PREVIOUS EVENT 2021
AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021
- 27th -29th October, 2021
- Abuja, Nigeria
The AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021 marked a monumental milestone for the network as we celebrated our 10th Anniversary. The Gathering themed “AfriLabs at 10: A Decade of Empowering and Inspiring Innovation across Africa” was held in Abuja, Nigeria from the 27th to 29th of October, 2021 at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. It aimed at spotlighting the growth and evolution of the African Innovation Ecosystem.
The Gathering hosted over 300 ecosystem enablers from all over the African continent and also various exciting panel sessions, workshops led by GIZ-AU, GIZ Make-IT, EU-Africa Digilogic, Mozilla, the University Of Basel, and member Hubs of the AfriLabs network.
The event also featured the launch of Catalytic Africa which is a matching fund led by the African Business Angels Network (ABAN) and AfriLabs that aims to strengthen African startups, and innovation hubs while delivering impact results to institutional funders.
The AfriLabs Annual Gathering also saw the launch of the AfriLabs and Briter Bridges report titled “Bolstering innovators in Africa – Innovation hubs’ catalytic role as ecosystem support organizations” the report identified at least 1031 active innovation hubs across Africa as of October 2021, using a combination of primary and secondary data collection methods.
Unbeatable highlights from the AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021 include:
The AfriLabs 10th Anniversary Gala was hosted by the Vice President of Nigeria at the statehouse with the theme “The African Heritage” on the 27th of October 2021. Our community showed up and showed off the splendor of our African Heritage. During the Gala, AfriLabs awarded 12 hubs 15,000 euros each to implement capacity-building projects ranging from Business Growth and Development, Product Evolution and Development to Investment Readiness and Fundraising for their communities under the AfriLabs Capacity Building Programme. This grant is funded by Agence Française de Dévelopement through the Digital Africa Seed Fund.
Dinner and Cocktail events hosted by the following hubs and organizations: Creative Arts and Visual Imagery Centre (CAVIC), Aiivon Hub, Ventures Platform, Wennovation Hub, and our partner Briter Bridges on the 28th of October 2021.
The third day of the Gathering (29th October 2021) was a tour of the Abuja technology and innovation ecosystem which featured members of our community such as Ventures Platform, The Cans, Seedbuilders, Enspire Incubator, and WootLab Innovations. Additionally, Nile university hosted an event themed “Innovative Entrepreneurship and Employability” (on the same day).
Snapshot
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AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021: Celebrating a decade of enabling innovation in Africa
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AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021
The AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021 marked a monumental milestone for the African technology and Innovation Ecosystem as AfriLabs celebrated its 10th year Anniversary. The Gathering held in October at Abuja, Nigeria
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Main Sessions

Mark Dodsworth
Owner and Director, Red Zebra South Africa

Anna Ekeledo
Executive Director, AfriLabs

Rebecca Enonchong
Board Chair, AfriLabs

Benjamin Meier
Regional Advisor to the GIZ

Papa Amadou Sarr
Ministre, Délégué général à l’Entreprenaria

Marc Huemmer
Policy Advisor (GIZ)

Ahunna Eziakonwa
UNDP Assistant Administrator, and Director Africa

Ifeoluwa Adebayo
Special Assistant to the Nigerian Vice President

Papa Amadou Sarr
Founder Jacaranda Hub Zambia

Dr Robert Karanja
Co-founder Villgro Africa & Chairman (ASSEK) Kenya

Olivia Tchamba
Public Policy Manager, Francophone Africa, Facebook

Ibraheem Sanusi
Senior Advisor, GIZ

Timo Mueller
Advisor for Digital Innovation and Public Sector – Startup cooperation at GIZ.

Cécile Tassin-Pelzer
Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS

Tarek Chazli
Charge’ d’Affaires, Italian Embassy in Nigeria, Benin Republic and ECOWAS

Noémie Hailu
Africa Innovation Mradi Program Manager, Mozilla Corporation

Tomi Davies
President African Angel Business Network (ABAN)

Ody Akhanoba
Manager, Strategy & Innovation, Afreximbank

Ajibola Odukoya
Chief Operating Officer AfriLabs

Nekesa Were
Director of Strategy AfriLabs

Thorsten Hülsmann
CEO Digital Hub Logistics, Germany, DIGILOGIC Coordinator

Toyin Dania
Project Manager: DIGILOGIC Project, MEST Africa

Obaro M. Osah
AGM, SME South, SME Group, Bank of Industry, Nigeria.

