Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank ALAT, has reiterated its commitment to empowering cooperative societies for optimal productivity through its digital solution for cooperatives, CoopHub, at the Lagos State Government Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment International Day of Cooperatives 2024 Event held on Saturday, 6th July 2024.

International Day of Cooperatives is a global celebration commemorated annually on the first Saturday of July, to recognise the significant impact of cooperative societies in promoting sustainable economic growth and their role in building a more sustainable future. Themed “Cooperatives: Building a Better Future For All”, the 2024 International Day of Cooperatives commemorated by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with Wema Bank, convened key players in the cooperative ecosystem towards proffering solutions to prevalent challenges faced by cooperatives in Nigeria and creating a more sustainable future for all, through the cooperative industry. CoopHub, Wema Bank’s digital solution for cooperative societies stood out as a key solution to not only overcoming the challenges impeding the growth of cooperative societies but also boosting economic growth and creating a better future for all.

CoopHub is a digital solution launched by Wema Bank to empower cooperative societies with the resources, opportunities and support they need to operate seamlessly, achieve maximum productivity and meet the needs of members in the most efficient way. Simultaneously eradicating the struggles of manual recordkeeping, poor access to loans, inefficient communication and planning, tedious processes and insecurity of funds and data, CoopHub refines the cooperative experience by facilitating secure financial transactions, 100% transparency within cooperative societies, easily accessible and trackable records for both members and leaders, efficient member management for leaders and real-time reporting for informed decision making, all from the comfort of their phones and gadgets, ensuring that cooperative societies can achieve their goals easily and remain productive. This revolutionary solution has proven itself a gamechanger for the Nigerian Cooperative Industry and potentially, will serve as the launchpad of the industry on the global scale.

Recapitulating the role of cooperative societies as an essential avenue for economic growth, Wema Bank’s Divisional Head of Retail and SME, Ayodele Olojede, emphasised the need for intentional, impactful and sustainable efforts towards the advancement of the Nigerian Cooperative Industry. “Cooperative Societies represent a very significant platform for socio-economic development and for us at Wema Bank, we stand proudly as the cooperative-centric bank that is committed to providing the resources and tailored solutions that these cooperatives need to thrive and remain successful. CoopHub is the perfect embodiment of this commitment, and we are thrilled that more cooperatives are discovering this solution and coming on board to optimise their operations and maximise the opportunities provided for their growth. The achievement of a sustainable and ideal future for cooperative societies not only requires that we adapt to the increasingly digital world we exist in, but also drive more inclusivity for the youth to also key in. CoopHub succinctly unites both pillars in one and as the digital solution pioneered by Nigeria’s most resilient and innovative bank, you can trust that the future we are enabling for cooperative societies is one that is built to last”.

“As the Bank that is committed to creating and promoting viable opportunities for women, in celebration of International Day of Cooperatives, we are supporting every woman present here at the Lagos State Government Ministry of Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade and Investment International Day of Cooperatives 2024 Event, with a free healthcare plan through our women-focused proposition, SARA by Wema. We remain unwavering in our lifelong mission of empowering lives through innovation and are committed to proliferating our positive impact across every key vertical that is instrumental to the success of the people and the growth of the Nigerian economy. We take this unique celebration as an opportunity to further reiterate our commitment to empowering cooperative societies for optimal productivity through CoopHub. She concluded.  

Since its launch in May 2024, CoopHub, the first of its kind in the Nigerian financial services industry, has onboarded over 1,000 cooperative societies, helping them optimise their operations and secure the resources and support they need to thrive with maximum efficiency. With its unique, simplified and tailored configuration, CoopHub stands as the future of Nigerian cooperative societies.

Cooperative Societies that are interested in getting started on CoopHub, are encouraged to visit https://coophub.alat.ng and get onboarded in minutes. 

