Africa’s biggest youth event, The Future Awards Africa has announced the ambassadors for the 10th anniversary – a stellar cast of past winners of the awards across business, development, governance and the creative industries.
The 10 selected ambassadors are international recording artiste Bukonla ‘Asa’ Elemide (Nigeria), music producer Michel ‘Don Jazzy’ Ajere (Nigeria), beauty entrepreneur Tara Fela Durotoye (Nigeria), founder of LEAP Africa Ndidi Nwuneli (Nigeria), agriculture entrepreneur Nnaemeka Ikeguonu (Nigeria), activist Sangu Delle (Ghana), power entrepreneur Patrick Ngowi (Tanzania), singer Diamond Platinumz (Tanzania), change-maker Fogblanbenchi Lily Harity (Cameroon), and lawmaker Oramait Alengoil (Uganda).
“These 10 African icons have been selected from across East, West and Southern Africa because they represent the essence of TFAA,” says Sean Obedih, a member of the awards Central Working Committee based in Ghana. “They speak to the best that Africa has, but more importantly their lives work have inspired millions to take charge of their destinies and to get involved in rebuilding their communities and their countries.There are no better ambassadors than these to drive our #AfricaNeedsYou message as we celebrate 10 years of the awards and prepare for 10 more years of impact.”
The ambassadors will drive the 10th year anniversary campaign for the awards across TV, radio, online and through targeted events targeted at galvanizing the global TFAA brain trust to solve problems across Africa.
“The question we are driving people to answer is very simple,” says singer Asa. “If Africa is rising and GDPs are growing then why are so many young Africans still desperately leaving Africa?”
Added Alengoil: “There is plenty to celebrate in the incredible work TFAA has done over the past 10 years across 21 countries of Africa, but there is so much work left to be done, and #AfricaNeedsYou to join us and get it done.”
As part of the 10th anniversary #AfricaNeedsYou campaign, TFAA launched a 100-city tour to build 100 hubs across the continent over the next one year. The hubs will partner with local non-governmental organisations to solve problems community by community. It will be launched officially at the awards this year on 6, December 2015.
The Future Awards Africa 2015 is powered by RED and held in partnership with the Ford Foundation, Microsoft, the US Consulate, the Canadian High Commission Nigeria and The Tony Elumelu Foundation.
ABOUT THE FUTURE AWARDS AFRICA
The Future Awards Africa has been called the ‘Nobel Prize for Young Africans’, and the ‘most important youth awards’ by Forbes. It is a set of prizes given annually to celebrate and accelerate innovation, creativity and enterprise amongst young Africans aged 18 – 31. It has produced over 150 winners and over 1550 nominees since its first edition in 2006.
It is presented in conjunction with The Future Project, which has a mandate to build empowered citizens across Africa, through (inclusive) enterprise and (active) citizenship. This focus on Human Capital Development is informed by our value proposition: Africa’s growth needs a generation of young people who are gainfully employed and able to demand and secure better leadership.
Our projects include Aiki.ng, an employability portal presented with Microsoft; the Nigeria Symposium for Young & Emerging Leaders, #StartupsAfrica, Intern4Jobs, The m-Hub, The Future Enterprise Support Scheme and The Future Africa Awards & Summit, described as ‘The Nobel Prize for Young Africans’.
With a network of funders and partners including the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Ford Foundation, the US Government, First Bank, MTN, The Canadian Embassy, HP, the Nigerian Government and the British Council, our work has spanned Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Tanzania, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Malawi, Cameroon, Somalia, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast and Kenya.
Founded by the Chude Jideonwo and Adebola Williams, TFP is supervised by a Global Board of Advisors drawn from Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East, including the former Coordinating Minister of the Nigerian Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Senior Economic Advisor with the Open Society Foundations, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili; co-founder of ONE, Jamie Drummond and the Chief of Cabinet with the Africa Development Bank, Anne Kabagambe.
