Lunch Talk @Academy: Globalization 5.0 – New Partnerships with Africa

Format:
30 Minutes: Input
30 Minutes: Debate
30 Minutes: Q&A
Followed by Networking

Snacks and drinks will be served.

About

“There is the need for greater coordination between these important countries and multilateral initiatives to have greater coherence in their implementation. The focus should be on creating platforms for the business sector in Germany, Europe and Africa to take advantage of these initiatives to trade, develop partnerships and grow their investments. The upcoming negotiations on the successor agreement to the Cotonou Partnership Agreement provide a chance to coordinate these various initiatives and create a development partnership with the private sector in mind”, Hanna Tetteh from Ghana argues.
 
“Africa’s demographics and urbanization trends depict positive developments of a continent of possibilities. Africa’s combined economy is expected to hit over $29 trillion by 2050. The rate of urbanization is expected to rise from current 40% to 60% by 2050. The growth of cities, uptake of modern technology, start-ups and small and medium sized enterprises in Africa present a vital and strategic opportunity to leapfrog private sector engagement in Africa,” believes James Shikwati from Kenya.  

Since 1969 the group of developing countries, that later expanded into what is now referred to as the ACP group, has signed a succession of agreements that have focused on both development cooperation and trade with preferential market access to the EU market. The latest being the Cotonou Partnership Agreement signed by 78 ACP member states. The African states form the largest group within the ACP, and even though the various agreements have created opportunities for trade and investment between the EU and African ACP states, the development outcomes have not been transformational. Germany as an important member of both the EU and the G20 has recently spearheaded two flagship initiatives for accelerating development on the African continent – the cornerstones of a Marshall Plan with Africa from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the G20 Compact with Africa, proposed in the Finance Track of the G20 in 2017. The response of the private sector in Germany and Europe to these initiatives has been somewhat lackluster.  
 

The Lunch Talk assesses how economic ties, trade and investment relationships between Germany, Europe and African countries can be strengthened – a particular focus will be on small and medium sized enterprises as well as start-ups.

Hanna Serwaah Tetteh is a Ghanaian private legal practitioner, consultant and politician. From 2013 to 2017, she was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration of the Republic of Ghana. Concurrently, serving as a Member of Parliament for the Awutu-Senya West Constituency. Prior to that from 2009 to 2013, she was the Minister of Trade and Industry and the Chairperson of the Ghana Free Zones Board with oversight of the country's Free Zones/Special Economic Zones scheme.

James Shikwati is an expert in development economics in Africa. He is the founder and director of the Inter Region Economic Network (IREN), a think tank developing ideas and strategies to enhance quality of life for people in Africa. James is also the founder and CEO of the online business opinion magazine The African Executive and country director of Enactus Kenya, a program present in 33 Kenyan universities (public and private). James Shikwati is a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Aid by Trade Foundation based in Hamburg. He serves on a Pan Africa Select Committee that networks African think tanks, research institutes and scholars keen to evaluate Africa’s engagement with China and other emerging economies.

Registration for this event is closed.