FEEEDS-GALLUP 8th Annual Africa Forum - Join Us! - "Africa's Business Economy & the AfCFTA — The Key Role of SMEs"

This Press Announcement First Appeared in Allafrica.com

FEEEDS Initiative (Washington, DC)

ANNOUNCEMENT

Date: Thursday, July 15, 2021
Time: 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
Time Zones: 3:00 p.m. (Cairo & Jo'burg); 4:00 p.m. (Addis & Nairobi); 2:00 p.m. (Lagos & London)
Duration: 2 hours

Event Theme: "Africa's Business Economy & the AfCFTA — The Key Role of SMEs"

Register Now

Co-Hosts Ambassador Robin Sanders and Gallup Global Managing Partner Jon Clifton, in partnership with allAfrica.com, the African & Caribbean Business Council (ACBC), United People for African Congress (UPAC) and U.S.-Africa Trade Council, invite you to the 8th Annual FEEEDS-Gallup Africa Forum: Africa's Business Economy & the AfCFTA — the Role of SMEs.

This is an opportunity to hear firsthand from the event's honored featured speakers: Dr. Hippolyte Fofack of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and Dr. Francis Mangeni, advisor to the Secretary General of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Each will discuss how their institutions support the critical role Africa and the Africa diaspora's small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) serve in the region's economy and the broader success of the AfCFTA. Gallup's leading Africa research director, Magali Rheault, will scene set with relevant polling data on the current business environment for Africa SMEs and regional economies.

SPEAKERS
Ambassador Robin Sanders
CEO of FEEEDS
Ambassador (Dr.) Robin Renee Sanders served as one of the U.S. Government's top diplomats on African issues over a long career in the United States Diplomatic Corps reaching senior positions ranging from Ambassador to the Republics of Nigeria, Republic of Congo, two stints – NSC Director for Africa at the White House, and U.S. Permanent Representative to the West African Regional Organization ECOWAS. Dr. Sanders received her doctor of science degree from Pittsburgh's Robert Morris University, where she also holds the title of Distinguished Public Service & Rooney Scholar; has MA and MS degrees from Ohio University; and, a BA from Hampton University. She is a recognized thought-leader on Africa's political, economic, technology, security (e.g. Boko Haram, Al Shabab) and policy issues, as well as on region's thematic topics such as SDGs, food security, democracy/elections, education & climate change. She has testified before the U.S. Congress on these topics. Her advisory firm is divided into two parts: The FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative and FE3DS, LLC. FEEEDS focuses on Africa economic development, Diaspora, Entrepreneurship/SMEs issues. FEEEDS also advises several organizations; co-hosts the annual Africa event with Gallup World Poll; and publishes @The FEEEDS Index. Sanders' national security expertise is based on her work at the White House; as Deputy Commandant-Eisenhower College, the National Defense University, the U.S. military's premier institution for strategic studies; her diplomatic postings; and her work on global issues. She is sought after by media such as Al Jazeera, China Television, VOA, and CNN for her Africa expertise. FE3DS, LLC provides business strategies on Africa trade, technology, power, renewables, affordable housing and aviation.

Jon Clifton
Global Managing Partner, Gallup
Jon Clifton is the Global Managing Partner of Gallup, an advisory firm that specializes in big data analytics of employees, customers, students and citizens. Jon's mission is to help 7 billion citizens be heard on their most pressing work and life issues through the Gallup World Poll, a 100-year initiative spanning 150 countries. Because of his expertise, Jon has been interviewed on BBC News, C-SPAN's Washington Journal, and Al-Jazeera, and has testified in front of the U.S. Congress on the state of American small business and entrepreneurship. He is a frequent contributor on Gallup.com and has written for The Hill, The Diplomatic Courier, and The Global Action Report.

Dr. Hippolyte Fofack – Honored Featured Speaker
Chief Economist, Director of Research and International Cooperation, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank)
Speaker Topic: "How Afreximbank Leverages Its Programs to Support the SME Sector."
Dr. Hippolyte Fofack has more than 20 years of experience in development economics, international trade, banking and international finance and academia. Prior to joining the African Export-Import Bank, he was with the World Bank Group, where he served in several capacities, including as senior economist and head of the Macroeconomic and Growth Research Program. In 2005, Dr. Fofack was elected to the African Academy of Sciences, a continental organization dedicated to the furtherance of science and its use for economic development and welfare improvement. He has served on the advisory board of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and is a member of the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa Board of Directors. He is also a member of several leading professional and scientific organizations, including the American Economic Association and the African Finance and Economic Association. Dr. Fofack has been a guest editor of several prominent journals, including The World Bank Economic Review and Economic History of Developing Regions. Dr. Fofack has been published extensively, is Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Issues in African Trade and Trade Finance (CIAT) and is a member of several editorial boards, including the Journal of African Development, the Journal of African Trade and the Gulf Economics Journal.

