- Once a year, the Ibrahim Forum brings together a powerful coalition of African and global leaders to discuss issues critical to the continent’s future.
- The three-day conference which starts April 28 brings together at least 2,000 participants.
Image: PCS
President William Ruto will be among the guest speakers during the Ibrahim Governance Weekend to be held in Nairobi.
The event will also see him share the same podium with UN deputy secretary Amina Mohamed.
IGW is an annual event hosted by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation (MIF), a non-grant-making organisation working to strengthen "sound governance and leadership in Africa".
Once a year, the Ibrahim Forum brings together a powerful coalition of African and global leaders to discuss issues critical to the continent’s future.
Others invited to the high-level conference are Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, AU chair Moussa Faki, EU Council President Charles Michel and World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala among several others.
They will discuss the theme of Global Africa, Africa’s position in the World, as well as the continent’s voice in the multilateral system.
The three-day conference which starts April 28 brings together at least 2,000 participants.
They include political and business leaders, representatives from civil society, multilateral and regional institutions as well as international partners.
They meet to discuss issues of critical importance to the continent’s progress.
It is being held in a different African city each year, with previous IGWs having taken place in Egypt, Tanzania, Mauritius, Tunisia, Senegal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, and Ivory Coast.
In 2020 and 2021, due to COVID-19, the IGW was virtual.
A series of parallel events to deliberate on youth development, climate change, governance, food security, healthcare, and energy access have also been organised during the period.
A leadership ceremony to celebrate the in-person winner of the 2021 Ibrahim Prize, President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger will take place on Friday.
This, according to a statement, will be an opportunity to reflect on the challenges of leadership in the modern world and discuss the key interventions on current challenges for African leadership.
A Mo Ibrahim forum for selected leaders that include President Ruto, Hamdok and Ngozi on discussions around the theme Global Africa has been set for Saturday.
The one-to-one conversations between Mo and his guests will explore a range of topics and the key challenges facing the continent.
"Informed by research from the Foundation and focused on practical solutions, the Forum comprises interactive panel discussions that are broadcast live to the world," the statement reads.
Mo Ibrahim is a Sudanese-British businessman and philanthropist.
He established the Foundation in 2006 with one focus on the critical importance of governance and leadership for Africa.
The Ibrahim Prize is awarded to a former executive head of state or government by an independent prize committee composed of eminent figures, including two Nobel peace prize laureates.
It recognises and celebrates African leaders who have developed their countries, lifted people out of poverty and highlights exceptional role models for the continent.
It also ensures that Africa continues to benefit from the experience and expertise of exceptional leaders when they leave national office, by enabling them to continue in other public roles on the continent.
With a $5 million (Sh650 million) payment, the Prize is believed to be the world's largest, exceeding the $1.3 million (Sh169 million) Nobel peace prize.