General News
Key Highlights from Grand Africa Initiative’s GAIN Youth Summit 2022
Grand Africa Initiative (GAIN) on the 28th and 29th October, 2022 held the third edition of her annual youth summit tagged GAIN Youth Summit 2022.
This pan-African summit had Prof Benedict O. Oramah, The President and Chairman, Board of Directors, African Export-Import Bank, Egypt as the keynote Speaker who was ably represented by The Afreximbank’s Regional Chief Operating Officer-Anglophone West Africa, Mr. Eric Monchu Intong. Guest Speakers at the summit include the High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria, H.E Mr Humphrey Geiseb; Ambassador of Cote D’ivoire to Nigeria Mr Kalilou TRAORE; Dr Tony Elumelu, Ag. Director of Private Sector Development at the ECOWAS Commission, Nigeria; Caroline Njuki, Officer in Charge and Chief Technical Advisor Inclusive Jobs and Education, International Labour Organisation, Kenya; Mr Eric Nges, Vice President, J.P Morgan, Germany; Mr Obinna Iyiegbu (Obi Cubana), the Chairman and CEO, Cubana Group; Mr Sam Itodo, Executive Director, YIAGA Africa, Nigeria; Mr Ehia Erhaboh, Executive Vice President, Operations and Technology, Interswitch Group, Nigeria; Mr Emmanuel Asika; Country Manager- HP Nigeria; Omni Channel Manager-HP ACE, Princess Adeyinka, Founder Happy Coffee, Nigeria; Rapitso Motsebesi, CEO Iconics Pty, Lesotho. Key partners for this year’s summit include the ECOWAS Commission and Embassy of the Republic of Guinea in Nigeria.
The summit attracted over 3000 participants from 62 countries across the world.
The theme of the summit was “The Africa We Want: Nexus Between the Youth, Peace and Entrepreneurship II”
In his Keynote Address, Prof Benedict Oramah, the President and Chairman, Board of Directors, African Export-Import Bank, Egypt congratulates GAIN on the excellent work it is doing, especially with regards to entrepreneurship development and youth employment in Africa.
The Afreximbank Boss called for the prioritization of developmental programmes that facilitates youth integration into trade value chains by both public and private sector players as the solution to the problem of youth unemployment on the continent.
He made this call while delivering the keynote speech at the summit. Prof. Oramah emphasized that youth entrepreneurship and innovation are pivotal to the continent’s economic transformation and so young people should be fully empowered and equipped with the tools to provide solutions to the challenges on the continent.
Oramah stated that “To maximize the AfCFTA’s benefits, and to exploit other opportunities in global value chains, Africa’s youth must be fully empowered to participate in cross border trade. It is especially important that young people are given the tools they need to express themselves as entrepreneurs and equipped to innovate solutions to the continent’s raft of socio-economic issues. We must also ensure that youth perspectives are represented at all levels of the policy formulation process”
“It is therefore necessary for both public and private sector players to prioritize the development of targeted programmes that facilitate youth integration into trade value chains. Afreximbank, in playing its part, is committed to addressing the financing, technical capacity and market access limitations that currently impede the expansion of youth-led trade in Africa”
“Harnessing African youth and positioning this demographic as an engine for economic growth is the collective effort of all, therefore, we must rise to the challenge and ensure that Africa actualizes the potential that this constituency holds with regards to the development of our beloved continent”.
In her opening speech, Chinwe Okoli, the Executive Director of GAIN, stated that there is a need to understand the current situation of Africa as it provides the baseline for creating the Africa we truly want. Speaking on the impact of the summit so far, she stated that “over the past three years, the GAIN Youth Summit has deepened the discourse and contributed to shaping policies around strategies to unleash the economic potentials of young Africans to build sustainable prosperity on the continent.
“Learning from the previous summit resulted in the launch of GAIN Entrepreneurship Masterclass in 2021”.
She emphasized that GAIN believes strongly that the pace of development of Africa depends on the rate of youth development and how GAIN in strong partnership with her partners have trained and empowered young African Entrepreneurs and continues to do so.
“In partnership with the Development Bank of Nigeria for instance, we have trained young women entrepreneurs selected from the six geographical regions of Nigeria. And in partnership with Afreximbank, we have also trained young Africans from 29 African countries within 2022 alone and GAIN will continue to design and implement interventions in response to critical issues that impact the youth in Africa”.
Delivering His goodwill message, the High Commissioner of Namibia to Nigeria, His Excellency Mr Humphrey Geiseb, commended Grand Africa Initiative(GAIN) for its work in bringing opportunities for business to African Youth.