Dr. Francis Mangeni – Honored Featured Speaker
Head of Trade Promotion & Programs, Advisor to AfCFTA Secretary General
Speaker Topic: "AfCFTA: How It Supports SME Participation in Regional Trade."
Dr. Francis Mangeni has worked and consulted extensively on the multilateral trade system and African economic integration. He is a senior fellow with the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and has served as head of trade promotion and programs with the AfCFTA and director of trade customs and monetary affairs with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. He has served as advisor to the Minister of Commerce and Industry of the government of Malawi, senior economist at the Permanent Delegation of the African Union to the United Nations and regional trade policy advisor at the Commission of the African Union, and acted as a consultant for numerous regional and international organizations. His analytical work has focused on the social and economic implications of economic reforms, negotiation preparation and trade opportunities. Dr. Mangeni's analyses have informed key initiatives for economic integration throughout Africa and served as a basis for advice to African diplomats attending World Trade Organization conferences and trade negotiations with Africa's major partners.

Magali Rheault
Regional Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Gallup World Poll
Topic: "Current Africa Business Environment for SMEs & Regional Economies."
Magali Rheault is Regional Research Director for sub-Saharan Africa for the Gallup World Poll. As the largest independent source of global survey research, the World Poll measures the most important issues people around the world face. Ms. Rheault leads survey research operations across the African continent and is responsible for sampling, questionnaire design, field staff training and quality control. Her main research interests focus on the intersection of governance, economic growth and human development in sub-Saharan Africa. As an academically trained urban planner, Ms. Rheault focuses on big-picture thinking to better understand how people's surroundings shape their perceptions and opinions. She is passionate about translating data into information and knowledge to help clients incorporate survey findings into impactful initiatives.

FEEEDS-GALLUP-Allafrica.com 2018 Event:African Education Leaders Stress "Entrepreneurial Thinking" as New Approach to Africa's NextGen Education

l-r GALLUP's  Jon Clifton, FEEEDS' Sanders,
Ambassador Newman of Botswana &

Ambassador Nimaga of Mail

Originally published in Allafrica.com https://allafrica.com/stories/201812100320.html 

https://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00065370.html

As Africa searches for alternative paths to educating its NextGen youth for the 21st Century, Jon Clifton, Managing Partner GALLUP World Poll, opened the 2018 Annual FEEEDS-GALLUP-Allafrica.com  annual Africa Forum highlighting education. The half day event November 29, entitled “New Approaches to Africa’s Education," is the fifth in a series of programs focused solely on key Africa themes hosted by FEEEDS Advocacy Initiative CEO Ambassador Robin Sanders, Clifton of the prestigious GALLUP World Poll, and the well-respected online media platform Allafrica.com. This year's forum, attended by African ambassadors, education leaders, advocates and institutions, highlighted the “best practices,” of key secondary and tertiary Africa-created education institutions; featured a leading Africa incubation and technology hub, using these tools to educate, support STEM, small business, women and girls; and provided the audience with the range of U.S. Government programs under the State Department Africa Bureau and other U.S. agencies, which synergistically support efforts to address the skills gap in the region. 

l-r FEEEDS-GALLUP 2018 African
Education Advocates & Focal Speakers
l-r Rheault, Mahdi, Sanders, Genton, Yembra,
Mali Ambassador Nimaga & Abiodun

Five focal experts—Magali Rheault, regional research director, Africa GALLUP; Faith Abiodun, director of program recruitment, and partnership, African Leadership Academy, South Africa (ALA); Dr. Abdul Mahdi, dean of students and community affairs, Ashesi University, Ghana; Nichole Yembra, CFO of Lagos-based Venture Garden Group (VGG); and, Thomas Genton, director of public affairs, Bureau of African Affairs, State Department underscored key progress areas in the sector, shared results of the new approaches supported by data and student success stories, and framed what they viewed as the next phase needed for Africa education to permanently change direction. Mostly notably the experts said that providing “safe spaces “for growth and talent to thrive (especially for young women), along with “entrepreneurial thinking,” “problem-solving,” and “creativity” were the primary things needed to help African communities and African nations -- each focal speaker using their institutions' data or case studies as examples. 

