United Banck for Africa (UBA) advocates maintaining the earnings of young entrepreneurs on the African continent until achieved, so that this effort and benefits do not disappear. The idea was defended, recently, by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of UBA, Tony Elumelu, during a virtual debate, as part of the celebration of the “Africa Day”, which discussed the theme “From Africa to the World”.
The meeting gathered personalities such as Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Makhtar Sop Diop, Director-General of the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
According to Tony Elumelu, over the past few years, his institution has witnessed how the youth of the continent have reinvented themselves in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, using their talents, experience, network, and technology to create gains and support the community where they live.
For his part, Rwandan President Paul Kagame said that leaders must learn from this shock that Covid-19 brought by directing more budget into the public health system. “Of course, the private sector has its important role in this area. This is not the last global crisis, and the next one cannot take Africa by surprise,” he stressed.
The director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) who also attended the event, said that his institution is working with the African Union, to create the African Medicine Agency. “We will continue our financial and technical support to establish this Agency, and create a strong regulatory institution in Africa,” he assured.
Looking at the economy, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Managing Director Makhtar Sop Diop said, “Individual success is only valid if it is part of a collective success. We are here to serve our people, and we can only serve them in the best way if we do it together.”
Africa Day has been celebrated since 1963 on May 25 throughout the African continent and the world. It was inaugurated by the Organization of African Unity in celebration of the unity, diversity and beauty of Africa and its people.
The UBA, with its pan-African presence in 20 African countries and globally in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and France, continues to lead the narrative focused on Africa’s development, growth and unity.
