African Transformation Forum 2020

ACET in q3 commenced planning for the third African Transformation forum to be held in Kenya. Over the report period, ACET has agreed on the focus and agenda of the ATF. We are clear about the positioning of the ATF in terms of focus areas, key interlocutors and how to integrate the TLP members’ contributions. We have defined the event objectives and established a plan on how to reach those objectives. ACET also undertook the first recognisant visit to Nairobi, where the Forum will take place, to explore the available facilities and associated logistics. We have since selected a facility for the event that corresponds to our expectations in terms of security, standards and logistics. During the trip to Nairobi, we also engaged with the office of the President, the chief of staff, and the deputy chief of staff. This meeting was highly important to ensure that the President has bought in to the event and are ready to host the event. The deputy chief of staff has engaged a team around her to support the organisation of the event. Lastly, we have enhanced our efforts in terms of seeking sponsorships for the ATF. Several meetings have been held in this regard, and we are currently in advanced negotiations with key potential funders/sponsors. This process has been supported by consultants procured through the TAP procurement system. In mid-November, ACET’s COO Daniel Nti, went on a second trip to Nairobi to further advance discussions with the Kenyatta Government as well as other key stakeholders in the country. He was accompanied by Dr. Julius Gatune, Senior Research Fellow with ACET, who serves as ACET’s liaison on ground with the Government of Kenya and all institutions with a stake in delivering the ATF. Some key achievements during the period include: • The successful selection of facility for the event that corresponds to our expectations in terms of security, standards and logistics. • The substantial progress made in solidifying communications plans around the event, finalizing the invitation list, and coordinating with the Government of Kenya as well as the various Heads of States expected to be in attendance. • The significant efforts made in terms of seeking sponsorships for the ATF. Several meetings have been held in this regard, and we are currently in advanced negotiations with key potential funders/sponsors. This process has been supported by consultants procured through the TAP procurement system The African Transformation Forum was on course to take place as scheduled June 17th and 18th, 2020 in Nairobi, Kenya. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, ACET had to visit Nairobi on March 3rd -6th for consultations with the Government of Kenya on the need to postpone the Forum. The nascent date for the forum is January 2021 in Nairobi, Kenya. Partners and delegates have been duly informed of these developments. In the interim, ACET continues to work in preparation towards the conference with the tentative January 2021 delivery date by reworking and updating the agenda, engaging and updating the current list of panelists, moderators, and other facilitators. We are also developing the various required content for discussions at the Forum and coming up with various scenarios and accompanying strategic interventions factoring the availability of various service providers and suppliers such as the venue. Additionally, ACET will continue liaising with the Government of Kenya to ensure alignment with all plans. ATF 2020 was initially planned as physical event to be held in Nairobi, Kenya in early 2021. However, given the uncertainty around future developments and implications of COVID-19, ACET is planning to host a series of virtual events in 2021. Work is currently ongoing to adapt the agenda to the new format, engage panelists, moderators, and other facilitators. This will also require additional communications activities to develop content, a marketing and communication strategy that is tailored for an online audience (videos, interviews with Heads of State, etc). Following delays by COVID-19, the third ATF would be launched as a series of webinars beginning February 2021. The first would be launched with the ATR featuring a discussion with African Heads of State following the AU summit on regional integration. Next will be a series of monthly webinars to discuss each chapter of the ATR (population and demographics, climate change, regional integration and technology and innovation) and other gender and transformational leadership related issues. In Q3, the team continued to revise the original agenda to the new format, and to engage panelists, moderators, and other facilitators. We are also developing content for publication and a marketing and communications strategy suitable for an online audience (videos, interviews with Heads of State, etc.). In Q4 ACET developed a database of over 250 potential invitees, panelists, moderators, and other facilitators in preparation for the webinars. We have also identified six country Presidents (Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Niger, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa), who are representative of each region and thematic area. The ATF is dependent on the completion of the African Transformation Report (ATR). Pending completion of the ATR, the project team will be developing content for publication (videos, interviews with Heads of State, etc.) and engage with vendors