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Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has announced the verticals of focus for Hackaholics 5.0, the fifth edition of its youth-focused and campus-based hackathon, Hackaholics, charging Nigerian youth and innovators to explore these verticals and participate in the revolutionary hackathon.

Hackaholics, reputed as Africa’s largest campus-based ideathon, is a youth-focused tech competition that serves as a platform for innovators and Startup founders with tech-driven or tech-enabled ideas and products to bring their game-changing ideas to life, solve real-world problems and scale their ventures. Since its inception in 2019, Hackaholics has toured at least 37 universities across 4 African countries, amassing over 5,000 applications, disbursing at least $200,000 in grants and positively transforming thousands of lives and business ventures across Nigeria.

The last edition, Hackaholics 4.0, saw young talented innovators win over N50,000,000 for their unique solutions across diverse verticals, including financial inclusion and health, among others. With a whopping N90,000,000 slated for Hackaholics 5.0, the wins have significantly multiplied—with a unique twist. While prior editions of Hackaholics have required participants to innovate under 9 key verticals, Hackaholics 5.0 has pushed the boundaries, expanding the range of verticals admissible.

Themed “MetaIdea: DigiTech Solutions for Africa’s Prosperity”, Hackaholics 5.0 has adopted an infinitely multi-vertical approach, allowing participants to develop innovative solutions not only under the verticals listed on the registration portal, but also across any other verticals at their disposal. This means that in addition to Education, Climate, CivicTech, Insurance, GovTech, Health, Gender-Based Violence, Financial Inclusion, Entertainment and FinTech, Hackaholics 5.0 participants are permitted to develop solutions across any other verticals beyond those listed, allowing for more diversity in the problem-solving approach and expanding the range of positive impact achievable through the Hackaholics platform. Young innovators with a knack for problem-solving and a drive for generating impact through tech-enabled solutions, are to simply submit their entries on the Hackaholics registration portal either choosing from the listed verticals or clicking “Others” to submit their entries under any other verticals not listed.

Expounding on the Bank’s intent for delimiting the verticals for Hackaholics 5.0, Solomon Ayodele, Wema Bank’s Head of Innovation, referenced the Bank’s commitment to constant innovation and its mission of empowering lives. “The theme for Hackaholics 5.0 is anchored on two principal factors—The Meta Idea and African Prosperity, and the general idea for this edition is to birth ideas that go above and beyond in solving prevalent problems in Africa towards the prosperity of the continent. It is only fitting that in engendering the creation of unique ideas that go beyond the regular, we also optimise the modalities to better accommodate these meta ideas and ‘beyond-regular’ solutions. The ultimate goal is to birth solutions that address diverse aspects of real-world challenges and expanding the range of verticals will only serve to further promote the achievement of this goal”.

“As Nigeria’s most innovative bank, we are committed to not only remaining beacons of innovation and positive impact in Nigeria, but also empowering other innovators and enabling innovation to thrive through every key player in this ecosystem; hence the birth of Hackaholics. Our focus for Hackaholics 5.0 is the brilliance of your mind so we leave it to you to discover a problem area that matters to us as Africans and develop a practical innovative solution across that vertical, that will drive positive impact for our continent. I encourage every young mind with creative ideas to leverage Hackaholics as a launchpad to the success of their innovations and Startups. All they need to do is register at hackaholics.wemabank.com and as always, we will be with them, all the way”, Ayodele concluded.

With N90,000,000 earmarked as the cash prize for Hackaholics 5.0, young innovators across the country can become Startup owners even as undergraduates and make their big break into the tech and innovation world.

To register for Hackaholics 5.0, submit your entry at hackaholics.wemabank.com

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Vice President of Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, has accused International Oil Companies in Nigeria of plans to frustrate the survival of the new Dangote Oil Refinery and Petrochemicals.

Edwin said the IOCs were “deliberately and willfully frustrating” the refinery’s efforts to buy local crude by hiking the cost above the market price, thereby forcing the refinery to import crude from countries as far as the United States, with its attendant high costs.

