Sharm El Sheikh, 7 December 2017
President Kagame today participated in a panel discussion on driving African entrepreneurship at the Youth Entrepreneurship Day (YED). A side event at the second Africa Business Forum, notable speakers of the YED included President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt, Nigerian Tony Elumelu, Chairman of Heirs Holdings and Founder of the Tony Elumelu Foundation and two young entrepreneur ambassadors, Jean Bosco Nzeyimana and Mohamade Azab.
“Betting on the young people of our continent is a sure bet. Our continent is famous for its natural resources. But the value of our human capital, our people, exceeds all minerals in the continent. It isn’t about counting the number of human beings but rather looking at the potential they have and creating an environment for them to unleash their potential. Rwanda is creating an ecosystem that will benefit African entrepreneurs. We must be deliberate in our scale to create opportunities for African youth. Young people and everyone involved, we need to up our game. We owe it to ourselves, communities and continent to work hard and keep trying. Let’s not fail to try. Trust needs to be earned and nurtured.”
Held in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, the two day forum will consist of high-level discussions between government leaders, the private sector and other strategic partners on investment opportunities in bankable projects and government projects that require global foreign direct investment (FDI).
President Kagame will tomorrow give a keynote address at the official opening of the forum alongside President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and President Alpha Condé of Guinea and Chairperson of the African Union. The President will also participate in a Presidential Roundtable, an interactive debate with the participating Heads of State on investment and integration in Africa – moderated by Carlos Lopez.