Accra, Dec. 18, GNA – The Africa Prosperity Network (APN), organisers of the “Kwahu Summit”, is kindling the interest of the international community for the maiden business and political Expo scheduled for Thursday 26 to Saturday 28 January, 2023.
In line with its mission, the APN organising team was in Washington, DC, to promote the much-awaited programme, designed to bring Africa’s political and business leaders together to work on the all-important single market project for Africa.
“It was an important platform for us, having all of the leaders in one space with a little over a month to the ‘Kwahu Summit’.
“It was important to reaffirm their commitment to the Africa Prosperity Dialogues,” a press release issued by the APN, copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Accra, stated.
“They are looking forward to this unique opportunity to have our business champions brainstorming with our Heads of State and other decision makers on how to prioritise the single market project for our 1.3 billion people,” the release quoted Mr. Yofi Grant, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GIPC, and a member of the organising team.
It said, while at Washington, DC, the organisers of the Africa Prosperity Dialogues interacted with invited African leaders at the US-Africa Leaders Summit, which was held recently at the Walter Washington Convention Center, from Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 December, 2022.
The release said the maiden edition of the annual “Kwahu Summit” had as organising Partners, some key institutions, including the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, the Presidency of the Republic of Ghana (the host nation of AfCFTA), United Nations Development Programme (Africa), Africa Prosperity Fund, Ghana Investments Promotion Centre (GIPC), and the Africa-America Institute.
For Dr. Nkiru Balonwu, Director of the APN, “it was also significant for us to secure the strong interest of the African-American business leadership as well.”
“As President Akufo-Addo told the gathering of global African business leaders in Washington, Africa’s prosperity must deliberately involve the direct commitments and contributions from the African Diaspora.”
The “Kwahu Summit” will be a platform where African leaders from diverse areas of national endeavour will gather each year to expedite the implementation of the agreed initiatives within the AfCFTA and shape the ‘Africa Agenda for Action’.
The Summit will bring into practical focus the continent’s critical challenges and industrialisation priorities and advance aggressively the commercial and infrastructural interventions to achieve the vision of an Africa Beyond Aid.
A concept note underpinning the release said, “Global geopolitical issues in recent times have, yet again, exposed Africa’s over-reliance on the global supply chain – on natural resources export, and the imperative for Africa to seriously consider how to cushion herself against future economic shocks.”
“The combined effects of Covid-19, the oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia in 2020, and the recent Ukraine-Russia war have seen the fall in commodity prices and the temporary breakdown of the global supply chain.
“The Africa Prosperity Dialogues will focus on developing a transnational stewardship of a common platform while also acknowledging the realities of instituting a common trade initiative.”
The release indicated that the Africa Prosperity Dialogues, which would be part of the Summit, “will provide a dedicated platform for business and political leaders to think, plan and work together with greater urgency – for the success of building the world’s largest single market of 1.3 billion people, by fast-tracking the implementation of the all-important Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.”
Hannah Awuku, the Executive Secretary of APN, said: “The two-part Summit will feature the Intra-Africa Trade Forum, a retreat for business executives and associations, senior public figures, thought leaders and technocrats, on 26th and 27th January, culminating in high level discussions between Heads of State and business leaders on Saturday, 28th January, 2023.”
The release said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would be joined by many of his colleagues – from across the eight regional blocs of Africa, including Presidents of Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, Rwanda, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Mozambique, and Angola, for the Summit.
Great industrialists, economists, bankers, and other business gurus in Africa will also be there.
GNA