 Speaking to journalists at a one-day training programme organised by the Dangote Group on Friday, Edwin also accused the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority of granting licences indiscriminately to marketers to import dirty refined products into the country.

According to Edwin, the Federal Government issued 25 licences for the construction of refineries in Nigeria, but only the Dangote Group delivered on its promise.

While calling for the government’s support, the vice president noted that more than 3.5 billion litres of diesel and aviation fuel had been exported to Europe by the refinery in the past few months.

The exported fuel, it was said, represented about 90 per cent of its production.

“The Federal Government issued 25 licences to build refineries and we are the only one that delivered on our promise. In effect, we deserve every support from the government. It is good to note that from the start of production, more than 3.5 billion litres, which represents 90 per cent of our production, have been exported. We are calling on the Federal Government and regulators to give us the necessary support to create jobs and prosperity for the nation,” Edwin stated.

He added that though the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission was trying its best to allocate crude oil for the 650,000-capacity refinery, “the IOCs are deliberately and willfully frustrating our efforts to buy the local crude.”

The Dangote official said the IOCs sometimes made the refinery pay $6 over and above the market price, saying this has forced the company to reduce its output as well as import crude from countries like the United States at a higher cost.

He said, “Recall that the NUPRC recently met with crude oil producers as well as refineries’ owners in Nigeria, in a bid to ensure full adherence to Domestic Crude Oil Supply Obligations as enunciated under section 109(2) of the Petroleum Industry Act. It seems that the IOCs’ objective is to ensure that our petroleum refinery fails. It is either they are deliberately asking for a ridiculous/humongous premium or they simply state that crude is not available. At some point, we paid $6 over and above the market price. This has forced us to reduce our output as well as import crude from countries as far as the US, increasing our cost of production.

“It appears that the objective of the IOCs is to ensure that Nigeria remains a country which exports crude oil and imports refined petroleum products. They (IOCs) are keen on exporting the raw materials to their home countries, creating employment and wealth for their countries, adding to their Gross Domestic Product, and dumping the expensive refined products into Nigeria – thus making us to be dependent on imported products. It is the same strategy the multinationals have been adopting in every commodity, making Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa to be facing unemployment and poverty, while they create wealth for themselves at our expense.”

“This is exploitation – pure and simple. Unfortunately, the country is also playing into their hands by continuing to issue import licences at the expense of our economy and at the cost of the health of the Nigerians who are exposed to carcinogenic products.”

It was said that even though Dangote is producing and bringing diesel into the market, complying with the regulations of the Economic Community of West African States, “licences are being issued, in large quantities, to traders who are buying the extremely high sulphur diesel from Russia and dumping it in the Nigerian market.”

Edwin explained, “Since the US, European Union and the United Kingdom imposed a price cap scheme from February 5, 2023, on Russian petroleum products, a large number of vessels are waiting near Togo with Russian ultra-high sulphur diesel and they are being purchased and dumped into the Nigerian market.

“Some of the European countries were so alarmed about the carcinogenic effect of the extra high sulphur diesel being dumped into the Nigerian market that countries like Belgium and the Netherlands imposed a ban on such fuel being exported from its country, into West Africa recently. Sadly, the country is giving import licences for such dirty diesel to be imported into Nigeria when we have more than adequate petroleum refining capacity locally.”

He recalled that in May, Belgium and the Netherlands adopted new quality standards to halt the export of cheap, low-quality fuels to West Africa, harmonising its standards with those of the European Union.

These measures, according to Edwin, synchronised fuel export standards with the European domestic market, specifically targeting diesel and petrol with high sulphur and chemical content.

Historically, he recounted that these fuels with sulphur content reaching up to 10,000 ppm, were exported at reduced rates to countries like Nigeria and other West African consumers.

