeded to establish the first public IVF center in Burundi and Merck Foundation has provided training for the staff of Fertility Specialists, Embryologists and also technicians, who are the first local experts in my country, we are making history in Burundi.”

H.E. Madam DENISE NYAKERU TSHISEKEDI, The First Lady of Democratic Republic of The Congo & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother said, “I would like to greatly acknowledge our valuable partnership with Merck Foundation that we started in 2020, and in a very short time, we have together achieved a lot. I am Proud to share that Merck Foundation have provided 77 scholarships to our doctors in the fields of Oncology, Fertility, Embryology, and Diabetes, which gave us our first Fertility specialists & Embryologists. Together, we also conducted the Online Health Media Training for our journalists to create a culture shift, to break the silence, and be the voice of the voiceless in order to raise awareness on sensitive social and health issues like Infertility Stigma, Supporting Girl Education, Women Empowerment, Ending Child Marriage, Ending FGM and Stopping GBV, Diabetes early detection and prevention”.

H.E. Mrs. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of Republic of The Gambia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother emphasized, “Our partnership journey is going from strength to strength as we have achieved many important and significant milestones since 2017, when I hosted Merck Foundation CEO and together, we launched the programs in my country. Through the partnership with Merck Foundation, 32 scholarships have been provided to young Gambian doctors in medical specialties. And, we are making history by providing training to first specialists in many fields such as Oncology, Respiratory, Fertility, Embryology, Reproductive Care, Diabetes, neonatal care, Endocrinology and more. It is history in the making.”

H.E. Mrs. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of Ghana & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother emphasized, “I have been working closely with Merck Foundation to empower women in general and infertile women in specific, not only through creating a culture shift but by also making the fertility, sexual and reproductive care available for them and their husbands whenever they need it, nationwide. We have been able to provide more than 110 scholarships of 32 specialty training in the fields of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Respiratory, Acute Medicine, Sexual and Reproductive medicine, Embryology, Respiratory, Critical care, Psychiatry, General Surgery, Dermatology, Emergency and Resuscitation Medicine, Gastroenterology, Neuroimaging for Research, Pain Management, Rheumatology, and Neonatal Medicine. All these fields are very critical to our country which I consider a great milestone to transform patient care landscape in my country”.

H.E. Mrs. CLAR MARIE WEAH, The First Lady of Liberia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother said, “I am very happy to work closely with Merck Foundation to empower infertile women through access to information, education, health and change of mindset. Merck Foundation also provided Sanitary Napkin Production Machine and raw materials, this will really help our young girls. I truly appreciate our partnership and acknowledge their smart and serious strategy to provide specialty training for our local doctors. Till today, 37 scholarships have been provided to our doctors in many critical and underserved specialties. This is a huge achievement for us, and we are definitely making history in Libera by training the first specialists in many medical fields such as: Infertility, Embryology, Oncology and Diabetes”.

H.E. Mrs. MONICA CHAKWERA, The First Lady of Malawi & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother expressed, “I have worked closely with Merck Foundation since 2020 to define the right strategy to build healthcare capacity, empower infertile women, and support girl education in Malawi. With the support of Merck Foundation and their “Empowering Berna” program , 13 women have transformed their lives as they got a chance to establish their own small businesses so that they can be financially independent; and under the ‘Educating Linda’ program, we provided scholarships of 60 Malwian school girls to continue thier education till they graduate. Moreover, 33 scholarships have been provided to young Malawian doctors in 32 critical medical specialties such as Fertility & Embryology, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Oncology, Internal Medicine, Sexual & Reproductive Medicines, Ousmane emergency, respiratory care, acute care and more. My journey with Merck Foundation has definitely been amazing, very impactful and efficient”.

H.E. Mrs. ISAURA FERRÃO NYUSI, The First Lady of Mozambique & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother emphasized, “I am very impressed with initiatives of Merck Foundation under the “More Than a Mother” Campaign. We recently conducted our First Online Health Media Training for our journalists to emphasize on the important role that media plays to influence our society to raise awareness on a wide range of social and health issues. The training session benefitted many of our journalists. Together with Merck Foundation, I am fully committed to working closely to introduce more such innovative ideas that engage different sectors to create a culture shift. Moreover, 14 scholarships have been provided to our doctors for the Online Diabetes Master course, a unique course specially developes in Portuguese language so that our local doctors can benefit from it, under Merck Foundation’s  Nationwide Diabetes Blue Points Program”.