for video production and web meeting hosting to discuss agreements. Following the completion of final revisions of the ATR in Q1 2021, the ATF team amplified its preparation activities for the first of five webinars which has been re-targeted for July 2021. Key tasks included: • Speaker Engagement: the team drafted letters for the Heads of States and potential participants which are under review for finalization and dissemination. Proposed speakers include the Head of AFCTA and the Presidents of Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Niger, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa, who are representative of each region and thematic area. • Communications: The Communications Team has re-engaged various service providers and suppliers for development of video content, messaging, social media, and other content required for the Forum • Revision of Infographics: A new info-graphic provider has been engaged due to sub-par quality of content developed in the ATR overview. In Q2 2021, the following tasks were completed : Speaker Engagements: Invitations have gone out to high level panelists and distinguished speakers including the Heads of State of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Senegal, as well as participants. Invites: Registrations have commenced with over 300 out of our targeted 500 participants so far. Logistics: All logistical preparations, including pre-recorded video addresses for the launch of the African Transformation Report (ATR3), are set with the requisite tech checks and test runs being carried out with all speakers ahead of the event. The event will be hosted on TechChange’s online platform. The agenda has been finalized as well. Key Outputs: Key documents for the Forum, particularly the overview of the African Transformation Report (ATR3) and its visual summary, have been finalized in English and French. They will go live on ACET’s website three days before the Forum date. Communications: A massive social media campaign has been rolled out. The communications team has been instrumental in the design of a stakeholder communications toolkit, which is to be released ahead of the launch. A restricted preview of the ATR has also been developed for the press during the launch. Heading on, the team will release the embargoed preview of the ATR to the press, organize an inhouse training for presenters, convene the ATF and continue with publication and dissemination of report in the next quarter. In Q3 2021, The third African Transformation Forum (ATF 2021) was launched as a virtual event on July 15, 2021. The primary aim of ATF2021 was to: • Launch the third African Transformation Report (ATR 2021): Integrating to Transform. ATR 2021 explores the need for African countries to transcend integration based on trade to also confront shared challenges, harness regional opportunities, and enable economies to scale—and in turn, accelerate Africa’s economic transformation. • Offer a common platform for stakeholders including government, businesses, civil society, and academia to discuss how African countries and development stakeholders could better integrate to address national priorities while simultaneously mitigating associated impediments to promote economic transformation among countries. The launch of the forum commenced with opening remarks by Dr. K.Y. Amoako, ACET President and Founder, and Hon. Tito Mboweni, South Africa’s Finance Minister and ACET Board Chair. They highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on the continent and existing opportunities for African countries to harness growth and development through regional integration. This was followed by a keynote address by H.E. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana. He emphasized the need for collaboration among African leaders to accelerate transformation and stressed that Africa’s transformation in areas like digitalization could only be achieved through integration and collaboration. The forum also featured two panel discussions: • The first was among members of the Transformation Leadership Panel (TLP) elaborating on the themes and issues analyzed in ATR 2021 including job creation and skills training, climate risks, technology and innovation, and gender equality. • The second group discussion featured a diverse set of panellists from the public and private sector— including Hon. Souleymane Diarrassouba, Côte d’Ivoire Minister of Trade and Industry. He commented on the various aspects of leadership needed for improved African collaboration, both in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 and to ensure long-term development success. ATF 2021 further showcased a selection of prerecorded messages from emerging leaders in African civil society and the private sector. In each instance, the invited guest offered a short description of his or her enterprise or endeavor, and the ways in which an integrated Africa could support them to yield even greater results. The forum was attended by over 600 participants from government institutions, private sector, academia, and civil society organizations across 47 countries. Four thematic deep dive webinars The 15th July launch of the ATF was the first in a series of webinars to be convened. ACET will organize four additional webinars providing an in-depth focus on the thematic issues of the ATR2021, namely: population and demographics; climate change; regional integration; and technology and innovation.