140 young African leaders gathered in Morocco to “impact the future” of the continent

At least 140 young entrepreneurs of 25 nationalities are taking part in the Bridge Africa Summit, which opened on 6 May 2024 at the Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P). The event aims to impact the future of the continent by promoting pan-African innovation, leadership and networking.

From South Africa to Chad, via Uganda and Tanzania, all the sub-regions of the continent are represented at the “Bridge Africa” Summit organised by Morocco. The event, which opened on 6 May 2024, is being hosted by the Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique (UM6P) in the town of Ben Guérir, which is undergoing a major economic transformation.

Over the course of a few days on the 33 hectares of this futuristic campus, 140 young leaders from various sectors such as finance, energy and technology are pooling their experiences and solutions for an innovative and resilient Africa. Khalid Baddou, who heads up the Bridge Africa concept, took the opportunity to recall the three essential verbs for sustainable development on a continental scale: “inspire, involve and act”.

Leading participants at the summit include the CEO of the Diaspo4Africa and Lumen Financial Africa platforms. “This is a network that offers young African leaders a platform and the resources they need to convert their ideas into real systems of change and make a lasting impact on all our nations,” explains Wilfried Adingra from the Ivory Coast, speaking to AFRIK 21.

In addition to workshops on strategic planning and pan-African leadership, the Bridge Africa Summit is expected to facilitate networking between the 140 young people, who will then disseminate this shared vision within their respective communities. This will boost the South-South cooperation that African countries need at a time of climate, food and security crises.