Adriano Mauro
Managing Director, Prototipi, Nigeria, leading DIGILOGIC Dissemination and Communication Activities

Abdellah Mallek
Founder and Manager Sylabs Algeria

Zindzi Montshwari Letsididi
Founder and Director TheNeoHub Innovation Lab Botswana

Mr Jordi Montserrat
Managing Partner Venturelab Sweden

Dr. Theophile Niyonzima
Senior Lecturer University of Rwanda

Dr. Norah Clarke
Program Director the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education at Universities South Africa (EDHE)

Carine Nsoudou
CEO - ADEPT; Belguim

Poncelet O. Ileleji
Jokkolabs Banjul Gambia

Bibusa .W.Wißemann
Founder & CEO SensXAfrica Limited, Germany

Michael Oluwagbemi
Co-founder Wennovation Hub, Nigeria, LofytInc and AfriLabs Board Chair 2014-2017 and Trustee

Kola Aina
General Partner, Ventures Platform Fund Nigeria

Marieme Dieng
Lead of Global Innovation and Strategy for Africa at 500Startups

Oscar A. Nchaso Bekari
Founder & Managing Director en Dreams Hub Equitorial Guinea

Carine Vavaseur
Cheffe de Division Innovation et Animation d'Ecosystème Délégation Générale à l'Entreprenariat Rapide des Femmes et des Jeunes - DER

Alfredo Cuanda
Founder and Manager, Ideario Mozambique.

Fadilah Tchoumba
Lead of Global Innovation and Strategy for Africa at 500Startups

Lehle Balde
Editor Business Day

Samson Itodo
Executive Director, Yiaga Africa

Nneka Ukay
Executive Secretary at Innovation Support Network (ISN Hubs) Nigeria

Dario Giuliani
Founder and Director of Briter Bridges London

Markos Lemma
CoFounder & CEO of iceaddis, Ethiopia

Phares Kariuki
CEO Pure Infrastructure Limited Kenya

Chioma “Chigul” Omeruah
MC/Entertainer

Dike Chukwumerijie
Nigerian Spoken Word and Performance Poetry Artist

Chibueze Josh Izugbo
Founder & CEO Ebeosi
Parallel Sessions

Elvis Melia
Associate Researcher of the Research Programm "Transformation of Economic and Social Systems" at the German Development Institute

Sandra Flicke
Head of Project ""Future of Work"" bei Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Christian Gmelin
Head of Collaborative Innovation bei Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Nneka Ekechukwu-Soyinka
Sr. Privacy Manager, Mozilla Corporation

Prof. Bitange Ndemo
Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Nairobi’s Faculty of Business and Management Sciences

Chenai Chair
Special Advisor Africa Innovation Mradi, Mozilla Foundation

Kathleen Siminyu
Machine Learning Fellow, Mozilla Foundation

Remy Muhire
Local Community Fellow (Kinyarwanda and Luganda), Mozilla Foundation

Aissata Tambadou
Bond’Innov, France

Angela Naa Afoley Odai
CIDO-AUC- Ethiopia

Alain Nkurikiye
Founder and CEO of Wajenzi

Yousif Yahya
Founder Savannah Innovation Labs Sudan

Faye Simmonds
Local Community Fellow (Kinyarwanda and Luganda), Mozilla Foundation

Mamadou Dakouo
Biowin Canada

Alpha Nury
Founder Jamaafunding & Co-Founder Reda Capital

Alpha Nury
Founder Jamaafunding & Co-Founder Reda Capital

Britone Mwasaru
Local Community Fellow (Kiswahili), Mozilla Foundation

Rebecca Ryakatimbo
Local Community Fellow ( Kiswahili), Mozilla Foundation

Youssouf Simbo Diakité
Co-chair ADYFE; Austria

Dare Odumade
Chekkit Technologies Nigeria
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