He mentioned that Belgium’s Minister of Environment, Zakia Khattabi, announced that his country followed the Netherlands, which in April 2023 also prohibited the export of low-quality petrol and diesel to West Africa via the ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

He quoted Khattabi as saying, “For far too long toxic fuels have been departing from Belgium to destinations including Africa. They cause extremely poor air quality in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon and are even carcinogenic.”

Edwin narrated that a September 2017 investigation by an international organisation, Public Eye, revealed that polluted and toxic fuels were being exported on a large scale from the ports of Rotterdam and Amsterdam for export to African markets.

He reiterated that as much as a quarter of the petrol and diesel available in West Africa originated from the ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Antwerp, stressing that these fuels contain sulphur and other pollutants, such as cancer-causing benzene, in quantities up to 400 times the limits permitted in Europe.

Edwin fumed, “The decision of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority in granting licenses indiscriminately for the importation of dirty diesel and aviation fuel has made the Dangote refinery expand into foreign markets. The refinery has recently exported diesel and aviation fuel to Europe and other parts of the world. The same industry players fought us for crashing the price of diesel and aviation fuel, but our aim, as I have said earlier, is to grow our economy.”

He noted that because the refinery meets the international standard as well as complies with stringent guidelines and regulations to protect the local environment, it has been able to export its products to Europe and other parts of the world.

While appealing to the Federal Government and the National Assembly to urgently intervene for speedy implementation of the PIA and to ensure the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians are protected, he remarked, “Recently, the government of Ghana, through legislation has banned the importation of highly contaminated diesel and PMS into their county.

“It is regrettable that in Nigeria, import licences are granted despite knowing that we can produce nearly double the amount of products needed in Nigeria and even export the surplus. Since January 2021, ECOWAS regulations have prohibited the import of highly contaminated diesel into the region.”

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Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, is set to wrap up the season 3 edition of its remarkable reward initiative, the 5 for 5 Promo, in a grand finale slated for Friday, May 31, 2024, in Lagos.

Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo is a reward initiative introduced by the Bank in 2019 with the goal of rewarding its customers for their active loyalty to the brand and its products. Through the 5 for 5 Promo, customers of the Bank have enjoyed financial support for their personal, business and professional life. Executed via thoroughly regulated monthly draws per season, the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo through a raffle draw selects winners from the Bank’s pool of active and transacting customers, based on the minimum requirements and modalities of the season.

A total of 1,177 customers have received cash rewards of up to N63.3 million in the first 2 seasons of the Promo; 23 of whom emerged millionaires in season 1 and 2. The 5 for 5 Promo has since become a beacon of hope to millions of Nigerians and businesses across the country.

Season 3 of the 5 for 5 Promo kickstarted in July 2023, raising the bar impressively with a N90,000,000 cash prize that surpassed both preceding seasons, creating room for more Nigerians to become winners. With each month in the 10-month spread, the 5 for 5 Promo Season 3 train has toured different locations across Nigeria, surprising customers with cash prizes ranging from N25,000 to N1,000,000 each.

The 5 for 5 Promo stands out for its inclusivity, diversity and impact, touching the lives of hundreds of Nigerians of different ages, statuses, interests and inclinations. As the final draw of the season approaches, both past and aspiring 5 for 5 Promo winners eagerly anticipate the lucky 120 winners to be made this May.

Referencing the Bank’s intention for the 5 for 5 Promo, the Head, Brands & Marketing Communications at Wema Bank, Mabel Adeteye, expressed gratitude to customers of the Bank for their continued support throughout Wema Bank’s 79-year journey.

“At Wema Bank, our world revolves around our people and customers. Their support is what has got us this far so it’s only natural that we seize every opportunity to give back to them and fulfil our goal of providing optimum value for every stakeholder. The 5 for 5 Promo was birthed from a place of gratitude and commitment to empowering our customers and with each season, we have simplified the requirements and amplified the rewards to ensure that everyone can benefit from the Promo. Season 3 has been nothing short of remarkable and as we close out our 79th anniversary celebration with one more 5 for 5 Promo Season 3 draw, we are honoured to be the bank of choice for our diverse customer base. To the 1,000+ customers that have won over the past 9 months and the 120 that will win in the grand finale, I say a huge congratulations. Thank you for choosing Wema Bank”.

