2 Nigerians inducted into Presidential Youth Advisory Group

ITREALMS:

Two Nigerian youthful entrepreneurs have been inducted into the 9-man Presidential Youth Advisory Group (PYAG) recently set up by the African Development Bank (AfDB), reports ITRealms.

The award-winning author, Uzodinma Iweala, and the chief executive officer (CEO), Agrolay Ventures, Ada Osakwe, made the PYAG to be chaired by a Tanzanian CEO, Mara Group, Ashish Thakkar.

Other members of PYAG include Mamadou Toure, Founder / CEO, Africa 2.0 / Ubuntu Capital, Cameroon; Vanessa Moungar, Human and Social Development Director, AfDB and member of President Macron’s Presidential Council for Africa, Chad; Francine Muyumba, President, Panafrican Youth Union, Democratic Republic of Congo; Jeremy Johnson, Co-founder, Andela, USA; Clarisse Iribagiza, CEO, Hehe, Rwanda;  and Monica Musonda, CEO of Java Foods, Zambia.

PYAG, ITRealms gathered is comprised nine members under the age of 40 who have made significant contributions to the creation of employment opportunities for African youth.

On the rationale behind the setting up of the advisory group, President Adesina explained that they recognize the enormous amount of energy, creative and innovative thinking, and entrepreneurial excellence that many of the youth bring to the table.

“For this reason, the Bank must ensure that it is well advised by cutting-edge youth representatives on its policies, actions and programmes, for the benefit of Africa’s youth.

“The members of the Presidential Youth Advisory Group are expected to actively engage private sector partners, government leaders, civil society, donor partners, and other stakeholders; and support the significant amount of work that the Bank is already doing and promoting across the continent through its Jobs for Youth in Africa strategy,” Adesina said.

Nonye Dom/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Pix: Group photo of PYAG members with AfDB President, Adesina.

2 Nigerians pick African woman prizes @New African Woman

ITRealms:

Two Nigerian women, Mrs. Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary to the United Nations and African model and fashion icon, Joan Okorodudu were honoured with prizes at the 2017 New African Woman award, reports ITRealms.

A press statement made available to ITRealms showed that Mrs. Amina J. Mohammed has been awarded the New African Woman in Politics and Public Office, while Joan Okorodudu took the New African Woman In The Arts & Culture prize for her services to raising the profile of African models and fashion.

ITRealms gathered that prior to her new post, Mrs Mohammed had served as Minister of Environment and at the same time played key roles in both the current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), on how both agendas impact Africa, more so its women.

Winners, ITRealms reports, were selected by a special panel of judges from 68 shortlisted candidates across 12 categories.

The fearless Gambian human rights activist won the New African Woman magazine’s Woman of the Year Award at the their ceremony that took place in Dakar, went to Fatoumatta Jallow-Tambajan. She was instrumental in galvanising the opposition that eventually beat long-term now exiled leader Yahya Jammeh.

In addition, the award for Women in Health, Science and Technology went to Namibia’s Dr Helena Ndume – a pioneering ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon, who has to date, performed over 35,000 sight-restoring surgeries on Namibians, completely free of charge.

Morocco saw serial entrepreneur Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch, take home the New African woman Award in Business. Zimbabwean philanthropists and educationist Tsitsi Masiyiwa, received the New African Woman Award in Education for her work with Higherlife Foundation – a not for profit organisation she runs and offers scholarships to orphaned and vulnerable children to give them a better chance in education. Over 250,000 children have benefited from the work of Higherlife Foundation.

The much-talked about New African Woman on the Rise (The Next Generation) – a category which received the most nominations - went to the Kenyan girls rights activist and UN Women youth advisor Vivian Onano.

The New African Woman in Civil Society was given to Chief Theresa Kachindamoto, who annulled over 300 child marriages in her village in Malawi, a feat that played an important role in forcing the government to ban child marriages in the country all together.

Other winners were Mali’s Binta Touré Ndoye (New African Woman – in Finance); Amira Yahyaoui of Tunisia (New African Woman in Media) and the former African Union Commissioner Agriculture and Rural Development Tumusiime Rhoda Peace from Uganda, is the New African Woman in Agriculture for pushing the importance of food security and adding value chain to African goods while she was at the AU.

The New African Woman in Sport went to the Senegal’s Fatma Samoura - the world football body’s Secretary General – a position she was appointed to in 2016, becoming the first African woman to hold the post.

The New African Woman Awards is followed by a Forum on 13 April, under the theme Changing The Game.

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!