From Bassey Williams, Yenagoa
Environmentalists, business and financial experts have called for increased sustainable trade and investment opportunities to fast track an equitable economic development and prosperity in Africa.
This formed the crux of the discourse at the second edition of the Global Sustainability Conference series recently organized by CleanCyclers Africa and held in House of Lords, United Kingdom.
With this year’s theme tagged, “Sustainable Trade and Investment Opportunities in Africa – the PPP Approach”, the forum attracted various notable speakers and panelists not just from Nigeria and Africa, but across the world.
According to the convener and founder of CleanCyclers, Otto Canon, sustainable development is the global development plan put together by United Nation and it’s member states to tackle common challenges and address shared goals.
He described the process as the ability to sustain a strategic plan to address the needs of today without jeopardizing the future generation.
Otto said, “How is the world faring so far? How is Africa faring so far? Sustainable trade and investment opportunity is a plan we should achieve by 2030 but so far, I think we have a long way to go.
“There are loads and tones of unanswered questions to that regard and to do justice and respond to some of these questions, we have carefully selected some of the finest professionals and experts from their various sectors in the industry.”
Some of the notable speakers at the event include Kristin Sharpe who delivered the welcome address while the keynote speech was taken by Mrs Tuma Adama Gento-Kamara.
A special presentation on the Great Green Wall was delivered by the project coordinator, Jenovive Chinyere, the Chief Executive Officer Dream West Africa and another presentation by Titi Horsfall, Head, Diplomatic Corps, Permits & Licenses and Federal Parastatals, Nigeria LNG Limited who is also a writer, novelist & poet.
There were several panel session which all touched on sustainability and sustainable investment in Africa.
The first panel was moderated by Canon Otto FRSA, and it had speakers like Viscount Lord Waverley, UK Parliament – MPs and Lords, Owen Omogiafo, President/Group CEO of Transnational Corporation (Transcorp), Dr. Olori Bove-Ajavi, President The Borderless Trade Network and Ibrahim Adejuwon Odumboni, MD/CEO Lagos Waste Management, Nigeria.
The panelists expressed their pleasure in participating in such an important discussion forum, and highlighted some of their strides in their various works.
The president of Transcorp Group, Owen Omogiafo, went on to mention series of projects and programs her organization has executed. She emphasized more on the fact that they don’t just focus on profits alone, but also on planet and people.
She explained that their corporate social responsibilities are not taken for granted at all, adding that Transcorp has set discounted schools for children across the various geopolitical zones in Nigeria and they’ve supported several entrepreneurs across the country.
The second panel session touched on “Understanding the Opportunities in Real Estate Investment in Africa: Strategies to Accelerate Africa’s Growth” and was moderated by Ezekiel Solesi.
The speakers were Hon. Atty. Dr. Samora P. Z. Wolokolie, Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Development Planning Republic of Liberia; Dr. Oluwatosin O. Olatujoye, GCEO Zylus Group, Nigeria; Kenneth Raydon Sharpe, CEO, Westprop Holdings Zimbabwe; Dr. Tinashe Manzungu,
Board Director Africa Business Council (ABS) and Mr. Akerele Ajewole, CEO, Gidi Real Estate Ltd.