Encouraging Nigerians to take advantage of the last draw of the 5 for 5 Promo Season 3, Mabel Adeteye, elucidated the minimum requirements for qualification.

“The requirements are simple, fund your account with at least N5,000 and make up to 5 transactions using the ALAT App, *945# or your ALAT/Wema Card, maintaining a N5,000 minimum average account balance. It doesn’t matter where you are, what you do or when you started banking with us, you can be a winner. NYSC members have won, business owners, undergraduate students, working class professionals, everyone from Gen Z to the baby boomers—there’s room for all in the Wema Bank family and the 5 for 5 Promo. A simple download of the ALAT App could be the first step for potential winners. I look forward to May 31st, as we put the final bow on this exceptional journey that has made the 5 for 5 Promo Season 3 a success”.

The 5 for 5 Promo has transformed the lives and experiences of thousands of Nigerians across the world, with cash prizes for transactions on both Naira and Domiciliary accounts. With a total of N80,000,000 already disbursed in the first 9 draws of Season 3, the grand finale is set to reward 120 more Nigerians with a N10,000,000 cash prize.

To qualify to win in the grand finale of the Wema Bank 5 for 5 Promo Season 3, Wema Bank account holders are to fund their Wema/ALAT accounts and make up to 5 transactions before the month ends.

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Dangote Cement Plc is prioritizing community engagement, empowerment, and environmental stewardship to sustain its upward trajectory,

The cement manufacturing firm said it believed that true progress is measured not only by economic prosperity but also by the holistic development of all stakeholders.

The Plant Director of Dangote Cement Plc Obajana, Mr. Azad Nawabuddin, who disclosed this during a media chat in Obajana, said that the relationship between Dangote Cement and its host communities and other stakeholders transcends transactional exchanges as it is built on a foundation of trust, mutual respect, and shared aspirations.

“The communities in which we operate are not just beneficiaries; they are our partners in progress,” he affirmed.

While reaffirming the company’s commitment to its host communities, Nawabuddin, who recently moved from the Ibese plant, emphasized that the company would collaborate with key stakeholders in Obajana to implement impactful projects.

He said crucial to the vision is the empowerment of residents through skills development and capacity-building initiatives. “We recognize the importance of equipping community members with the requisite skills to thrive in today’s competitive landscape,” Nawabuddin asserted.

The Dangote Cement boss said this will enhance employability and foster entrepreneurship among youth and women in the host communities.

With a steadfast commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development, Nawabuddin outlined initiatives to strengthen the bond between Dangote Cement and the communities. He emphasized that the company views its host communities as partners.

“In terms of community engagement, we will hold meetings to explore avenues for supporting them, including opportunities for businesses and contracts. The communities are integral partners for us. Through dialogue with them, we aim to execute significant projects that will bring them lasting benefits,” he stated.

Nawabuddin also stressed the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainable practices in Dangote Cement’s operations. “We are custodians of the environment, and it is our duty to ensure that our activities leave a positive impact on the ecosystem,” he added.

Nawabuddin explained that in addition to socio-economic development is the importance of addressing security concerns in the host communities. He said through collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies and community-based initiatives, security risks will be mitigated, and the well-being of residents will be upheld.

“We are working closely with local authorities and community leaders to enhance security measures and create a safe and conducive environment for all,” he added.

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Wema Bank, Nigeria’s foremost innovative bank and pioneer of Africa’s first fully digital bank, ALAT, has officially launched CoopHub, a new digital solution for Cooperative Societies.

The groundbreaking platform was unveiled at the launch ceremony held on May 10th, 2024, to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the Bank.

