Page 11 - LionKing

CHANGING THE AFRICAN
True to its name, the United Bank for Africa (UBA) has been in the forefront of promoting Africa and African values, especially in the areas of economic development on the continent.
Recently, the bank held the #UBAAfricaConversations - an annual event commemorating Africa Day, in whi ch African icons contributed to discussions around changing the African narrative and assisting it to assume its pride of place in the world.
“The conversations is centered around the new Africa which should lead the world in matters of security, employment and workforce opportunities,” said Group Chairman, Tony O. Elumelu, as he spoke on the panel with other strong African voices:
Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka; Professor emeritus and authority in Sahelian history, Djibril Tamsir Niane; Ghanaian Politician, Samia Nkrumah and Famous Musician, Femi Kuti. The symposium moderated by legal luminary, Ayo Obe was organised by UBA at its Head Office in Lagos.
“I see a continent that is richly endowed to create a prosperous future. We therefore need to move into the future with optimism; leveraging all that we have in terms of population and a viable workforce which we can retrain and revitalize. I want to see Africans being proud of Africa. I want to see financial institutions starting from Africa and conquering the world,” Elumelu said.
The conversation with the theme ‘Africa’s History Redefined
- Our past, a path to the future’, shared insights on ways in
which Africa will move forward by embracing our past, in order to create a path for a brighter and greater future.
NARRATIVE
By Udeme Ekwere
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Images: Sunday Balogun