Global CEOs, Presidents, and a diverse array of influencers, from business leaders and social media creators to fashion icons and musicians, will gather in New York on September 25-26, 2024, for the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) (www.GABI.biz) flagship event Unstoppable Africa.

Set against the backdrop of the United Nations General Assembly and its adoption on Sunday of the Pact for the Future, Unstoppable Africa is co-convened by the United Nations Global Compact and the African Union and will showcase how Africa is shaping global ambitions for Agenda 2063.

The high-level event will feature speakers such as H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. William Ruto, President of Kenya, Michael Miebach, CEO of  Mastercard,  Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Founder, Chairman&CEO of the Dangote Group and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organization; alongside Sara Sabry, Africa’s first female astronaut, Actor Lupita N’yongo, Musicians Fally Ipupa and Patoranking, and YouTube creator Sofi Ibrahim (The Odditty). It will cover topics ranging from trade, energy access and artificial intelligence to African fashion, arts and sports.

Themed Unstoppable Africa: Shaping Global Ambitions for Agenda 2063, this two-day event offers leaders an opportunity to engage in high-level discussions, collaborate on actionable solutions, and forge partnerships that drive growth across Africa. The event will be livestreamed to a global audience and aims to address critical areas of Africa’s development.

In addition to these sessions at Cipriani’s, several side events will also take place at Convene, New York, including sessions on the crucial role of education in Africa’s growth, the digital inclusion of girls and young women, and harnessing AI and cloud technologies for development.

Other high-profile speakers include:  H.E João Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola; H.E. Andrzej Duda, President of Poland; H.E. Félix Tshisekedi, President of the Democratic Republic of Congo; H.E. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General; Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy UN Secretary-General; Wamkele Mene, Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area; Benedict Oramah, President, Africa Export Import Bank; Mo Abudu, CEO, Ebony Media; H.E. Dr Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development&International Cooperation, Arab Republic of Egypt; Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO Sustainable Energy for All; Ms Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary General&Director, UNDP Africa Bureau; H.E. Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Benin; H.E. Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT Rwanda; Ms Anna Bjerde, Managing Director, World Bank Group; H.E. Cina Lawson, Minister of Digital Economy&Digital Transformation, Togo among many other distinguished guests. See full list on the website: https://apo-opa.co/3Xt4n9q

In addition, the GABI Film Showcase, “Bold Stories,” organized by The Rev Canon Dr. Betsee Parker, Naila Media, the UN Global Compact, and the Spotlight Initiative, celebrates the transformative impact of African women filmmakers.

This year’s event also features a specially curated playlist blending traditional and contemporary African sounds, underscoring GABI’s commitment to honoring the continent’s vibrant heritage.

Featured artists include; Oum (Morocco), Carlos Monsta (Angola), Muzi (South Africa), Moreira Chonguiça (Mozambique), Tutu Puoane ft. Lebo Mashile (lyricist) (South Africa), Innoss’ B (DRC), Unathi (South Africa), Anatii (South Africa)), Trinix ft. Onset Music Group and DJ Zandimaz (South Africa).

Themes and Activities

Unstoppable Africa will focus on five key themes that are critical to Africa’s socio-economic future:  Energy Access&Transitions, Inclusive Growth&Trade, Digital Transformation, Creative Industries, and Sports. The GABI event is supported by a diverse group of sponsors: Rockefeller Foundation, Afreximbank , Google, Summa Group , Safaricom, Flour Mills of Nigeria, Service Now, ClimateWorks Foundation, UNAIDS, UNICEF (Generation Unlimited), Itana, UNDP, PepsiCo, Yingke International Law firm, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 21st Century Technologies, Payaza, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and First Bank of Nigeria.

For more information visit https://apo-opa.co/3MWwyJm

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Global Africa Business Initiative.

In Niger, the Ministry of Education has validated the six-month Accelerated Education Programme (AEP) developed by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

A major step forward was taken on Tuesday, 17 September 2024, with the AEP validation workshop attended by representatives of the Ministry of National Education, technical and financial partners in the education sector, regional and communal education officials, AEP designers, NRC and partner INGOs. After very fruitful discussions, which highlighted the quality and relevance of the programme and its alignment with the renewed national programme currently underway, the Ministry validated the six-month AEP with its extension to emergency zones.

The aim of the programme is to prepare out-of-school refugee, displaced and host community children aged 6 to 7/8 for entry into primary school. At the end of these six months of condensed classes, these children will be able to join the second year of primary school, the cours préparatoire.

“The AEP was submitted to the technicians for comment. It meets the technical requirements and is adapted to the renovated programme. It’s a programme that will guarantee educational continuity in emergency zones,” assures Salley Djafarou, Director General of Education and Training.

