The I4C Africa Hub held its first Africa Innovation Festival from 15 November to 3 December 2021. The physical and virtual Innovation Festival was a three-day event over three weeks. Each week focused on three themes, namely accountability, transparency, and natural resource management.The main objective of the Africa Innovation Festival was to shine a lens on innovative CSOs, start-ups, leaders, strategies, and trends around Africa to build a stronger and more resilient African continent.
Amu Mawutoh from Ghana was the lead moderator for the three-week-long festival. © I4C-Africa Hub.
The festival attracted a rich pool of panel speakers who dissected the three themes. Over 300 people across the region followed the discussions. Among the speakers included Ambassador Caroline Orobosa Usikpedo and the Executive Director at Kinara for Youth Evolution, Charles Salu, Abrahams Misoi Programmes Manager Transparency International, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist Paul Saitoti, Samuel Asimi Programme Specialist Civil Society legislative Advocacy Centre.Others included President Réseau des Organisations et des Projets Associatifs du Gabon (ROGAPA), Independent Consultant Christian Elongue and President of the International Centre for Diplomacy, Karima Rhanem.The Hub’s implementing partners, Legal Resource Foundation from Zimbabwe and Connected Development from Nigeria, organized mini-physical festivals.
Participants keenly follow proceedings at a hotel in Lagos, Nigeria. © CODE
The panel sessions ran alongside the three Demo Jams, with participants getting an opportunity to present an idea around the festival’s three themes in a short 5-minute demo and stand a chance to secure a grant of USD 1,000. The voting is ongoing, and the winners will be unveiled in a week.
Participants keenly follow proceedings at a hotel in Mutare, Zimbabwe. © Legal Resource Foundation.
While closing the ceremony on 3 December, I4C-Africa Hub Regional Manager, Njambi Wagacha underscored the importance of the event, which she noted provided a platform for all “stakeholders to forge collaborations and partnerships and advance innovative ideas that will positively influence our society with time.”
Please click the links below to watch the sessions:
1. Natural Resource Management: Watch Session
2. Transparency: Watch Session
3. Accountability: Watch Session