The Business moguls with govt officiaks at the event
The Second Lady, Samira Ramadan-Bawumia has called on African Business moguls to help create job opportunities for the unemployed youth across the continent to get something to do in order to earn a living.
According to her, ‘’With more than 60% of our population under the age of 25, the youth of Africa represents the driving force for the future and progress of our continent. We must harness this immense potential by investing in quality education, skills training, and employment opportunities. By providing the youth with the tools they need to succeed, we can unlock their entrepreneurial spirit, drive economic growth, and build a prosperous Africa for generations to come’’.
The Second Lady said this at the launching of the 2nd Edition of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD) in Accra, Sunday, which brought together some business moguls across Africa.
Speaking on the theme “Delivering The Vision, Building Prosperity For Africans.”at the event, she explained the empowerment of women, and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in shaping Africa’s future.
She further urged businessmen to embark on this transformative journey, which must prioritize the empowerment of women since empowering women is not only a moral imperative but a strategic choice for sustainable development.
‘’Globally, women still only occupy 25.7 percent of the available parliamentary positions, 7.2 percent of head-of-state positions, 6.2 percent of head-of-government positions, and 21.3 percent of cabinet positions,’’ Samira stated.
She noted that ‘’These numbers illustrate the existing disparities and highlight the urgent need for progress. In Africa, women occupy about 24 percent of parliamentary seats. Regrettably, this representation is concentrated in only two regions, Southern Africa and East Africa, where the figures stand at 31 percent and 32.4 percent respectively’’.
However, she was of the view that ‘’even in these regions, women continue to face numerous barriers that hinder their full participation and contribution. By empowering women, promoting gender equality, and removing systemic barriers, we unlock a vast reservoir of talent, creativity, and leadership. We need to break down the barriers that limit their participation in economic, political, and social spheres’’.
The Africa Prosperity Dialogues represents an unparalleled opportunity for business moguls to come together, share insights, and shape the trajectory of the continent’s future.
This, the Second Lady noted is a testament to the shared belief in the immense potential of Africa and our unwavering determination to unlock that potential for the benefit of all its people.
The 2023 Africa Prosperity Network (APN) will on Sunday, 18th June 2023, announce to the public the details of the second edition of the annual Africa Prosperity Dialogues (APD).
The Africa Prosperity Dialogues, which is organized by the APN, in partnership with the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat and the Government of the Republic of Ghana, among others, serves as a dedicated annual platform that brings together Africa and Global Africa’s business executives and organizations, thought leaders and political leaders to think together, plan together and work together with the needed urgency to drive the goal of building the world’s largest single market in Africa.
The opening ceremony was attended by Wamkele Mene, the Secretary General of AfCFTA, Dr George Agyekum Donkor, the President of Ecowas Bank for Investment and Development, among other business gurus.
-BY Daniel Bampoe