GALLUP Africa Research & data expert
Rheault & Ashesi's Mahdi
respond to questions

In her presentation, Magali Rheault said 2017-2018 GALLUP polling showed that Africa nations were not allocating sufficient budget funding to their respective education sectors to make a significant dent in changing the education systems. Her comments supported the event’s theme and desire to highlight why and what African institutions are being created and privately funded to step into this void. Thus, African government funding and the progress being made on education in Africa were mutually exclusive. Rheault went on to share with the esteemed audience three-related themes polled over 29 African countries regarding what people felt was more important to advancement or success in their country; the GALLUP research data showed they overwhelmingly believed that education was the most important thing, followed then by family or personal connections.

ALA's Abiodun impassioned
opening on the success of school's
approach on entrepreneurial thinking

 Faith Abiodun, the director of program recruitment and partnerships for ALA said during his impassioned opening remarks that student successes to date of ALA’s graduates, demonstrates that their new approach is on the right track. He noted that nearly all of ALA graduates go on to US Ivy Leagues universities or comparable schools elsewhere in the UK or other parts of Europe. In addition, many have taken their entrepreneurial mindset and responded to development, refugee, or food security issues in their home countries. Furthermore, “I saw the need to add on to what we do as ALA, by creating a Model African Union (AU) Conference,” Abiodun noted. “ This conference allows for our students to problem-solve real-world issues facing the African Continent today as if they were AU member states.”  Dr. Abdul Mahdi of Ashesi, emphasizing his institution’s experiential and practitioner approach to learning, touched on whether it was important to have Africa education associations like those that exist in the West. Mahdi explained that there are some nascent efforts in this area, but nothing that has caught on Continent-wide. He expected, however that in a decades’ time the region would see more viable education associations development as the current NextGen graduates move on 
into leadership positions with the desire to ensure Africa too

Yembra receives her 2018 FEEEDS-GALLUP
African Education Advocate Award.
 Below she meets with
invitees

Genton and Yembra during Q&A. Below
Genton discusses education with DRC activist



builds strong education associations.  

 The role of the private sector was not left out in the quest for a new approach to Africa's education.  Nichole Yembra VGG’s Chief Financial Officer provided a different vision on what education needs to include – technology training, more specifically-designed creative facilities for learning, programs for both women in STEM and those in small business, but also even more importantly a safe space in order to be able to collaborated, and teach. She highlighted the success of VGG’s "Vibranium Valley," and its recent event for solely for women in tech, by tech women called “Demo-Chella,” as name-take on the famous annual California music festival called “Coachchella.”  Yembra said that tech-focus women turned out in record numbers at the event because they felt both safe and encouraged. State Department’s Public Diplomacy and Affairs Director, Thomas Genton shared the role that it and other U.S. agencies, such as USAID, has played in both developing new Africa Education programs. He said that the “Young Africa Leaders Initiative,” better known as YALI,  truly meets the definition of a “new approach,” having a network of over 3,700 members, who share their learning experiences, and are a community of future leaders. Denton added that YALI is only a part of the story as the U.S. also provides teacher training and cultural exchanges. He stressed, however, that there is a need to ensure that African youths are listened to, invested in, and are encouraged to be more confident about their future. 

Jena Roscoe, Senior Vice President, Government Affairs Operation Hope, which for more than 25 years has assisted at-risk communities around the world with financial literacy and financial inclusion programs, hailed the Forum as one of a kind in its effort to tell the good news story about what is happening in the Africa education arena. Roscoe especially noted the enlightening remarks by VGG’s Yembra of on how important it was to have “safe spaces,” for young women and girls to thrive intellectually, creatively, especially in the tech and business sectors.

l-r Africa scholar Elmira Woods,
 Jena Roscoe of Operation Hope, &
Forum Invitee

Her sentiments were echoed by Eurika Huggins of the Institute for International Education, who noted that the event raised the awareness of what great schools like ALA and Ashesi were doing on NextGen education issues. Global Peace Services, VP Dr. Mindy Reiser, said the new research data from GALLUP, and the opportunities that Ashesi and ALA offer, should be of great interest to not only African countries but to policy makers in the U.S. "It would have been great if this conference could have been stretched into three days to allow agencies, higher institutions, and more companies in Africa and in the U.S. to hear the these new approaches to Africa's education," Jones said.

 

The focal experts were given a FEEEDS-GALLUP 2018 Africa Education Advocate award at the end of the event.The FEEEDS-GALLUP-AllAfrica.com Africa Forum is a partnership pioneered by former senior U.S. government diplomat and ambassador to Nigeria, Congo, and ECOWAS, Dr. Robin Renee Sanders, GALLUP Managing Partner Jon Clifton, and Allafrica.com Founder and CEO Reed Kramer.

VOA's Esther Githui-Ewart interviews former U.S. Ambassador Robin R. Sanders on FEEEDS-GALLUP-Allafrica.com 2018 program

https://youtu.be/4p3sIIOH2wM

A FEEEDS Blogspot Series