First daughter Charlene Ruto will headline the African Union panel of the future town hall later today November 16, 2024, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The event organized by the African Union youth envoy with the support of the World Economic Forum (WEF) will bring together 11 young people from across the continent and feature discussions on a sustainable future.
With this year’s theme being ‘Upskilling for Africa Development’, the summit will see influential young African speakers from diverse backgrounds converge and dissect various topics about tapping the promising youthful population in Africa.
“Our patron Charlene Ruto along with other incredible young African leaders, will be speaking at Africa’s Panel of the Future today. The goal is to empower African youth to become changemakers and lead the way in crafting a more sustainable future,” a statement from Charlene’s startup said.
New York summit
On September 22, 2024, Charlene headlined a major event which featured a host of youthful and influential people from Africa in the United States during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) summit.
During her turn to speak during the event, Charlene marketed the country as a holiday destination before presenting her submission to the delegates.
“Allow me to welcome all of you to come to Kenya; we have beautiful beaches, we are the only country where our national park is in the capital city, and we have swimming lions, so come and experience it for yourself,” she stated.
Other headliners
The Addis summit will feature other speakers including Esias Bedingar from Chad, Jake Bediago from Ghana, Khaloud ben Mansour from Tunisia, Kolawole Olajide from South Africa, Santher Mbacham from Cameroon, Vimbayi Masiyiwa from Zimbabwe, Satta Sherrif from Liberia, Chimdi Neliaku from Nigeria, Melvyn Lubega from Uganda and Nhial Deng from South Sudan.
The panel will focus its discussions around education and skills development and entrepreneurship training, climate adaptation and resilience including the adoption of renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions and the creation of opportunities for African youth to participate in decision-making processes and amplify their voices on issues affecting their lives
The summit will also attempt to unlock the potential of the burgeoning young population by ensuring African youth acquire the skills necessary to compete in the global economy.
During the official unveiling of the Africa Union Commission (AUC) candidate for Kenya Raila Odinga in Ethiopia, the former premier emphasised that his agenda for the continent would be centred on harnessing the full potential of the African youth.