In his words “Youth represent a rapidly growing segment of our population. It is important to provide an enabling environment particularly peace and political stability to position the youth to play a meaningful role. Africa needs to mainstream the presence of young peoples’ voices and recognize their engagement and contributions”.
“Adequate development that involves the youth is needed to ensure that young people utilize their knowledge, youthful energy and resourcefulness to transform Africa’s raw material into
value added products. Youth innovation through entrepreneurship can indeed play a vital role to develop our continent”.
He highlighted the need for African youths to continue to deepen unity and cooperation across the continent on youth matters and that GAIN Youth Summit is an important platform to emphasize the potentials of youths as partners in economic development and as key players in finding solutions to enable the youth to overcome the devastating impact of the pandemic”
His Excellency Ambassador Kalilou TRAORE, Ambassador of Cote d’Ivoire to Nigeria and ECOWAS while responding to the question on how leadership can steer the continent and countries therein in the right direction as a panelist on the day 1 of the summit said “Governance and leadership in Africa is about a clear vision and challenges we have to overcome to achieve our aspirations, So, we need leaders with transformational capacities to make it happen”.
Mr Eric Nges in his response to a question on the kinds of leadership needed to propel Africa’s development, said “Africa is rich in natural resources and a resilient population. He identified three(3) types of leaders which includes: Visionary/Imaginative leaders, Inspirational leaders and Aspirational leaders” emphasizing the need for good leadership in Africa to drive the transformation on the continent.
Speaking on the panel topic Unlocking the potentials in Africa: The Leadership Question, the Executive Director, YIAGA Africa, Nigeria, Sam Itodo says leadership questions cannot be overlooked if Africa is going to achieve the 2063 goals; leadership is about taking responsibility and Africa needs leaders who will be proactive in taking responsibilities, leaders that care about generational equity, care about the future, care about the youths and also leaders who know when to leave the stage”.
He emphasized that young people are not asking the right questions and are not prepared enough to take over leadership roles in the continent. He enjoined Africa youths to widen their horizon and build alliances across nations and ages.
Dr Tony Elumelu, Ag. Director of Private Sector Development at the ECOWAS Commission, speaking on migration and peace said In Africa , migration is our way of life and it is not necessarily a bad thing but rather it depends on how it is handled and the purpose. He implored African governments to create a good environment for people to stay and also strong institutions to regulate mobility to ensure safety thereby giving Africans a ray of hope and reasons to stay rather than leave the continent.
Caroline Njuki, Officer in Charge and Chief Technical Advisor Inclusive Jobs and Education, International Labour Organisation, Kenya, speaking on the same topic stated that “research has shown that people will migrate to where they find resources to sustain their livelihood. Africa is blessed with talents and supporting people with brilliant ideas to birth those ideas will undoubtedly transform the continent for the better”. It is high time African governments tackled the challenges in retaining talent in Africa as she identified access to capital for MSMEs as the biggest challenge.
Ehia Erhaboh, Executive Vice President, Operations and Technology, Interswitch Group, Nigeria speaking on the topic: The Imperative of Youth Entrepreneurship in Building Africa, said that “A lot is dependent on African youths to make sure to leave a better version of this present Africa. Youths should be problem solvers: constantly looking for opportunities to solve problems in their environment, Africa Youths should not wait to see things happen but they should make things happen. The Africa we want is in the hands of the youth especially youth entrepreneurs and as such youth entrepreneurship should be highly promoted by government and leaders in the continent”.
In his contribution, the Chairman, Cubana Group, Obinna Tochukwu Iyiegbu stated that nobody can develop Africa apart from Africans and Entrepreneurship needs to be at the core of the efforts to transform Africa at various levels. He admonished Africa youths to focus less on the negatives rather focus more on what can be done right.
“Building the Africa we want involves leveraging technology and innovation. African Government and leaders need to factor in youth participation and promote their involvement in the technology sector”. These were the words of Emmanuel Asika; Country Manager- HP Nigeria; Omni Channel Manager-HP ACE while speaking at the panel session on day 2 of the summit.
He emphasized that successful entrepreneurs need to understand the importance of technology and innovation. He proposed that youth entrepreneurs should be educated on digital literacy and its importance to establishing a successful business and government and leaders should develop schemes and also promote digital inclusion in the continent.
Sharing their inspiring bold action as young African Entrepreneurs, Princess Adeyinka Tenekah, founder of one of Nigeria’s premier indigenous coffee franchises, Happy Coffee, shared her drive for building her business and creating a niche for herself in the agricultural sector.
Rapitso Mosebetsi, a Lesotho born entrepreneur and social business innovator, Co-Founder & CEO Iconics Pty Ltd, also shared his experience in building a business in the fashion sector. His business was hailed ‘Most Innovative & Versatile Exporter in 2022’ by the Lesotho National Development Corporation, USAID Trade Hub Southern Africa, and Lesotho Post Bank.
