2023-10-21 20:20:24
HE Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Afreximbank. George Agyekum Donkor, President of the EBID. Patrice Barthelemy MELOM, General Director of the Autonomous Port of Kribi. Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC. Henri Lopes.
The 9th edition of the Rebranding Africa Forum ended on October 21 in the Belgian capital. Highly anticipated, “the list of Rebranding Africa Awards has once again highlighted talented personalities, who through their actions, propel Africa to the forefront of the world stage in the quest for a lucid and positive narrative on the continent,” announce the organizers in a press release.
The “Governance Leadership Rebranding Africa Award” is awarded to an African leader who has demonstrated his commitment to an Africa resolutely in tune with the challenges and changes of today’s world.
In recognition of her commitment to democracy, the rule of law, women’s empowerment and the development of human capital by defending universal access to education in her country, in Africa and around the world , the jury decided to reward: HE Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
HE Julius Maada Wonie Bio is the current Head of State of the Republic of Sierra Leone. He is known for initiating the peace process that brought stability to a deeply divided country, returned Sierra Leone to democracy and handed power to a democratically elected government.
As head of state, he is committed to developing human capital, science, technology, and fighting corruption. He also promoted free education and economic efficiency. He worked to improve the lives of his fellow citizens and was committed to promoting investment in Sierra Leone.
The “Empowering Women Rebranding Africa Award” is awarded to a woman (or a group of women) whose daily leadership reflects the predominant place of women in the construction of a positive narrative on the African continent.
For her unquestionable leadership in the implementation of the intra-African trade initiative, the organization of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) and her brilliant professional performances which make her a source of inspiration for many young African women, the jury decided to award Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice-President of Afreximbank.
Kanayo Awani is the Executive Vice President of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), in charge of the Intra-African Trade Bank. She gained extensive banking experience at Citigroup in Nigeria before devoting herself to development finance. Ms. Awani plays a key role in promoting intra-African trade and has received numerous accolades for her leadership and impact in Africa, including the title of “Inspirational Personality of the Year in Africa”. She is also President of the Africa section of FCI, a global factoring association.
The “Development Champion Rebranding Africa Award” rewards leaders who move the lines and drive the dynamics of development, by activating, with determination and pugnacity, the levers needed and when needed.
To salute his leadership at the head of the institution he heads, which resulted in the improvement of the credit rating by the credit agencies Moody’s and Fitchs Ratings, as well as his significant contribution to the financing of major projects infrastructure aimed at facilitating West African regional integration, the jury decided to award George Agyekum Donkor, President of the EBID.
George Donkor has over 27 years of experience, with diverse expertise in finance, strategic management, marketing, legal affairs and compliance. Currently President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), he has led key initiatives such as the opening of capital to non-regional members and the adoption of IFRS standards. He also led the Bank’s first roadshow in the United States and the United Kingdom. Winner of the 2019 Ghana Innovation Award, Mr Donkor is a practicing attorney at the Ghana Bar and Chairman of Boards of Directors in Ghana and abroad.
The “Milestone Achievement Rebranding Africa Award” rewards a business owner whose vision and quality of management have significantly contributed to the growth of the company he manages or has led.
To salute his leadership which led to the transformation of the construction project of the industrial-port complex of Kribi into a tangible reality making the Deep Water Port of Kribi a true pole of economic growth in Cameroon, the jury decided to award: Patrice Melom, Director General of the Autonomous Port of Kribi.
Patrice Barthelemy MELOM, General Director of the Autonomous Port of Kribi, began his career as an engineer at the Ministry of Planning and worked at the Higher State Control as a controller. He coordinated the first phase of the Kribi Industrial-Port Complex (CIPK) project, completed in 2015. As the first Managing Director of the Autonomous Port of Kribi since 2016, he also manages the entire industrial-port zone.
The “Business Leadership Rebranding Africa Award” aims to distinguish an actor whose approach, positioning and leadership have been significant in the business world.
To recognize his exceptional leadership, his commitment to promoting global economic growth and the unwavering support of the institution he leads for the African private sector, the jury decided to award Hani Salem Sonbol, CEO of ITFC .
Hani Salem SONBOL is the Managing Director of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC). With a career spanning three decades in multilateral development financing, he has held various positions within the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB). He headed the IDB Regional Office in Morocco, was Director of the Department of Financing and Trade Promotion, Deputy Director General of the ITFC and Acting Director General of the Islamic Corporation for Investment and Credit. Export (ICIEC).
The “Lifetime Achievement Rebranding Africa Award” aims to reward the exceptional career of a personality who has contributed to positively promoting the African continent. This year, the jury chose to honor an exceptional personality: Henri Lopes.
Member of the Federation of Black African Students in France (FEANF), Minister of Education (1969-1970), Foreign Affairs (1971-1973), Finance (1977-1980) and Prime Minister (1973-1975 ) of Congo-Brazzaville, senior official within UNESCO (1982-1997) before becoming Congolese ambassador to France (1998-2015), Henri Lopes never ceased to combine local concerns with pan-African positions and cosmopolitical dynamics. His literary work preserves the trace of this taste for the world and its metamorphoses.
Indeed, the rich writings of Henri Lopes have made him a major figure in French-language literature. The writer, theoretician of literature and the French-speaking world, is also a thinker of “Africas” which he has questioned and configured in his literary creation, his activist work and his action as a public figure. Author of poems, short novels and memoirs, he invented a literary universe of rare density.
“To write is to open yourself to all the winds” (My Bantu grandmother and my ancestors the Gauls: simple discourses, p. 113, Henri Lopes).
A propos du Rebranding Africa Forum :
Born in 2014 from the desire of its Founder, Thierry HOT, to create a framework for consultation, reflection and exchange on the potential that Africa abounds, the Rebranding Africa Forum (RAF) has the main prerogative of promoting the assets of the African continent, the challenge being to break the numerous biases which impact the way we view African countries and to strengthen the confidence of partners, donors and investors for sustainable and inclusive development of the continent.
It is also a question of catalyzing reflections concerning the economic emancipation of Africa, and in this case on its financial potential and the immense opportunities offered by the changes currently taking place there.
The RAF has become, in 9 years of existence, an essential meeting place for Africans who want to impact their continent and be a stakeholder in its development. Its impact is measured by the echo it creates within the highest decision-making levels on our continent. In a tangible way, it makes it possible to concretize the desire of African countries to work together for the development of the continent, through the signing of bilateral or multilateral cooperation agreements (between the National Investment Promotion Agencies of the continent or Chambers of Commerce and European and African Institutions).
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