H.E. Mrs. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of Namibia & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother said “I am glad to have this ongoing long-term beneficial partnership with Merck Foundation. I am particularly excited as Merck More Than a Mother Ambassador, as together we have been doing amazing work in the country to empower women living with infertility through access to information, education, information, change of mindset and economic empowerement. Moreover, 53 scholarships have been provided to young Namibian doctors in the fields of Diabetes, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Respiratory Medicines, Acute Medicines and Sexual and Reproductive Medicines, and many more. For Namibia, 2.4M population, we will soon have more than 18 skilled and trained doctors nationwide  to assist couples living with infertility or need any sexual & reproductive help, this will be a significant contribution towards improving women health in general and reproductive health in specific”.

I am proud that Merck Foundation has provided till today, more than 1470 scholarships to young doctors from 50 countries in 32 critical and underserved specialties

H.E. Dr. FATIMA MAADA BIO, The First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leone stated, “Our partnership with Merck Foundation is since 2018 and we highly appreciate their programs. Together, we have provided 46 scholarships to our doctors from different provinces of Sierra Leone in the fields of Oncology, Embryology & Fertility, Sexual and Reproductive Health Medicine, Diabetes, Endocrinology, Orthopaedics, Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Clinical Psychiatry, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Neonatal Medicine, Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine, Respiratory Medicine and Emergency and Resuscitation Medicine. I can proudly say that along with Merck Foundation we are making history in Sierra Leone by providing training for the First Oncologists in the country with the aim to establish the first skilled cancer care team who will be working in our new hospital, this will improve access to quality and equitable cancer care in the country. This is a huge achievement for us since we did not have any oncologists or fertility specialists and we have in general a very limited number of local specialists in the public sector before starting our partnership with Merck Foundation.”

H.E. Mrs. MUTINTA HICHILEMA, The First Lady of the Republic of Zambia expressed, “I am very proud of our partnership with Merck Foundation. I am very impressed with ‘Educating Linda’ program to support girl education and provide scholarships to girls to complete thier education by providing thier tutiton fees, we have implememted this program in Zambia and provided 22 girls with scholarships to cover thier tuttion fees of nursing schools and health sciences univesities .this scholarship wil continue till they complete thier education successfully. I also very interested in “More Than a Mother” Campaign, this campaign is very critical for my country and Africa, at large. I am fully supporting this initiative as the First Lady of Zambia and as an african woman, it is very close to my heart. Moreover, together with Merck Foundation, we have provided 50 scholarships to our doctors from different provinces across Zambia and we will scale up this program under the leadership of my office”.

During her speech, H.E. Mrs. ANA DIAS LOURENÇO, The First Lady of the Republic of Angola & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother stated, “I am looking forward to start the implementation of the ‘Educating Linda’ Program which aims to empower girls through education and end child marriage, this program is very close to my heart as I consider it one of my main objectives as the First Lady of Angola; and as an African woman, I strongly believe that girl Education is one of the most critical areas of women empowerment. Moreover, I am very excited about the 8 important different competitions for our communities which are: Best Media, Song, Film and Fashion awards with the aim to encourage Media, Musicians, Fashion Designers, Filmmakers, students, and new potential talents in these fields to play their important role in sensitizing their communities about many critical social and health issues.”

H.E. Madam BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central Africa & Ambassador of Merck Foundation More Than A Mother emphasized “I greatly value our partnership with Merck Foundation that is since 2015, to support us to advance and build the healthcare capacity in our country by providing scholarships to our local doctors in various medical specialities. Together, we worked on “Empowering Berna” program where we established small businesses for infertile and childless women and trained them to run their businesses so they can have income and become independent and have purpose life. Also, as a part of Merck Foundation’s Education Linda program, we will be providing scholarships to 20 under-privileged schoolgirls from our country to support girl education. Moreover, 5 scholarships have been provided to our doctors by Merck Foundation so far in Oncology and Diabetes”.

The 9th Edition of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary 2022 was streamed live on the social media handles of Merck Foundation (http://bit.ly/32YFKpv) and Senator, Dr. Rasha Kelej(http://bit.ly/3ATPaEd).

Link to the Facebook live steam of Inaugural Session of Merck Foundation Africa Asia Luminary & African First Ladies High Level Panel: (https://bit.ly/3XE4EWp)

Merck Foundation is transforming the Patient care landscape and making history together with its partners in Africa, Asia, and beyond, through:

• 1470 + Scholarships provided by Merck Foundation for doctors from 50 Countries in 32 critical and underserved medical specialties.  

