NEPAD Business Foundation in collaboration with the NEPAD Agency and Barclays Bank hosted the fourth annual African Leaders in Dialogue dinner on Tuesday 11 November, during which the African Union Chairperson, Her Excellency Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, unpacked the AU’s ‘Agenda 2063’ framework to key stakeholders.

“Africa’s Agenda 2063 belongs to all Africans. It is an inclusive continental social, economic and political rejuvenation framework which will pull together efforts by government, business and all Africans, congruently guiding their activities towards Africa’s growth and development over the next 50 years,” said the chairperson during the keynote address. 

The African Leaders in Dialogue is a working dinner, which centres on topical issues relating to Africa’s development and creates an ideal platform for key stakeholders from both the public and private sector, to deliberate and generate solutions to the continent’s challenges.  The event, attended by high level government officials with over 51 members of the Diplomatic Corp constituting of G20 and African Ambassadors to South Africa and over 300 members of the private sector and captains of industries, provided a platform for the private sector to better understand Agenda 2063 and to identify ways to play a role in Africa’s 50 year master plan.

An esteemed panel discussion preceded dinner which included H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma - Chairperson of the African Union; Dr. Ibrahim Mayaki - CEO of the NEPAD Agency; H.E. Bene M’Poko - Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Dean of Ambassadors to South Africa); Mr. Stanley Subramoney - Deputy CEO - PwC Southern Africa and NBF Chairman; Ms. Mizinga Melu, Chief Executive: Regional Management, Barclays Africa Group; Mr Michael O’Brien Onyeka, Executive Director, Greenpeace Africa and Mr. Lawrence Ndambuki Muli, Programme and Policy Advisor, African Observatory for policy Practice and Youth Studies sat to deliberate on the theme, ‘Africa’s Agenda 2063: a 50 year road map to Africa’s economic integration’, and provided their insights of painting a picture of the “Africa we want” in 50 years time. 

Dr Mayaki and Dr Dlamini-Zuma 

 Dr Ibrahim Mayaki, CEO of the NEPAD Agency who participated in the panel discussion said, “Africa’s Agenda 2063 is a legacy building initiative which scopes the critical development objectives for the continent and identifies key participants, clearly outlining their roles in a cooperative strategy aimed at achieving true economic development for Africa in 50 years.”

Ms Mizinga Melu, Executive Director: Regional Management of the Barclays Africa Group

Speaking during the panel discussion, Ms. Mizinga Melu, Executive Director: Regional Management of the Barclays Africa Group said, “The Barclays Africa Group has a long history of working in Africa that spans over 50 years. We recognise the importance of Africa’s development and as the private sector, we value working with government and other key stakeholders to achieve lateral economic growth for all Africans.”

The past 50 years of Africa’s story have been focused on increasing political and social gains, however, current trends point to a continental shift in priority with more focus being placed on regional strategies centred on economic growth over the next half a century.

Ms Lynette Chen, CEO of the NBF 

In her closing remarks, Ms Lynette Chen, CEO of the NBF said, “Africa is poised to become the leading global supplier of raw materials within a century and systems need to be put in place to safeguard Africa’s wealth and ensure equitable distribution of economic gains so that we can achieve sustainable livelihoods and higher standards of living in 50 years.”