Initially, the programme lasted three months and was developed to promote access to the first year of primary school for out-of-school refugee children aged 6 to 8, as well as children from displaced and local communities in the Maradi region. It was validated in 2020, implemented first in Maradi, then extended to Tillabéri in 2021 and Tahoua in 2023, in response to the growing need for access to primary education. Now lasting six months, the AEP enables children to enter the second year of primary school, the cours préparatoire, directly.

This programme fills a gap in educational provision for out-of-school children aged 6 to 8, an age group not covered by the national Strategy of Accelerated School (Stratégie de Scolarisation Accélérée/Passerelle), which is aimed at out-of-school or early drop-out children aged 9 to 12.

Evaluations have shown positive impacts in terms of learning, school awareness, confidence-building, and feelings of security and safety at school. Reinforced by the Better Learning Programme (BLP), this programme includes a psychosocial support component for child victims or witnesses of violence, who arrive at school in a traumatised state, hindering their ability to learn. As part of the BLP, teachers receive pedagogical training adapted to the needs of these children.

“The AEP is a solution that facilitates access to school. It enables the child to gain one school year in six months. What’s more, the child benefits from substantial psychosocial support through the BLP. This programme helps keep children off the streets. It also brings a new experience to the teachers, who see their skills reinforced,” emphasises Idrissa Maïga, Regional Inspector of Primary Education.

The six-month accelerated education programme reinforces NRC’s position in Niger’s educational response and guarantees educational continuity in emergency zones.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Norwegian Refugee Council.

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, have sent separate messages of congratulations to Colonel Assimi Goita, President of the Transition and Head of State of Mali, on the occasion of his country’s Independence Day.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also dispatched similar messages to Colonel Assimi Goita and Prime Minister Choguel Maïga.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs&International Cooperation.

The ALPS Group met virtually on September 19 to continue its weekly coordination on expanding emergency humanitarian access across Sudan, including through advocating for humanitarian pauses where critically needed, and protections for civilians, while aiming for a broader cessation of hostilities. 

The ALPS Group took note that the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, as evidenced by recent data from Zamzam camp reflecting catastrophic malnutrition, and drew urgency in its deliberations from this sobering update. 

The ALPS Group welcomes the full opening by the Transitional Sovereign Council of the Kassala and Dongola airports for the UN’s World Food Program’s Humanitarian Air Service to execute humanitarian assistance flights. 

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) should facilitate additional airfield assessments, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) should keep up with its commitment to do so. 

Both the RSF and the SAF should facilitate preparations to allow humanitarian flights into and throughout Sudan by guaranteeing the security of aircraft and staff managing air operations.

The ALPS group also welcomes the news that humanitarian operations are now moving across conflict lines from Port of Sudan through Shendi to Khartoum. 

Partners have seized this opportunity and were already able to reach some of the people in need. 

However, this expansion of humanitarian access, while a positive sign, remains insufficient to meet both the needs of the people and to ensure the efficient delivery of the hundreds of thousands of tons of additional humanitarian assistance being mobilized for the people of Sudan. 

The RSF and SAF must facilitate the unhindered and safe access for surging relief efforts along the Khartoum route, as well as further crossline movements on additional routes, including from Khartoum to El Obeid and to Kosti, as well as from Kassala to Wad Medani and beyond. These steps are all necessary to reach the heartland of the crisis and contain the famine.

Regarding El Fasher and its surrounding areas, the ALPS Group calls on all international actors to press the warring parties to comply with their obligations under international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and urged the RSF to refrain from any attacks targeting civilians and the SAF to stop its widespread aerial bombardments. 

We call on international partners to join efforts to reach immediate humanitarian pauses to the fighting in El Fasher, as well as in Sennar, Khartoum, and al-Jazira states to allow humanitarian access and corridors for those Sudanese most in need.

The warring parties must ensure civilians can safely leave the areas of fighting. 

We recall that all parties to the conflict have to respect the rules regulating the conduct of hostilities. 

This includes to take all necessary precautionary measures to limit the negative impact on the civilians.

The delegations affirm it is imperative that both parties to the conflict progress discussions on implementing the ALPS Group’s proposed compliance mechanism proposal, which seeks to facilitate implementation and prevent violations of the parties’ commitments made under the Jeddah Declaration. The group affirmed that it will continue to consult with Sudanese women as part of its work.

As the spirit of the ALPS Group is one of alignment, we strive to work together within the ALPS Group and beyond to build greater international cooperation on alleviating the suffering of the Sudanese people and bringing an end to the violence.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs&International Cooperation.