CoopHub, the first of its kind in the Nigerian banking industry, is a digital platform designed strategically to transform the way Cooperative Societies operate by providing tailored solutions that bridge the gaps in the traditional framework of Cooperative Societies.

The unique platform insulates Cooperative Societies against prevalent struggles like manual recordkeeping, limited access to loans, poor communication, insecurity, and other restrictions, supporting them with the solutions needed to not only mitigate these problems but also operate with the utmost efficiency.

With CoopHub, leaders of Cooperative Societies can manage every aspect of their community’s operations from a simplified dashboard accessible on their phones, seamlessly managing their Cooperative Society’s finances, communication, member records, analytics and every other detail in real time and on the go.

Members of the Cooperative Societies also enjoy increased access to loans, seamless contribution tracking, secure transactions, and easy communication with the leaders. Essentially, CoopHub helps Cooperative Societies maintain 100% transparency, reliability, and security, with the option of white labelling for a customised experience.

Disclosing the Bank’s motive for creating CoopHub, Wema Bank’s MD/CEO, Moruf Oseni, highlighted the Bank’s commitment to innovation and customer-centricity.

“Cooperative Societies have many pain points. As a bank that is committed to empowering lives through innovation, we examined the end-to-end value chain of Cooperative Societies and launched CoopHub to provide solutions that address the pains and headaches in the Cooperative Society experience for both the leaders of these communities and the members. CoopHub is the future of Cooperative Societies and we have designed every detail to address the needs of every player in the Cooperative Society ecosystem and empower these communities for optimal productivity”, he said.

Delving into the unique features of CoopHub, Solomon Ayodele, Wema Bank’s Head of Innovation, added, “CoopHub is taking Cooperatives to an era where conflicts, stressful physical meetings, mistrust, inadequate capital, poor recordkeeping and inefficient governance are all a thing of the past. With a digitised database for all records, a dedicated User Management section for leaders to manage members efficiently, a transparent overview of contributions for both leaders and members, seamless communication framework that allows for easy planning of meetings and events, and a host of other unique features, CoopHub truly is the solution that every Cooperative Society needs. To promote community and financial security, CoopHub also offers a three-factor authentication system that ensures that every withdrawal from the Cooperative Society’s account is subject to an approval of three members of the Cooperative Society, including the Admin. We have been very intentional with CoopHub, and I encourage every Cooperative Society to come on board and experience the future of Cooperative Societies through CoopHub”, Ayodele concluded.

CoopHub is now live and open to every Cooperative Society across the world.

This futuristic solution is set to not only empower Nigerian lives with increased access to their needs through Cooperative Societies, but also revolutionise Cooperative Society operations for the best.

To onboard a Cooperative on CoopHub, simply register at https://coophub.alat.ng/

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Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), in conjunction with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGL), has unveiled gifted and high calibre individuals for the esteemed 2024 class of the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders (YGL) Dangote Fellows.

ADF and WEF, in a release, said, “With great excitement and anticipation, ADF and WEF announce this year’s cohort, a group of visionary leaders poised to make impactful contributions to global development, innovation, and leadership.

The WEF YGL Dangote Fellowship, a partnership between the Aliko Dangote Foundation and the World Economic Forum, identifies, engages, and supports outstanding individuals under the age of 40 who demonstrate exceptional leadership potential in various fields.

This year’s class, according to ADF and WEF embodies the diverse talents, expertise, and commitment to positive change that characterise the YGL community.

The selected young leaders are: Alloysius Attah, Co-Founder & CEO of Farmerline, Ghana; Angela Oduor Lungati, Executive Director of Ushahidi Inc., Kenya; Judy Sikuza, CEO of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, South Africa; Lelise Neme Sori, Commissioner at the Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority, Ethiopia, and Nomasonto Motaung, Deputy Minister in the Presidency Government of South Africa, South Africa.

