8th Vodafone ABLF to set next agenda

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8th Vodafone ABLF to set next agendaThe 8th edition of the Vodafone African Business Leaders Forum (ABLF) will ?set the next agenda for Africa?, Edith Dankwa, Executive Director of the Business and Financial Times (B&FT), has declared.

The Vodafone ABLF seeks to develop leadership in Africa by providing a platform for public and private sector leaders to brainstorm and proffer solutions to development issues on the continent.

This year?s edition, under the theme ?Setting the Next Agenda for Africa?, is slated for July 29 at the La Palm Hotel in Accra, and is expected to bring together business leaders from across Africa to discuss and debate key issues and challenges in Africa.

Speaking at the launch in Accra on Thursday, Mrs. Dankwa said the 8th Vodafone ABLF ?will highlight the new Africa where people are making efforts to show the bright side of the continent.

?The event will be used to show a continent where the abundant opportunities are being used as a catalyst for growth and development; an Africa where world-class businesses are being nurtured,? she said.

According to Mrs. Dankwa, the fast-paced growth of economies in the sub-Saharan region makes the time appropriate for the region to focus on developing good leadership, which she said ?holds the key to taking the continent to the next level?.

Lucy Quist, Director of Business Solutions at Vodafone — headline sponsor of the event — said Africa?s next agenda must ensure the well-being of its people through the provision of better education.

?Africa?s agenda is not new: it does not need redefining, but rather a refocus. It is the simple things that drive change. It is our responsibility as corporate citizens to empower this agenda. Africa?s second big agenda is education. We need healthy, educated people; our greatest resource to power our businesses.?

Over the past 10 years, the ABLF has attracted some of the greatest minds across the African continent and the Diaspora, who meet to collectively discuss and debate what it takes to turn Africa?s challenges into opportunities.

The continent has weathered the global economic crisis and achieved considerable advances in the area of poverty reduction and human development. However, the region is still home to high levels of poverty, hunger, unemployment and bad leadership.

Managing Director of the World Trade Centre in Accra, Emmanuel Doni-Kwame, who is also an Executive Member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), said despite Africa?s high economic growth, ?Many countries still have a long way to go in translating the growth into higher human development?.

He added that ?deliberate policy measures and targetted investment are needed to make growth not just fast but also inclusive and sustainable.?

This year? ABLF is supported by Vodafone, the headline sponsor; Zenith Bank; and ICC, which is partnering the event for the first time.                                      

By Richard Annerquaye ABBEY

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