Ghana will hosts the 2015 annual Governance Weekend, the flagship event of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, held every year in mid-November in a different African capital city.
The three-day event opens on Friday, November 20, with the Annual Leadership Ceremony, which celebrates the Ibrahim Laureates and excellence in African Leadership.
This will be followed by the Ibrahim Forum on Saturday Morning, November 21, under the theme: “African Cities” and it is expected to convene prominent African political and business leaders, representatives from civil society, multilateral and regional institutions as well as Africa’s major international partners to debate issues of critical importance to Africa.
Each previous Ibrahim Forum has been dedicated to a specific issue – “Africa at 50” in 2013, “Youth” in 2012, “Agriculture” in 2011 and “Regional Economic Integration” in 2010.
The Executive Director Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Abdoulie Janneh, who announced this at a press conference in Accra, said this year they will be honouring President Hifikepunye Pohamba, the 2014 Laureate.
He said the Ibrahim Prize was instituted in 2007 to recognize and celebrate excellence in African leadership as well as encourage leaders who fully dedicate their tenure of office to surmount the development challenges of their countries, improving the livelihoods and welfare of their people and consolidating the foundation for sustainable development.
He said the Prize, the biggest in the world put resources available to the Laureates to initiate their projects of interest to benefit the service of the continent as a whole.
Mr Janneh said as a continent, it is important to pay homage to African legends and expressed the Foundation’s preparedness to assess the winners annually and also continue to give the award to promote good governance on the continent.
“It does not mean that leaders who do not win did not perform. It is not an indictment on any leader. It is competitive and the Prize is for only one President at a time,” he added.
“Saturday evening we will host a concert highlighting some of the best performers of the continent. We hope to host a football match on Sunday at the stadium in Accra with TP Mazembe from DRC against a Ghanaian club team.
“Wherever we go TP Mazembe team wins the game but this time round we believe Ghana Club Team will win the game,” he said.
Projections estimate that Africa will enter its ‘urban age’ by 2035 when 50 per cent of its population will live in urban areas. The 2015 Ibrahim Forum will explore innovation and solutions crucial to unlocking the potential of urban centres to act as engines of sustainable and equitable growth and development.
The Forum aims to discuss the unique scale and nature of urbanization on the continent, addressing the associated challenges and opportunities that require strong governance and leadership in order to secure progress.
“Encompassing issues ranging from slums to the role of the private sector, we anticipate a day of robust discussion with the active participation of key stakeholders from across the continent,” he added.
All the events will be streamed live on the internet. The Leadership Ceremony is also broadcast live on television across the continent and the rest of the world.
Source: GNA
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