Africa Day is traditionally celebrated in Russia on May 25. This day commemorates the establishment of  the Organization of African Unity in 1963, which later transformed into the African Union. For Russia, the development of relations with Africa is an important strategic direction.

Russia plays a vital role in supporting the political, economic, and technological sovereignty of African states, while also fostering partnerships and cooperation with African countries. Additionally, Russia actively promotes awareness and understanding of Africa’s rich cultural heritage.

To mark Africa Day, a wide array of cultural and business events are planned in cities across Russia. These events include exhibitions, performances by creative groups, and business missions.

Russian universities take an active part in educational activities on this day. The Centre for African Studies at the Higher School of Economics will host a special celebratory event and present the book “Africa 2023: Opportunities and Risks.” Furthermore, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University will host the Youth Festival “Africa in St. Petersburg,” aimed at capturing the attention of young people and showcasing Africa’s cultural and educational legacy.

Importantly, the African agenda is not limited to a single day of celebration. The International Festival of African Culture “AFROFEST” will be held in Moscow on July 22-23 and in St. Petersburg on July 28-29, marking its fourth occurrence. This festival serves as a platform to broaden cultural horizons and challenge stereotypes by acquainting Russians with Africa’s history, customs, and traditions.

A high-profile business event, the Russia-Africa Summit and the Economic and Humanitarian Forum, is scheduled to take place from July 26 to 29 in St. Petersburg. This Summit and Forum hold paramount importance in Russian-African relations, aiming to strengthen comprehensive and equal cooperation between Russia and African countries across various spheres, including politics, security, economy, science and technology, culture, and humanitarian affairs

LEAP Africa, a youth-focused leadership development organisation, and the International Youth Foundation (IYF), a global youth development organisation with over 30 years of experience, have entered into a partnership to launch the Youth Enterprise Fund (YEF).

Both groups in positive youth development (PYD) said the YEF project would allow IYF and LEAP Africa to resurrect their historic partnership to implement new and innovative approaches that leverage their shared expertise.

Technical Advisor, Youth Agency and Engagement at the IYF, United States, Sarah Jonson, in a statement said: “When we first partnered LEAP in 2013 to support the strengthening of their Social Innovators Programme, our work together really focused on building the skills of young social entrepreneurs, facilitating access to networks and resources for youth-led projects, and advocating for the importance and credibility of youth-led social innovation.

“We are excited to work together again to build that model and success, and explore new frontiers in facilitating more sustainable access and strengthen the ecosystem for early to mid-stage social entrepreneurs.”

The YEF is funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to support the critical work being done by early and mid-stage social entrepreneurs. With flexible grants that will be sub-awarded to social innovators within LEAP Africa’s Alumni network, the Youth Enterprise Fund will support them to increase the impact of their work.

Also, LEAP Africa said it has been strengthening and advancing youth-led innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria for the previous decade through its social innovator’s programme (SIP).

Each year, an annual cohort of fellows is equipped with new knowledge and skills, supported to expand their networks and partnerships, and elevated through national and regional showcase events.

This model has resulted in greater personal effectiveness, organisational sustainability, and impact. With time, the Social Innovators Programme has created a network of change agents across Africa, the group stated

Jonson noted that the Youth Enterprise Fund (YEF) seeks to build on the success of the Social Innovators Programme by facilitating access to flexible funding for SIP alums.

In his remark, the acting Executive Director of LEAP Africa, Kehinde Ayeni, said: “Africa is not in short supply of self-willed, talented, innovative people (particularly young people), but what is lacking is direction, resources, and training to empower and equip our young change-makers to build sustainable and thriving enterprises to address the issues peculiar to Africa. With a partner like the IYF, LEAP Africa looks forward to improving social entrepreneurs’ change outcomes.”

In acknowledgment of its accomplishments in harnessing public relations and communication to foster public-private partnerships and shared value in Nigeria, MTN Nigeria has received five Certificates of Excellence at the 2023 SABRE Africa awards.

