Nairobi – The AllAfrica Media Leaders’ Summit has kicked off on Friday with a high note following the opening address by Africa Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina, who emphasized the role that the media plays in shaping the African continent’s narrative, imperative to its growth.
Julie Gichuru- Chief Public Affairs and Communications Officer Mastercard Foundation during a panel a session with AfDB president Mr. Akinwumi Adesina at the All Africa Media Leaders Summit 2024 in Nairobi on Friday
The conference kicked off in Nairobi, themed “Re-engineering African Media in Times of Critical Transformation”. Organized by AllAfrica Global Media, will be convening over 300 media leaders and practitioners to reflect on how media can adapt to technological changes and address challenges in the industry
Speaking at the event, Africa Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina who noted that “Negative imagery and forecasts strongly impact the hopes and dreams of the youth, investor confidence, scares away capital from the continent, raises the risk profile of countries and contributes to Africa’s ‘risk-premium’”
“This makes the cost of investment in Africa 3-4 times higher than other countries in the world, feeding into the perception that investing in Africa is risky” He added.
He concluded by noting that the framing of the continent is crucial to its success. He noted that “First, the media has a critically important role, by being fair, objective, inquisitive, investigative yes, but also by being a catalyst for development, and promoting positive news about tangible African Accomplishments, achievements, and developments.”
On his part, the CEO, Media Council of Kenya, David Omwoyo welcomed the presence of African Media Leaders in the country to deliberate the industry’s progress and opportunities as well as Challenge.
He noted that “Artificial Intelligence is here to stay. It has a lot of positives ie it will helps translate data, written and verbal as well as vice versa, as well targeting customers. However, AI also has its risks and it’s up to us to make sure AI is used for good and not misused”.
The summit brought together global media leaders, development experts, academics and corporate titans including Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, Ziaad Suleman, Chief Commercial Officer and an Exco Member of EOH, Serah Makka, Executive Director for Engagement and Mobilization for Africa at ONE Campaign, Mamadou Toure,
Founder and Chairman of Africa 2.0, Bineta Diop, Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women and many more.
The engagement features innovations to leverage the ever-changing media landscape revolutionized by emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
The 2024 edition of the AllAfrica Media Leaders’ Summit is co-chaired by:
Nduka Obaigbena – Chairman and Editor-in-chief of the THISDAY-ARISE Media Group, Dr. Vera Songwe – Chair of the Board of Liquidity and Sustainability Facility, Ziaad Suleman – Chief Commercial Officer and an Exco Member of EOH , Mamadou Biteye – Executive Secretary For the African Capacity Building Foundation Organized by AllAfrica Global Media,
The Summit was convened by: Amadou Mahtar Ba – Chairman of AllAfrica Global Media, Dr. Tendai Mhizha – Senior Advisor and Summit Director of AllAfrica Global Media, Linus Gitahi – Chairman of the Boards of Home Afrika, Diamond Trust Bank Group, AIB, Capital Ltd, Oxygene Communications Ltd and Tropical Brands (Africa) Limited
The 2024 AllAfrica Media Leaders’ Summit promises to be an innovative and thought-provoking event that will yield impactful solutions to improve the current African media landscape.
