Africa50

09:00 – 09:30 Guests arrival and Welcome Coffee
10:00 – 11:00 Opening Ceremony

Welcome Remarks by Africa50 CEO, Alain Ebobissé

Opening Remarks by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, Africa50 Chairman and President of the African Development Bank

Introductory speech by Hon. Uzziel Ndagijimana, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning of Rwanda

Moderator: Bronwyn Nielsen, former CNBC Africa Editor-in-chief

11:00-12:00 Presidential Conversation: Creating Africa’s Innovation Economy: Lessons from Visionary Leaders (TBC)

During the session visionary leaders will share their experience and thoughts on how to create Africa’s Innovation Economy through pro-active and deliberate government policy interventions and leadership.

Moderator: Bronwyn Nielsen, former CNBC Africa Editor-in-chief

12:00 – 12:30 Press Briefing
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch
14:30 – 17:30 Shareholders Meeting (closed session)
19:30 – 22:30 Gala Dinner

09:30 – 10:00 Guests arrival and Welcome Coffee break
10:00 – 10:30 Opening Ceremony

Welcome Remarks by Africa50 CEO, Alain Ebobissé

Welcome Remarks by Ms. Clare Akamanzi, CEO of the Rwanda Development Board

Remarks by Hon. Ms. Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT & Innovation, Rwanda

Keynote speech by Rt. Hon Edouard Ngirente, Prime Minister of Rwanda

Moderator: Bronwyn Nielsen, former CNBC Africa Editor-in-chief

10:30 – 11:15 Panel 1: Innovation Hubs as Catalysts of Africa’s Innovation Economy

Countries across the continent are creating innovation hubs in the quest to develop ICT, which many are increasingly adopting upon realization of its importance to the economy. It’s vital to take stock of the contribution these platforms are offering and look at how innovators and entrepreneurs are making use of them. Key learnings from Sub-Saharan hubs like Pretoria Innovation Center, Ebene City Mauritius, Kenya iHub will be discussed as well as how countries can keep pace with rapidly changing technology.

Expert Presentation:

Nathalie Munyampenda – Next Einstein Forum Managing Director

Panelists:

- Ms. Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation, Rwanda

- Alain Ebobissé, CEO Africa50

- Nathalie Munyampenda – Next Einstein Forum Managing Director

- Faith Keza: CEO, Rwanda Online

Moderator: CNBC Africa anchor

11:15 – 12:30 PANEL 2: Invest in Rwanda

Rwanda is currently ranked the 2nd easiest place to do business on the continent and the 29th globally. It recently joined the OECD. Last year saw the country register 173 investment projects worth US$ 2.006 billion against a $2 billion target. This discussion takes a close look at what Rwanda is doing to entice investors, and where the sectors of opportunity lie.

Introductory remarks:

Hon. Soraya Hakuziyaremye, Minister of Trade and Industry, Rwanda (TBC)

Panelists:

- Clare Akamanzi, CEO of Rwanda development Board

- Michaella Rugwizangoga, CEO Volkswagen Mobility solutions

12:00 – 13:00 PANEL 3: Financing Africa’s Connectivity Infrastructure Gap: Innovation and Partnerships

Infrastructure is the backbone to connectivity which has proven to be a critical impetus to digital and economic growth. The discussion will bring together seasoned panelists acquainted with the sector. They will assess the impact of low connectivity infrastructure, the role public private partnerships, and efficient use of available infrastructure as well as how ICT can be leveraged to create solutions for local problems, among other issues of interest.

Panelists:

- Sam Nkusi , Group Executive, East Africa, Liquid Telecom

- Alex Ntale , CEO ICT Chamber, Rwanda

- Harkirit Singh , Global Head of Solutions and EMEA pre-sales, Tata Communications.

Moderator: Carole Wainaina, Chief Operating Officer, Africa50

13:00 – 13:30 Press Briefing
13:00 – 14:30 Networking Finger Lunch
14:30 – 18:00 B2B Bilateral Meetings and workshops