WHAT: Pre-iBoot Camp Youth Virtual Summit

Theme: Beyond COVID-19: Leveraging the Benefits of the AfCFTA to Spur Africa’s Growth

WHEN: 12 November, 0900hr – 17:30hr

WHERE: Register here: www.virtual.yaldafrica.org

WHO:  The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat and Youth Alliance for Leadership and Development (YALDA) in partnership with International Trade Center (ITC) and The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)

Keynote Speakers:

• His Excellency Mr. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat
• Ms. Dorothy Tembo, Deputy Executive Director, International Trade Centre
• Dr Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist of UNDP Africa Bureau

   Panelists:

• Aissatou Dialo, ITC – Senior Program Officer, AfCFTA focal point, Office for Africa
• Routouang Mohamed Ndonga Christian, Minister of Youth, Republic of Chad
• Jessica Anuma, Founder Klesha
• Andrew Beard, CEO, Vanu Group
• Cedric Atangana, CEO and Co-founder, WeCashUp
• Lanre Oloniniyi, Co-founder, Orbitt Capital

An innovative, empowered and connected Africa is key to fully realizing the full benefits of the AfCFTA. African youth can develop the skill sets required by tomorrow’s digitized world as well as technology-based solutions that exploit the full breadth of a single continent-wide trade area, leading to increased intra-African trade, employment opportunities, skills exchange and collaboration towards resolving Africa’s most pressing socio-economic challenges.

Objectives

The summit will mobilize the youth from across the continent to a workshop virtually that will focus on four aspects:

1. Collaborating with industry leaders and businesspeople in an online forum and sharing of strategies to overcome the impact of COVID-19;
2. Connect young people to financial resources that will enable them to invest in their businesses and lead the way in kick-starting economic recovery in their respective countries;
3. ‘Digital Couches’ a concept used to refer to small groups that have been setup virtually that enable participants to virtually break out into groups and this will enable more dedicated feedback allowing participants to network digitally.
4. Taking participants through the tenets of the AfCFTA and how it may impact them through the facilitation of roundtables
5. During the summit YALDA and its partners will begin the process of cataloguing youth-run businesses across various industries, which have the potential for expansion across the continent utilising the tenets of the AfCFTA.  This will enable these businesses to get the technical and financial support they needed investors and institutions to realise their growth potential.

The most innovative and impactful business idea will receive $5,000, with other prizes and fellowships available for runners-up.

For More information please contact

Abinaidah Chaseba,  YALDA International Head of External Communications M: + 260 97 684 5196 E: cabinaidah@gmail.com

Poubom Rehbeh. YALDA Head of Francophone Africa M: +237 751 56798   E: rehbeh88@gmail.com