The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III and his wife, Olori Atuwatse III, under the umbrella of their non-governmental organisation, Elevate Africa, hosted the inaugural Elevate Africa Global Convening, themed ‘The Africa We See’ on October 10 and 11, 2024 at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja Some of the order of the event were the speeches, breakout sessions, power room sessions, and strategic leadership dialogues, delivered by key speakers and invited guests from across Africa and beyond.
On the first day, Olori Atuwatse spoke on changing the narrative of Africa. She said, “For too long, the world has shaped its view of Africa through a narrow lens, ignoring our great realities. Through various platforms, we seek to tell the authentic African story.”
The presence of pop star, Davido. The singer also shared his story of Africa and how he has tried changing the views of people about the continent, especially in the industry. He noted that the way Africans are viewed has changed, stating that foreigners are beginning to see the value Africa has. According to him, whenever he invites any of his colleagues or friends from outside Africa into Nigeria, they are amazed at how developed the country is.
Similarly, the Vice President’s wife, Nana Shettima, spoke on the relevance and the impactful roles the youth play in the development of the continent. She also touched on the intervention of the government and the empowerment of youth in the country. This was even as she urged the youth to remain committed to hard work.
There were also various engaging panels by esteemed speakers such as the MD/CEO of Rokel Commercial Bank, Sierra Leone, Walton Gilpin; Vice-Chairman, Chandler Foundation, Singapore, Tim Hanstad; and Lord Mayor of Entebbe Municipality, The Republic of Uganda, Fabrice Rulinda; One’s Executive Director for Africa, Serah Makka; CEO of Optiva Capital Partners, Jane Kimemia; VP, Foundation and Government Partnerships at United Way of Greater Atlanta, Juanita Sheppard; and CEO of the 6th Region Global Chamber of Commerce, Melida Harris-Barrow. Davido and another singer, Teni Apata, thrilled guests with music performances, award-winning poet, Maryam Bukar-Hassan, aka Alhanislam, rendered some of her poems.