Milken Institute Scales Up Engagement with Africa through New Business Council
July 02 2024 - 2:10PM
Business Wire
The new program represents Milken Institute’s regional
engagement strategy focused on paving the way for stronger, more
comprehensive partnerships across the African continent.
The Milken Institute today announced the launch of the Africa
Leaders Business Council. The newly established council brings
together a group of thought leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and
experts across business, technology, finance and investment,
sustainability, and innovation to support the Institute’s plan to
deepen its network and engagements in Africa. Leaders on this
council will lend their expertise and provide a high-level overview
of Africa’s evolving business landscape for Milken Institute’s
wide-ranging network and stakeholders who wish to amplify their
engagement in the region.
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The establishment of the Africa Leaders Business Council
underscores the Milken Institute’s efforts to bolster its
commitment to the continent and complements the Institute’s plan to
solidify its presence across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East,
and Latin America. Prominent leaders from Africa have participated
at various Milken Institute convenings as speakers, including the
President of Kenya H.E William Ruto, the President of Ghana
H.E. Nana Akufo-Addo, and Patrice Motsepe, Chairman
and Founder of African Rainbow Minerals and Co-Founder and Chairman
of the Motsepe Foundation, attesting to the region’s increasing
interest in engaging with the Institute’s global audience.
“Amidst the rapidly intensifying geopolitical landscape, and
given its tremendous demographic potential, Africa is poised to
play an increasingly pivotal role in the global economy,” said
Laura Deal Lacey, Executive Vice President who leads the
international program at the Milken Institute. “We recognize the
excellence in Africa’s innovation and ingenuity. We believe our
Africa Leaders Business Council will play a key role in helping our
stakeholders to navigate the continent and provide a fresh
perspective in tackling issues shaping the global agenda across
climate change, health, capital access, and energy transition.”
Last month, Esther Krofah, Executive Vice President of
Health at the Milken Institute, traveled to Nigeria to provide
strategic guidance on how to prevent, detect, and treat cancer
early at a day-long roundtable hosted by Nigeria’s National
Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT). The Milken
Institute’s engagements in Africa include the Global Financial
Scholars Programs, which aim to build the next generation leaders
in financial policy and public financial asset management; the
Milken–Motsepe Innovation Prize Program, which invites global
innovators and entrepreneurs to advance technological solutions
toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
and Milken Institute’s work in advancing early warning systems for
pandemic preparedness in Kenya and health innovation and cancer
control in Nigeria.
Upcoming events intended to engage and mobilize the council
include a private investor dialogue on the sidelines of the United
Nations General Assembly, a Nigeria policy roundtable on debt
sustainability pathways, engagements at the Milken Institute Middle
East and Africa Summit in December, as well as curated webinars and
bespoke in-person and virtual discussions.
“Flutterwave’s work to enable global enterprises to expand into
and across Africa, as well as African businesses to take flight
across the world, fully aligns with the Milken Institute’s emphasis
on harnessing the power of financial technology and of human and
social capital,” said Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, Founder and
CEO of Flutterwave and member of the Africa Leaders Business
Council. “We believe these are key forces that will shape the
future of Africa, and via the Milken Institute Africa Leaders
Business Council, we look forward to contributing our insights and
perspectives to the Institute’s expanding work on the
continent.”
The inaugural members of the council include: Africa Investment
Forum; BES; CrossBoundary Group; Dangote Group; Flutterwave;
Lateral Frontiers VC; Lions Head Global Partners; Prosper Africa;
Proxima Legal; RisCura; Sabi; Symbion Power; Tofino Capital; Ubuntu
Group; Unified State Group; Women’s World Banking; and YAATRA
Ventures.
For more information about the Milken Institute Africa Leaders
Business Council and the Institute’s work in Africa, please visit
www.milkeninstitute.org/africa.
Please direct any media queries about the announcement to
Yeen Chong at ychong@milkeninstitute.org.
About the Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank
focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a
meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and
environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and
innovative resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of
our most critical global issues through the lens of what's pressing
now and what's coming next. For more information, visit
www.milkeninstitute.org.
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Yeen Chong ychong@milkeninstitute.org