Merck Foundation is also creating a culture shift and breaking the silence about a wide range of social and health issues in Africa and underserved communities through:

• 2200 + Media Persons from more than 50 countries trained to better raise Awareness about different social and health issues

• 8 Different Awards Launched annually for best media coverage, fashion designers, films, and songs

• Around 30 songs to address health and social issues by local singers across Africa

• 8 Children’s Storybooks in three languages – English, French, and Portuguese

• Pan African TV Program “Our Africa by Merck Foundation” TV Program addressing Social and Health Issues in Africa through “Fashion and ART with Purpose” Community

• 1000+ Girls from 15 African countries supported through scholarships or school items, annually.

• 9 Social Media Channels with more than 5 Million Followers

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Merck Foundation.

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The Coca-Cola System in Africa Unveils Water Stewardship Initiative

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September 16, 2024

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‘The Coca-Cola System’s Africa Water Stewardship Initiative’, with a nearly USD 25 million investment, will support water solutions in local communities in Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 13, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The Coca-Cola Company in Africa (www.Coca-ColaCompany.com) and its bottling partners Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), Equatorial Coca-Cola Bottling Company (ECCBC) and Coca-Cola HBC announced a nearly USD 25 million investment to help address critical water-related challenges in local communities in 20 African countries, starting this year through 2030. The work will be led by Global Water Challenge (GWC) and implemented by a consortium of partners, including The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The effort, called ‘The Coca-Cola System’s Africa Water Stewardship Initiative’, was introduced in Cape Town, South Africa, in presence of executives from the Coca-Cola system in Africa and NGO partners. During the event, Karyn Harrington, Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability at The Coca-Cola Company’s Africa Operating Unit indicated “Water is a priority for The Coca-Cola Company and its local bottling partners because it is essential to life, the communities we serve and our beverages. As we face increasing water insecurity worldwide, with demand outstripping supply in many regions such as Africa, Coca-Cola is taking steps to help accelerate efforts to address water stress, protect local water resources, and build community climate resilience. Our 2030 Water Security Strategy focuses on helping enhance water security where we operate, source ingredients, and touch lives.”

“One in three Africans face water insecurity. The Global Water Challenge and ‘The Coca-Cola System’s Africa Water Stewardship Initiative’ partner coalition will seek to improve water security for millions across the African continent, helping advance community health and resilience through abundant, clean water. We applaud Coca-Cola’s continued leadership on African water security” said Monica Ellis, CEO of GWC.

We are proud to partner with The Coca-Cola Company and fellow bottlers on this critical initiative to help tackle water challenges across Africa

‘The Coca-Cola System’s Africa Water Stewardship Initiative’ aims to help protect and enhance the health of important watersheds and to help improve access to water and sanitation services in local communities. We will have projects in Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mayotte, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  

“CCBA has a responsibility to help those who face water scarcity and to help protect local water resources where we operate, especially in places with the biggest challenges. We are proud to partner with The Coca-Cola Company on this project,” says Layla Jeevanantham, Chief Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability Officer at CCBA.

“We are proud to partner with The Coca-Cola Company and fellow bottlers on this critical initiative to help tackle water challenges across Africa. By working together, we can leverage the expertise of our partners and the knowledge of local communities to help create sustainable solutions that enhance water access and safeguard vital water resources,” said Sonia Ventosa, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability Manager at ECCBC.

“Coca-Cola HBC has been part of African communities for more than 70 years, and sustainability is an important part of how we operate. We’re very happy to see this new water initiative come to life and to support the system’s water stewardship efforts,” said Marcel Martin, Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer, Coca-Cola HBC.

Recognizing that partnerships are critical to support this work, the company and its bottlers are collaborating with governments, businesses, and civil society organizations to design and implement strategic interventions. In addition to supporting the company’s water strategy, this effort also aims to contribute to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation. 

This water initiative will build upon The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF)’s Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), a groundbreaking collaboration with key partners and co-funders which helped improve access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene for 6 million people across African countries between 2009 and 2019. Through 120 projects, the initiative positively impacted homes, schools and healthcare clinics in more than 4,000 communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Coca-Cola.