They both enjoined Africa youths to back up their dreams with actions and to see every problem as an opportunity to contribute to the development of Africa.
Grand Africa Initiative (GAIN) is a youth-focused pan-African non-governmental organization championing youth empowerment for development across Africa. GAIN is set up to help young Africans between 15 and 35 years old drawn from within and outside the continent, who are passionate about promoting entrepreneurship as a means to reduce conflict, promote peace and economic revival of the continent. GAIN programs include training, advocacy, mentorship, and youth events, designed to help achieve sustainable development by igniting the positive energy of the greater segment of Africa’s population – the youth.
Every June 19th, the world pauses to recognize something that, for millions of families, never pauses at all. World Sickle Cell Day is observed across the globe to bring sickle cell disease out of the shadows; to name it, to understand it, and to stand with the people who live with it every single day.
This year, the world marks the day under the theme “Closing the Survival Gap: Equity in Sickle Cell Disease.” It’s a phrase that asks a hard, necessary question: why should where you’re born, or what your family can afford, decide whether you live well, or live at all?
For us at Indwelt, that question isn’t abstract. It has names and faces we know.
Why this day means something to us;
Here in Nigeria, sickle cell isn’t a distant statistic. Our country carries the heaviest burden of the disease anywhere in the world; roughly 150,000 babies are born with it here each year, and millions of Nigerians live with it into adulthood. Behind those numbers are real people: managing pain that often goes unseen, navigating crises that arrive without warning, and carrying on with a quiet courage that most of us will never fully understand.
Some of those people are our colleagues.
Since our inception, we’ve had and still have team members who live with sickle cell. They show up, they create, they pour themselves into the work we’re proud to put our name on; and they do it while carrying something most of us never have to think about.
Our team member with sickle cell, put it to us simply:
“People see the work I deliver, but they don’t see the days I show up after a night I didn’t think I’d get through. Sickle cell is part of my story, but it isn’t the whole of me; and being a part of an organization that understands that, supports me and let’s me do work I’m proud of continues to make a difference for me. I don’t want sympathy. I want a world that takes this seriously enough to change the odds for the next person.”
Supporting them, through medical interventions and through simply being a workplace that sees them fully, has never felt like a policy or a perk. It’s felt like family looking after family.
That’s where our commitment began. Not in a boardroom, but in the everyday reality of caring for our own.
If you’ve ever asked; this is the reason we’ve chosen to anchor our Corporate Social responsibility around sickle cell, supporting initiatives that improve care, and backing the research working toward a future where this disease no longer steals so many years from so many lives.
We believe the survival gap can close. We’ve seen what changes when someone living with sickle cell is met with the right care, the right understanding, and the right support; they don’t just survive, they thrive. They build, they lead, they make beautiful things. We know this because we work alongside them.
So, our promise is simple: to put our resources, our voice, and our craft behind the people and the science fighting for better outcomes. To keep learning. To keep listening to those who live this reality. And to use whatever reach we have to make sure that, in this country with the world’s heaviest burden, no one feels they’re carrying it alone.
For someone living with sickle cell, care that comes to you and care you can actually afford aren’t luxuries; they’re often the difference between a crisis managed and a crisis survived. We’re proud to walk alongside teams doing that quiet, necessary work.
To anyone living with sickle cell, today and every day; we see your strength; including the kind that doesn’t look like strength, the kind that’s just getting through a hard day and showing up for the next one. You are not your diagnosis. You are not a burden. You are someone we’re honoured to stand beside.
And to everyone reading: you don’t need a CSR budget to make a difference today. Learn what sickle cell really is. Know your genotype. Have the conversation. Give blood if you can. Be gentle with the people around you who may be carrying more than they let on.
Awareness is where compassion begins; and compassion, multiplied, is how survival gaps close.
This World Sickle Cell Day, we’re thinking of our own. And we’re committed to doing our part, not just today, but in all the days that follow.
To our clients, we owe a particular thank you. Every brief you trust us with, every project we build together, every time you choose Indwelt; you are doing more than growing your business. You are helping fund the care, the awareness, and the research behind this cause. The work we do for you is quietly working for someone living with sickle cell, too. That partnership means more to us than you may realise, and we’re deeply grateful for it.
Awareness is where compassion begins; and compassion, multiplied, is how survival gaps close. This World Sickle Cell Day, we’re thinking of our own. And we’re committed to doing our part, not just today, but in all the days that follow.
Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has uncovered a major telecommunications fraud syndicate accused of compromising a telecom company’s billing infrastructure and fraudulently generating data valued at more than N7.7 billion.
