WINBAFRICA Deepens Youth Participation In Business At Roundtable Summit

Women in Business Africa (WINBAFRICA) has called for greater youth involvement in Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape, unveiling bold strategies at its high-profile Roundtable Summit to bridge generational gaps in business leadership.

Gathering top executives, policymakers, and young innovators, the event was also in celebration of its 12th anniversary, marking over a decade of transformative impact for nation building and spotlighting actionable pathways for emerging talents to drive economic growth amid rising unemployment challenges across the continent.

Theme: “Youth As Architect of Nation Building” brought together stakeholders, philanthropists, captains of industry, women’s groups to accelerate the transformational impact of empowering women, scholarship for girl child in Africa.

A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the founder of the WINBAFRICA foundation, Dr Bukola Bello Jaiyesimi, said 12 years later, the Foundation stands as a testament to resilience, vision, and sustained nation-building efforts across the African continent.

Jaiyesimi noted that since its establishment in 2014, WINBAFRICA has remained steadfast in its commitment to promoting girl-child education and empowering women and young girls with critical thinking and leadership skills across secondary schools and communities in Africa.

“Over the years, WINBAFRICA’s interventions have continued to expand in scope and research. Through initiatives such as the Education First Series, Project Sapphire, Orphanage Challenge, Project Back-to-School, WINBAFRICA Monthly Round Table Discussion, WINBAFRICA Food Bank, and its Monthly Newsletter publication, the organisation has created platforms that nurture leadership, provide educational support, and foster community development.

As part of this year’s anniversary activities, the Foundation successfully hosted a WINBA FRICA Monthly Round Table on the theme: “Youths as Architects of Nation Building.”

The Roundtable discussion brought together young professionals and stakeholders from diverse sectors to examine the strategic role of youths in strengthening institutions, driving sustainable development, and shaping national identity.

Deliberations affirmed that nation building is systemic and inter-generational, extending beyond governance to include institutional reforms, economic resilience, infrastructure development, cultural identity, and human capital development.

Similarly, participants emphasised that youths are not merely participants in development processes but central architects responsible for building sustainable structures grounded in integrity and merit.

A key outcome of the discussion was the importance of Access, access to opportunities, decision-making platforms, and functional institutions. Strong institutions were identified as foundational to national stability, promoting transparency, accountability, public trust, and merit-based advancement.

The Roundtable further underscored the need to strengthen the quality, preparedness, and value orientation of the youth population through continuous learning, intellectual engagement, and structured mentorship. Participants noted the correlation between poverty, crime, and instability, stressing that bridging economic and social gaps is essential to sustainable national development.

“This seminar is conceived as a strategic platform to transition women’s empowerment from symbolic celebration to measurable, institutionalised, and sustainable action. It will convene educators, women entrepreneurs and business owners, corporate executives and professionals, policymakers and development partners, financial institutions, emerging leaders and students.”

The seminar is designed to move beyond symbolic recognition of women’s achievements and focus on practical, sustainable strategies that advance empowerment through education, mentorship, economic inclusion, and institutional support.