By Felicia Imohimi
Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria (MWFAAN) pledged commitment to bridge the gap between the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and youth-driven enterprises.
The association said this would be achieved by facilitating a productive dialogue with policymakers, fostering closer connections between young entrepreneurs and decision-makers
President of the Association, Farida Yahya, gave the assurance in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja in view of the association’s upcoming inaugural Pan-African Legacy Conference.
The conference with the theme: “Shaping Africa’s Future through the AfCFTA and Agenda 2063” is scheduled for November 20 to 21.
According to her, the theme is aimed at uniting stakeholders to establish a sustainable development framework for Africa, with a focus on its vibrant youth population.
She said the conference objective was to create a development blueprint, reflecting on the fellowship’s achievements in the past decade and envisioning the next 10 years of Africa’s economic growth.
She identified another objective of the conference as promotion of Helix Model of Development that involved uniting government entities, nonprofit organisations and business leaders to build a cohesive framework for sustainable development.
“The event will feature a pitch competition to spotlight innovative ideas from young Africans, unveiling of an app that will enable young entrepreneurs to trade goods and services across Africa and with U.S. partners.
“Others are specialised workshops on open governance, press freedom, healthcare, youth and trade, entrepreneurship and women’s development, as well as a Hall of Fame induction ceremony recognising 100 young African change-makers.
“The conference will provide a platform for advancing Africa’s socio-economic progress,”Yahya said.(NAN)