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Strengthening Energy Ties: Libya, Italy Collaborate on Major Oil & Gas Ventures

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September 13, 2024

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Taking place in Rome on September 23, the Libya-Italy Roundtable and VIP Networking Evening will discuss Libya’s current upstream project pipeline and Italy’s role in unlocking new assets

ROME, Italy, September 13, 2024/APO Group/ — 

Libya’s economy relies heavily on its upstream oil and gas sector, which holds Africa’s largest proven oil reserves – over 48 billion barrels – and substantial natural gas reserves. To stabilize and increase current and future production levels, the country is rolling out a dynamic project pipeline that presents new opportunities for investment and partnership with industry stakeholders. The Libya-Italy Roundtable and VIP Networking Evening – taking place in Rome on September 23 – will bring together top executives from Libyan and European energy firms for an Oil & Gas Roundtable to discuss the country’s current exploration and development prospects, as well as celebrate the Libyan-Italian connection in the upstream space.

Latest Sector Developments

In partnership with the country’s leading operators, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) is seeking to enhance production capacity (https://apo-opa.co/3MIAHAh) through the rehabilitation and exploration (https://apo-opa.co/3zhGMR6) of at least 36 wells, carrying out maintenance works at key fields. To drive new exploration activity, Libya is preparing to launch an oil and gas licensing round in early-2025 targeting concessions in the Murzuq, Ghadames and Sirte basins. The NOC has already received interest from more than 30 companies in its marginal assets alone, as well as identified 45 greenfield and brownfield projects that will help meet its production goals.

In parallel, Libya is launching a robust gas monetization drive to diversify crude oil revenues, meet rising gas demand and reduce routine flaring. While often overshadowed by its dominant oil sector, Libya’s natural gas sector is substantial, holding 53 trillion cubic feet of proven reserves and playing a critical role in supplying gas to Europe. In May this year, $1.23 billion (https://apo-opa.co/3zig9eP) was allocated to develop the NC-7 block – operated by a consortium led by Italian multinational energy company Eni – with a view to monetizing 2.7 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Ghadames Basin. Meanwhile, Libya’s Greenstream Pipeline transports gas to Sicily and onto European markets, with plans underway to increase the utilization of pipeline capacity up from 25%. Libya is aiming to further boost energy supplies to Europe via an $8-billion gas production deal signed between Eni (https://apo-opa.co/4e6MaWE) and Libya’s NOC to develop two offshore gas fields – Structures A and E – set to produce 750 million cubic feet of gas per day by 2026.

Italy’s Role in Upstream Sector 

Italy plays a major role in Libya’s oil and gas sector as both a major investor and export market. As one of the largest foreign operators in the country, Eni has a long-standing presence in Libya and is involved in major projects across the oil and gas value chain. Libya’s gas output is largely concentrated in offshore fields including the Bahr Essalam and Bouri fields (https://apo-opa.co/3ZiXhaj), which are operated by Mellitah Oil & Gas – a joint venture between Eni and the NOC – as well as onshore fields in the Sirte Basin. To advance Libya’s gas production and exports, Mellitah Oil & Gas is leading development of the one-billion-dollar, offshore subsea Bouri Gas Utilization Project, which serves to capture associated gas from two offshore platforms at the Bouri field development. The gas will then be transported to the Mellitah Complex – a major hub for gas production, processing and export – and delivered to European markets via the Greenstream pipeline, with production expected to start in 2026. Eni’s continued investment in onshore and offshore fields signals its long-term commitment to Libya’s oil and gas industry, as well as Italy’s strong energy ties with Libya and potential for expanded cooperation going forward.

The Libya-Italy Roundtable and VIP Networking Evening takes place in Rome on September 23, featuring a half-day program that unites Libyan and Italian business leaders and government officials. If your company is interested in participating, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Dangote calls on African business leaders to drive continent’s transformation

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September 13, 2024

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Africa is at a crucial inflection point, with the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, rapidly expanding cities, and a growing embrace of innovation and new technologies

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, September 12, 2024/APO Group/ — 

The President and Chief Executive of the Pan-African conglomerate, Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote (www.Dangote.com), has called on African business leaders to take the lead in transforming the continent.

Speaking at the just concluded African Renaissance Retreat held in Kigali, Rwanda, Dangote pointed out that despite significant challenges besetting Africa, its youthful population and abundant resources, including about 30% of the world’s mineral reserves and the largest reserves of gold, cobalt, uranium, platinum, and diamonds, offer opportunities for substantial and inclusive growth.

