BusinessDay Media Limited, West Africa’s leading provider of business intelligence and information on diversified media platforms, hosted the 2023 Africa Business Convention (ABC).
The third edition of the Africa-focused conference, themed ‘Africa Connected’, was held as an hybrid event on February 7-8, 2023 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos and via Zoom.
The convention was held amidst Africa’s staggering form from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences and last year’s shock from Russia-Ukraine that had led to a significant rise in the cost of living, worsening poverty and rising unemployment on the continent.
ABC 2023 followed the successful conclusion of the second edition held in 2022, which featured 12 plenary sessions, 41 speakers, and over 5,000 attendees online and in person.
“This year was going to be bigger and better. We expected to have over 100 speakers, 10 plenary sessions and 18 breakout sessions, all looking at the areas of trade, investments, partnerships, innovation and technology, agriculture and jobs in Africa, with a theme ‘Africa Connected,” Ogho Okiti, project director and managing director of BusinessDay Media, said.
The conference, designed as a platform for the aggregation and advancement of all Africa’s business interests, was open to business delegates from all over the continent and global businesses doing and investing in businesses on the continent.
This year’s theme was about the nature of exchanges among African countries and between the rest of the world, how these exchanges facilitated and helped Africa’s growth and prosperity and how they could be improved to facilitate a greater level of growth and prosperity.
It was about the over 1.3 billion people in Africa and how they were connected today for the ease of trade, investments, migration and security and how Africa’s economies and its people were strategically connected for prosperity.
Participants found that #ABC2023 had been broken into two parts: the main event featuring executive conversations, keynote presentations and thought leadership sessions; and the side event featuring exhibitions, deal brokerage, ideas and innovation pitches and a social event happening on the opening night of the event.
Confirmed partners and speakers included Mohamad Darwish, the CEO of IHS Nigeria; Akintoye Akindele, chairman of Platform Capital; and Von Kemedi, CEO of Arila.
Other speakers included Thapelo Tsheole, CEO of the Botswana Stock Exchange; Johel Blanchard, partner at Stratego in Luxembourg; Tola Adeyemi, CEO of KPMG West Africa; Peter Quartey, director of Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research, University of Ghana; Adeolu Adewumi-Zer, former CEO of Allianz Nigeria; Stacy Steemers, president, Rest of Africa at AFEX; and Janet du Preez, founder, Engagement Dynamics; and Rajneesh Narula, director, Dunning Africa Centre.
An invitation was open to all African businesses and stakeholders, along with other African and non-African governments and businesses, policymakers, business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, development partners, and the diplomatic community in order to connect, explore, showcase, and develop Africa opportunities.
Original Source: Business Day