2 minute read
Africa Shows Progress across Industries
Photo: Dubai Business Events
Expo 2020 Dubai is the first megaevent to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region.
As one of the biggest global events for six months, the expo is an arena for world countries to showcase their creativity, innovations, progress across industries and cultures.
Expo 2020 Dubai is built on an ethos of one Nation, one Pavilion. This means that, for the first time at a World Expo, each of the 192 participating nations will have its pavilion.
Expo's subthemes of opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to preserve and protect our planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone.
For example, every African nation, from South Africa to South Sudan, the world's youngest country, has signed up to participate and showcase its culture and innovations. Also, there will be a pavilion for the African Union.
Africa is the youngest, fastestgrowing continent on the planet. Huge strides have been made since the organisation of African Unity was founded in 1963 and will continue that momentum at Expo 2020 Dubai. Everything Africa has to offer will be accessible to the world in different ways, boosting collaborations, encouraging connections and helping drive overall progress.
Some programs with relevance to the realities in Africa:
• Nigeria's presence will propel conversations in areas such as agriculture, manufacturing and the creative industries by showcasing the country's culture to the world.
• The pavilion will create an opportunity City with streets bursting with energy, including Resilience Avenue, Respectful Avenue, Hardworking Avenue and Enterprising Avenue.
• Nigeria has scheduled 23 customised events featuring Afrobeat music and the burgeoning Nollywood film scene, highlighting its cultural, creative and economic opportunities.
• Out of 140 Global Innovator organisations, 36 are making a significant impact in Africa.
• Two of the innovative organisations from Africa that will be given a platform at the event are Hydroponics Africa from Kenya and Rwanda's Nuru Energy.
• Hydroponics Africa addresses poverty and food sustainability through cost-effective sustaining farming methods without soil and with an 80 per cent reduction in water use. And visitors will learn how Rwanda's Nuru Energy provides affordable solar and humanpowered electricity that village entrepreneurs can sell.
• The Global Business Forum Africa in october alone will offer networking opportunities and the chance to hear from speakers on topics surrounding economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic, with a specific focus on trade opportunities.
• Sessions will cover areas such as how Africa can attract investment from overseas and the importance of strengthening sustainable finance, among many other topics.