The breakthrough led to the arrest of several suspects and the recovery of assets believed to be proceeds of the crime, including nearly N90 million in cash, two residential houses, a mini-plaza, and a Toyota RAV4 vehicle.
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 18, 2026, DSP Unwana Imah, Police Public Liaison Officer of the NPF-NCCC, disclosed that investigations revealed the involvement of both insider collaborators and external accomplices in the large-scale cyber fraud operation.
According to the statement, the investigation was launched following a petition by a leading telecommunications service provider, which reported the unauthorized use of staff login credentials and a breach of its network billing system.
Preliminary findings showed that between October 1 and November 28, 2024, the suspects unlawfully accessed the company’s billing infrastructure and generated fraudulent airtime.
The airtime was subsequently converted into data bundles and distributed through a network of vendors operating across the country.
The criminal operation reportedly caused losses running into billions of naira before it was detected by the telecom provider, which promptly alerted security agencies.
“The Nigeria Police Force through the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has recorded significant progress in the investigation of a case involving Computer Related Fraud, Unauthorized Access to Computer Systems, and Theft of Telecom Services,” the statement said.
During the course of the investigation, operatives arrested several suspects and recovered more than 400 laptops, 1,000 mobile phones, Point of Sale (POS) machines, cash exhibits, and other evidential materials.
The telecommunications company was also able to reverse approximately 2,931.79 terabytes of fraudulently obtained data, valued at about N3.8 billion.
Further investigations uncovered the participation of insiders working alongside external collaborators to execute the scheme.
In a second phase of operations carried out in May 2026, NPF-NCCC operatives acted on intelligence and conducted coordinated raids across Kano, Katsina, and Zamfara states, leading to the arrest of key suspects identified as Musa Muhammed Kwandi, Nura Sadauki, and Aminu Muhammed.
Other suspects arrested include IT specialist Musa Hassan Mohammed, Samson Alisigwe, and Yusuf Shehu, all of whom are believed to have benefited from the proceeds of the fraud.
Through extensive financial investigations and asset tracing efforts, police recovered almost N90 million and seized properties linked to the alleged criminal enterprise.
The NPF-NCCC said investigations are ongoing to identify additional accomplices, trace more proceeds of the crime, and ensure that all individuals found culpable are prosecuted.
Olatunji Rilwan Disu, Inspector-General of Police (IGP) reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to safeguarding the nation’s critical digital infrastructure and intensifying efforts to combat cybercrime across the country.
The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has urged Nigeria and the rest of Africa to strengthen intra-African trade and resilience to protect against geopolitical shocks.
In a recently released Trade and Development Finance Brief, titled: ‘Africa’s Trade and Investment Landscape’, which examines the structural challenges shaping Africa’s trade performance and investment outlook in an increasingly uncertain global environment, it pointed out that Africa’s trade landscape remained heavily dominated by the export of raw materials, including agricultural products, oil, gas and minerals.
The report, however, regretted that imports continued to be heavily skewed towards manufactured goods and machinery.
The report noted that the existing export-import configuration leaves many African economies overly exposed to unfavourable terms of trade shock on account of external headwinds, including commodity price volatility, geopolitical tensions and associated global supply chain disruptions.
According to the report, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) remained central to efforts aimed at diversifying the continent’s trade base, strengthening regional value chains and increasing intra-African trade.
It further expressed that alongside the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the AfCFTA provides a practical framework for integrating fragmented markets, expanding industrial production and boosting productivity, with intra-African exports projected to increase by more than 20 per cent within a decade as implementation advances.
Also, the report further highlighted the importance of scaling investment in trade-enabling infrastructure, including energy, transport, communications networks, ports and logistics systems, to reduce the cost of doing business and improve cross-border trade flows.
It expressed that targeted infrastructure investment could support industrialisation, strengthen regional specialisation and improve Africa’s competitiveness as an investment destination.
It also pointed to a wider set of priorities for strengthening the continent’s trade and investment ecosystem, including regulatory coherence, institutional strengthening, economic diversification, improved access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises and greater use of digital financial technologies.
Besides, the report stated that domestic and foreign investment were increasing across many African economies, notwithstanding the observed dominance of foreign investment.
It further mentioned that the direction of investment flows was uneven across sub-regions, with Eastern and Southern Africa receiving a larger share of foreign direct investment compared to Western and Central Africa.
Afreximbank said the findings reinforced the need for coordinated action to expand trade finance, improve trade-enabling infrastructure, deepen regional integration and accelerate value addition across the continent.
Managing Director, Research for AfreximBank, Dr Yemi Kale, said regional development finance institutions, including AfreximBank, were playing an increasing role in supporting intra-African trade through trade finance and related initiatives.
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