“Additionally, we have 65% of the world’s arable land and 10% of the planet’s internal renewable freshwater sources. Together these present a myriad of opportunities for robust, inclusive growth that harness our abundant human potential and natural resources to increase prosperity, not just in Africa but across the globe,” he said. Dangote added that Africa is at a crucial inflection point, with the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, rapidly expanding cities, and a growing embrace of innovation and new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence.

Dangote noted that despite dealing with multiple barriers such as visas, inconsistent change in government policies, inadequate technical talent, lack of critical infrastructure, foreign exchange crises, inflation, cost of capital and other conflicts of differing dimensions, the Dangote Group has expanded from Nigeria to 14 countries across the continent, spanning multiple sectors from cement to fertilizers, sugar to oil refineries, petrochemicals, agriculture and more. “The good news is that despite these challenges, we have succeeded in building a pan-African Group that employs over 50,000 people and generates revenues that should exceed $30bn by the end of 2025,” he said.

Dangote who initiated the retreat noted that he had long contemplated bringing together a group of dedicated African business leaders to address the continent’s challenges, identify concrete solutions, and showcase Africa as a viable investment destination despite its obstacles. He emphasized that the objective of the retreat was to offer an opportunity for collective action in tackling various issues, including persistent conflicts, energy and food security, supply chain disruptions, the debt crisis, and access to long-term concessional funding for development.

It is our collective responsibility to play our role in transforming our continent

“This small private and high-level gathering to discuss these issues and align on how we will own and shape our narrative for development is long overdue. With the foremost entrepreneurs on the continent, the leaders of the largest pan-African companies, those at the helm of the most important development institutions in Africa, our brothers and sisters leading global institutions, our leading investors, our pre-eminent civil society activists and a few of our most respected political leaders, this first step will be an opportunity to have a frank and honest dialogue amongst ourselves to consolidate what we see as our common ground” said Dangote. He added “we are coming together not just as leaders in our respective institutions but as visionaries and catalysts for transforming our societies. It is our collective responsibility to play our role in transforming our continent. Nobody will do it for us but us – especially us in this room”.

While expressing his hope that the retreat would produce initiatives capable of significantly shaping Africa’s future and benefiting its people, Dangote acknowledged the contributions of President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and former Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn. However, he cautioned that it is crucial for the leaders present to move beyond dialogue to decisive implementation and tangible impact.

The Retreat participants resolved to urge African private sector and political leaders to engage in regular high-level dialogue. Additional proposals included supporting the ratification of the free movement of people protocol, launching the African Renaissance Companies Gender Compact, and convening top global business leaders of African descent. The leaders also aimed to champion an initiative aimed at significantly reducing logistics costs across the continent and one focused on ensuring internet access for a broader segment of Africa’s population.

Participants at the retreat, which took place from September 6 to 8, included Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; Prof. Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Export-Import Bank; former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Adebayo Ogunlesi, Chairperson of Global Infrastructure Partners; former Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn, Samaila Zubairu of the African Finance Corporation, Makhtar Diop of IFC, and Jeremy Awori, CEO of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated.

Others were Bernie Mensah of Bank of America; Dr. James Mwangi of Equity Group Holdings; Alain Ebobisse of Africa50; Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede of Access Holdings; Genevieve Sangudi of Alterra Capital Partners; Jim Ovia of Zenith Bank; Tony Elumelu of Heirs Holdings; Naguib Sawiris of Orascom Telecom Holding; Dr. Vera Songwe; Jonathan Oppenheimer of Oppenheimer partners; Dr. James Manyika of Google;  Clare Akamanzi of NBA Africa; Fred Swaniker of Africa Leadership Group; Professor Hakeem Belo-Osagie of Harvard Business School; Myma Belo-Osagie of Harvard Africa Studies Centre; Patrice Motsepe of African Rainbow Minerals; Mohammed Dewji of METL; Moussa Faki Mahamat of Africa Union; Graca Machel of the Graca Machel Trust; Wamkele Mene of African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat;  Tope Lawani of Helios Partners; Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors; Mimi Alemayehou of Three Cairns Group; Dr. Donald Kaberuka of Southbridge Group; Precious Moloi-Motsepe of Africa Fashion International; Richelieu Dennis of Sundial Group of Companies; Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie; Hassanein Hiridjee of Axian Group; Kate Fotso of Telcar Cocoa; Nkosana Moyo of Mandela Institute for Development Studies; Nku Nyembezi of Standard Bank Group.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Dangote Group.

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