Gov Udom, Indimi, Mayegun, Others Bag African Industrial Development Award

The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, billionaire oil mogul, Mohammed Indimi, and the founder/CEO of Avila Naturalle, Temitope Mayegun, Founder of the Misk Foundation have been nominated to receive the African Industrial and Development Awards 2022.

Other winners of the African Industrial and Development Awards 2022, billed to take place at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, on Friday, 9 September, 2022 include the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman, governor of Nasarawa State, Engr Abdullahi Sule, Chairman of Bua Group, Abdul Samad Rabiu, governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello; and a former First Lady of Benue State, Arch. Yemisi Suswam.

Also, the group managing director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mallam Mele Kyari; Chief Executive Officer, Hajiya Nana Aisha Gambo, the wife of the Nigerian Chief of the Naval Staff, chairman of CityGate Homes and Traditional Prime Minister of Anara Ancient Kingdom, Isiala Mbano Local Government Area, Imo State; founder of the Mallpai Foundation, Hajiya Aisha Atiku Bagudu among others will be awarded.

The two-day event, a conference and awards gala night is organised by Dotmount Communications, in partnership with Yahoo Finance and the Associated Press (AP), with support from the Times of Jerusalem and CNN with the theme: “Driving Innovation and Enabling Transformation in Digital Economy” and seeks to have a critical and empirically-grounded solution based discussion around the potentials and realities of African digital economy.

A statement signed by the conference director, Aisha Salisu, said, “The awards event would recognize, reward, and celebrate organisations, institutions and individuals that are contributing to the innovation, progressive and inspirational changes taking place in terms of good governance, growth and development in the sector and the general economy in Africa.”

During the conference, the former President of Ghana John Mahama will deliver a keynote address at the event scheduled to hold on 8-9 September 8 and 9, 2022 at the Fraser Suites and Transcorp Hilton Hotels, Abuja, Nigeria.

Speaking further, the event director said the 2022 edition will assemblage of national and global policymakers, business leaders, finance experts, development partners, and sector regulators that will lead and participate in sessions focused on fostering trade and market openness in the digital economy in Africa.

She said the key thrust of the conference is to provide opportunities to discuss and treat topics that stretch into the latest advances in artificial intelligence and related innovations that are expanding the frontiers of the digital revolution.

Much has been said about the potential of the digital economy in Africa, but predictions and proclamations are often made in the absence of evidence.

“Over the last few years, policy-makers have predicted that Africa’s rapidly changing connectivity will lead to radical changes in human welfare and economic development. We, therefore_ see a need to foster a critical and empirically-grounded discussion around the potentials and realities of African digital economies,” the statement said.

According to her, the conference presents an opportunity to further the conversations and network around the shared values of progress, development, and advancement for the African continent.