Second annual meeting of the African Leadership Network

[From: A Week in the Horn of Africa, Nov. 4, 2011 issue.]

Under the theme of “Powering Africa’s Prosperity”, three hundred members of the African Leadership Network (ALN) reconvened in the Sheraton Hotel, Addis Ababa, October 26th-29th. Those present included ALN fellows, new members and invited guests. The African Leadership Network was officially inaugurated last year in Addis Ababa and during the year it has attracted an additional one hundred members, nearly a third of them women, from some 35 countries. Ethiopians make up about four percent of the membership. The African Leadership Network has its main offices in South Africa and a significant number of its members come from the southern part of the continent.

The African Leadership Network was co-founded by Acha Leke, from Cameroon, and Fred Swaniker, from Ghana. Both successful young entrepreneurs, they came up with the visionary idea of creating a platform for the influential and dynamic men and women who are poised to lead a positive transformation of the continent. The African Leadership Network, in fact, aims to engage the collective influence of Africa’s new generation of leaders to drive prosperity throughout Africa. It was in this spirit that a number of topical issues that concern the continent were raised and debated in an atmosphere of solidarity last week. The conference was also accompanied by a series of innovative artistic examples of African music and entertainment.

The sessions covered a variety of subjects ranging from a show case of “Investment Opportunities in Ethiopia” to “Presentation of IMF Sub-Saharan Africa Economic Outlook”, “China in Africa”, “Powerful Ideas for Transforming Africa” and “Capturing Opportunities in Africa”. A keynote speech was given by Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank, focusing on critical issues in Africa’s development, including economic growth, governance and leadership, and stressing the need for functional institutional building as the main manifestation of good leadership. An important element of the conference was the provision of opportunities for networking, allowing entrepreneurs from all over the continent not only to share ideas but also to forge new partnerships that will play a major role in driving the future prosperity of Africa. It was a gathering that demonstrated the vigour of renewed optimism for the continent and it was symptomatic that it was held in Addis Ababa, the seat of the African Union Headquarters and the diplomatic center of Africa.

At a dinner held in the National Palace to honour the members of African Leadership Network, Ato Hailemariam Desalegn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke of the elements on which Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan is based, in the context of the global environment and the plans to increase the country’s industry and infrastructural development. The recently launched Ethiopia-Djibouti hydro-power interconnection was mentioned as an encouraging beginning, demonstrating Ethiopia’s commitment and its actual and potential contributions to larger regional economic integration.

It is clear that new initiatives like the African Leadership Network have an important role to play in facilitating the interaction of African skills and knowledge to solve the common problems and challenges of the continent. Proven leaders from all walks of life and in every domain can readily engage with each other and provide the necessary leverage for collective influence and action. It is a valuable mechanism to strengthen pan-African relationships as well as cross-sector and cross-industry links. The African Leadership Network concluded its successful four day deliberations on cooperation for a common agenda – “Powering Africa’s Prosperity” on Saturday. Its next meeting will take place in Accra, Ghana, in 2012.

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