Obasanjo to speak at Third Commonwealth Africa Summit in London next month

FORMER president Chief Olusegun Obasanjo will be a key speaker and one of the 1,500 world leaders who will attend the Third Commonwealth Africa Summit taking place next month in London between March 14 and 16.

 

Now running for the thirds successive year, the 2016 summit which has the theme Shared Prosperity, Mutual Security, is expected to attract political and business leaders. Organisers say it will be attended by heads of government, senior ministers, public sector leaders, the private sector, global investors, leading entrepreneurs, Africans in the diaspora, stock exchange executives, security sector professionals, diplomats, senior executives and other stakeholders from across Africa and the Commonwealth.

 

Among the key issues they will discuss include trade and investment, power generation in Africa, business and investment opportunities, counter-terrorism and women’s empowerment. Also featuring high on the agenda will be infrastructural development, exploring mineral resources potential, security and development.

 

Also, the summit will explore increased collaboration between the Commonwealth economies in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and the Americas in order to promote global economic development and map shifting patterns of co-operation between these countries and those of the mature industrialised countries It is designed to provide a space for high level dialogue between business and government leaders from Commonwealth countries in Africa and their counterparts across the globe and investment opportunities to a wider business community while learning best practices.

 

Other speakers confirmed to speak at the summit alongside Chief Obasanjo include Britain's Peer Baroness Flather, Hon Soodesh Satkam Callichurn, Juddy Curry, Carl Wright,  Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Clive Carpenter, Dr Caroline Harper His Imperial Majesty the Ooni of Ife, Michael Lake, Clive Harridge, Professor Emmanuelle Auriol, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, Ben Burgers, Matthew Brady, Onari Duke, Tonye Cole, Audu Ogbe, Donald Duke, Ifie Sekibo, Mary Manzo, Mary Elika Eoghhan Mackie and Madeleine White. Guests will later converge at the Westminster Abbey to attend the Commonwealth Day Observance Service in the presence of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11 and the Duke of Edinburgh.

 

They will participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial Gate as a mark of respect to the fallen Africans who died in the two world wars. In addition, the summit will also feature a VIP dinner and award gala night to celebrate Commonwealth African heroes and honour African luminaries and other exceptional Commonwealth leaders who have shown exceptional imagination, foresight or resilience in a number of key fields.