Others include: Oluwatosin Olaseinde, Founder & CEO of Money Africa, Nigeria; Veda Sunassee, CEO African Leadership University, Mauritius, and Thabile Ngwato, CEO & Co-Founder of Newzroom 405, South Africa.

A statement jointly released by ADF and WEF, indicated that “For the first time, the newly inducted Fellows will convene for a transformative three-day retreat in Geneva, Switzerland, organised by the World Economic Forum Foundation. The retreat aims to provide an unparalleled opportunity for the new class of Young Global Leaders to connect with their peers, deepen their understanding of the YGL community, and align themselves with its core values.

“This gathering underscore the commitment of the Forum of Young Global Leaders to foster collaboration, innovation, and sustainable leadership among the world’s most promising young change-makers.

“We are thrilled to welcome the exceptional individuals who make up the Class of 2024 Aliko Dangote Fellows,” said Fatima Aliko Dangote, Aliko Dangote Foundation Board Trustee member. “Their diverse backgrounds, bold ideas, and unwavering commitment to driving positive change will undoubtedly enrich our community and contribute to shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.

“We believe that these remarkable individuals will not only benefit from the resources and opportunities provided by the WEF YGL Dangote Fellowship but will also leverage their talents and expertise to address some of the most pressing challenges facing our world today,” she added.

Young Global Leaders are selected from a variety of sectors such as business, government, academia, media, non-profit organisations and arts and culture, and from all regions of the world. Young Global Leaders engage in initiatives that address specific challenges of public interest with the objective of shaping a better future

The honour, bestowed each year by the Forum, recognises young leaders from around the world for their professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world.

The 2024 honourees will become part of the broader Forum of Young Global Leaders that convene at an Annual Summit, which are integrated into events organised by the World Economic Forum, and organise events of their own, as well as launch and lead their own innovative initiatives and task forces.

These activities enable YGLs to learn from and with each other; build knowledge and engender a better understanding of global challenges and trends, risks and opportunities; and further enhance their unique role as leaders within their own organisations, the World Economic Forum and the broader global community.

Past YGLs include: Uche Pedro, Founder & CEO Bella Online Media, Tokini Peterside, CEO Art X Collective, Oluseun Onigbinde, Co-founder BudgIT, Adebola Williams, CEO Red Media Africa, Dr. Tolu Oni, Associate Professor University of Cape Town & University of Cambridge

Others are: Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, (ex-)CEO Flutterwave (now CEO Fund for Africa’s Future), Lois Auta, Founder & ED Cedar Seed Foundation, Ada Osakwe, Managing Partner Agrolay Ventures, Cynthia Mosunmola Umoru, Founder Honeysuckles PTL Ventures, Simon Kolawole, Founder & CEO Cable Newspaper, Tara Fela-Durotoye, Founder & CEO House of Tara, among many others

Since its inception in 2011, the partnership between the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the Aliko Dangote Foundation has been instrumental in nurturing Africa’s next generation of leaders. Over the past decade, the Foundation’s support has empowered over 115 YGL Dangote Fellows, enabling them to accelerate their impact and catalyse lasting change across the continent and beyond.

The Aliko Dangote Foundation Fellows join a prestigious network of over 1,400 Young Global Leaders from diverse fields including business, government, academia, and civil society. Together, they represent a powerful force for driving positive change and addressing the world’s most pressing challenges.

The Forum of Young Global Leaders, established by the World Economic Forum in 2004, is a unique, multistakeholder community of more than 1,400 outstanding young leaders from around the world. Each year, the Forum recognises the most innovative, enterprising, and socially minded individuals under the age of 40 who are pushing the boundaries of global leadership and making a positive impact on society.

The Aliko Dangote Foundation, established by foremost Nigerian industrialist and humanist Aliko Dangote, is committed to improving the quality of life for people across Africa by supporting initiatives in health and nutrition, education, and economic empowerment.

The World Economic Forum is the International Organisation for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.

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