L-R: Dr Omoniyi Ibietan, Head of Media, Nigerian Communications Commission; Lakinbofa Goodluck, PR Manager, MTN Nigeria; Njideka Akabogu, Regional Manager East Africa, ID Africa (BHM Holdings); Yomi Badejo-Okusanya, President, African Public Relations Association at the SABRE Africa Awards in Lusaka, Zambia on May 19, 2023.

The ICT company received nominations at the awards for its services and innovations over the past year in categories including Company of the Year; Corporate Image; Corporate Social Responsibility and; Special Event/Sponsorship and CEO of the Year.

MTN’s growth is evident in its revenue which has doubled from N1 trillion in 2018 to N2 trillion at the end of the financial year in 2022 with its strongest growth achieved in 2021 and 2022 at 22.9 percent and 21.6 percent respectively.

In December 2021, MTN Nigeria became the first Nigerian company to make its public offer of 575 million sales in shares accessible to retail investors through a unique digital platform, Primary Offer. Similarly, the company partnered with the Nigerian government to rehabilitate the Enugu-Onitsha 110-kilometre expressway under the 10-year Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (RITC). In 2022, the company also launched the Media Innovation Programme in partnership with Pan-Atlantic University to upskill media practitioners in Nigeria.

These initiatives, with efficient public and private stakeholder engagement and communication support by Public Relations and Communications company BHM, culminated in MTN Nigeria and its leadership becoming recipients of the 2023 SABRE Africa Company of the Year and CEO of the Year certificates.

MTN Nigeria’s recent rebranding to a technological company offering a bouquet of digital services has attracted widespread commendation in recent times, and its excellent achievements in the technology space were also rewarded with its recognition as having a great Corporate Image.

The recognition was bolstered by the technology company’s successful acquisition of the 5G spectrum and the launch of the advanced 5G network in different parts of Nigeria in 2022. If properly harnessed, the 5G network is predicted to deliver $13.2 trillion in global economic value by 2035 and can generate 22.3 million jobs in the 5G global value chain alone within the same period. The advanced network has the potential to boost Nigeria’s socio-economic ecosystem, particularly by improving access to essential services such as finance, health, and education.

MTN was also recognised as an organisation with an impactful Corporate Social Responsibility for its innovative Y’ellopreneur, which is distinctive for its ambition to bridge the gender gap in Nigeria’s employment and entrepreneurship landscape. In its debut phase, at least 500 women entrepreneurs were able to build capacity, with 101 receiving funding worth N2 million for their respective businesses under the empowerment programme.

MTN’s contribution to the development of grassroots football in Nigeria and its partnership with the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) as the Official Communications Partner earned it a Certificate of Excellence in the Special Event/Sponsorship category.

Over the past two decades, MTN has demonstrated its commitment to elevating Nigeria’s standing in world football by collaborating with the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and investing in various football camps and scholarship programs to develop young footballing talents in the country. The most recent of such transformative programmes by the ICT company was the establishment of the NPFL/La Liga U-15 tournament in 2022 to identify and train the best young football talents in Nigeria.

In a related event, Funso Aina, MTN Nigeria’s senior manager, external relations, became the first African to win the “Innovator of the Year” award in the brands’ category at the 2023 SABRE IN2 Awards.

Speaking on the SABRE recognition, Tobechukwu Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services Officer, MTN Nigeria, said, “We are deeply honoured to have been recognised across multiple categories at the SABRE Africa awards. These accolades are a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team and the contributions of all our partners towards our success.

At MTN, we remain committed to delivering innovative and impactful solutions that enhance the lives of communities where we operate. These certificates are a clear validation of our efforts and we will continue to strive towards excellence in all that we do.”

Effective PR and communication strategies are critical in driving brand awareness, facilitating partnerships, and expanding market share. Due to its increased adoption and its potential to impact brand growth, the global public relations market size is expected to grow to $133 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 5.7%.

The 2023 SABRE Africa awards ceremony was held in Lusaka, Zambia, as part of the 2023 African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference. The annual event, organised by PRovoke Media, celebrates public relations and communication excellence in Africa, particularly in the areas of branding, reputation, and engagement.