Name: WEConnect International Africa Regional Conference 2022
Start: 18/05/2022 08:00 AM +00:00
End: 19/05/2022 04:35 PM +00:00

The African Development Bank&rsquo;s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program&rsquo;s mission is to reduce the US$ 42 billion access to finance gap for Women SMEs in Africa by unlocking US$ 5 billion of access to finance for women in the next 5 years.
The AFAWA program provides a holistic approach to addressing the Gender Funding gap women SMEs face on the continent through its three pillars;
<ul>
<li>Access to Finance: which is dedicated to delivering financing to African WSMEs, with an innovative risk-sharing mechanism as the centrepiece. AFAWA aims to unlock $5 billion in financing for women by 2026 through the AFAWA Guarantee for Growth Program and by leveraging traditional Financial Instruments of the Bank.</li>
<li>AFAWA Technical Assistance: Through Advisory services to partner financial institutions to enhance their understanding of the women&rsquo;s business market and to develop tailored financial and non-financial services to better address their needs. AFAWA also strengthens the capacity of women entrepreneurs through training to boost business productivity and growth.</li>
<li>AFAWA Enabling Environment: AFAWA engages with African governments, regional economic communities, and other key stakeholders to support legal, policy, and regulatory reforms. The goal is to strike down structural barriers that impede the access and growth of women SMEs.</li>
</ul>

African Development Bank

ExxonMobil 

Accenture&rsquo;s Enterprise and Supplier Development Programme (ESDP) is delivering excellent results. Initiated in 2015 and continuously refined to meet the needs of the South African environment, this programme is a reflection of our commitment to inclusion and diversity. It doesn&rsquo;t just satisfy legislative requirements&mdash;it delivers real, meaningful value to ESDP participants, Accenture&rsquo;s business, our clients, the communities we work in, and the South African economy.
Now, as demand for greater diversity and inclusivity in the market grows, we are making our ESDP approach and our SME Digital Ecosystem platform available to other Accenture regions across the globe running a Diverse Supplier Development Program (DSDP), and corporate businesses keen to turn their ESD programmes into a strategic advantage.

Accenture

Unilever is one of the world&rsquo;s leading suppliers of Beauty &amp; Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods &amp; Refreshment products, with sales in over 190 countries and products used by 3.4 billion people every day. We have 148,000 employees and generated sales of &euro;52.4 billion in 2021. Over half of our footprint is in developing and emerging markets. We have around 400 brands found in homes all over the world &ndash; including iconic global brands like Dove, Lifebuoy, Knorr, Magnum, OMO and Surf; and other brands such as Love Beauty &amp; Planet, Hourglass, Seventh Generation and The Vegetarian Butcher.
Our vision is to be the global leader in sustainable business and to demonstrate how our purpose-led, future-fit business model drives superior performance. We have a long tradition of being a progressive, responsible business. It goes back to the days of our founder William Lever, who launched the world&rsquo;s first purposeful brand, Sunlight Soap, more than 100 years ago, and it&rsquo;s at the heart of how we run our company today.
The Unilever Compass, our sustainable business strategy, is set out to help us deliver superior performance and drive sustainable and responsible growth, while:
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; improving the health of the planet;
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; improving people's health, confidence and wellbeing; and
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; contributing to a fairer and more socially inclusive world.
While there is still more to do, in the past year we&rsquo;re proud to have achieved sector leadership in S&amp;P&rsquo;s Dow Jones Sustainability Index, &lsquo;Triple A&rsquo; status in CDP&rsquo;s Climate, Water and Forest benchmarks and to be named as the top ranked company in the GlobeScan/SustainAbility Sustainability Leaders survey, for the eleventh consecutive year.&nbsp;
Equity, diversity and inclusion
Too many people are denied opportunities. Too many people are excluded and under-represented simply because of who they are.
The system isn't working &ndash; so we need to change it. That means going further than ever to break down barriers and create opportunities in our workplaces, our supply and distribution chains, and in society at large.
This will not only help build a fairer world, it will strengthen our business.
Equity should drive everything we do, everywhere. As part of our <a href="https://www.unilever.com/our-company/strategy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unilever Compass</a> we've also set ourselves clear objectives that will help us tackle inequality and drive inclusion.
Our equity, diversity and inclusion goals:
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/a-beacon-of-diversity-and-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Achieve an equitable and inclusive culture</a> by eliminating any bias and discrimination in our practices and policies.
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/a-beacon-of-diversity-and-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Accelerate diverse representation at all levels of leadership</a>.
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/a-beacon-of-diversity-and-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">5% of our workforce to be made up of people with disabilities</a> by 2025.
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://www.unilever.com/planet-and-society/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/promoting-diverse-suppliers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spend &euro;2 billion annually with diverse businesses worldwide</a> by 2025.
&middot; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <a href="https://stage.unilever.com/planet-and-society/equity-diversity-and-inclusion/transforming-our-brands-transforming-our-advertising/?_gl=1*gzej16*_ga*OTA1MjQ5MjU3LjE2NDY0MjgyNjI.*_ga_YD4H91RBTJ*MTY1MjM2ODM5NC44LjEuMTY1MjM3MjA5OS4w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Increase representation of diverse groups in our advertising</a>.
For more information about Unilever and our brands, please visit <a href="http://www.unilever.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.unilever.com</a>.

Unilever

Johnson & Johnson

Trane Technologies (NYSE:TT) is a global climate innovator. Through our strategic brands Trane and Thermo King, and our portfolio of environmentally responsible products and services, we bring efficient and sustainable climate solutions to buildings, homes and transportation.
At Trane Technologies, sustainability isn&rsquo;t just how we do business&mdash;it IS our business. As a global climate innovator, we&rsquo;re working with the brightest minds and the best technology to boldly challenge what&rsquo;s possible for a sustainable world.

Trane Technologies

CBRE is the world&rsquo;s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, with 2020 revenues of $23.8 billion. CBRE offers a range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property sales; mortgage services and development services. We believe enduring success can only be built on a foundation of responsible business practices, and that everyone gains an advantage by adopting the values of Respect, Integrity, Service and Excellence. We recognize the impact we have on our communities, clients, employees and stakeholders &ndash; and why our pillars of corporate responsibility are key to providing industry leadership that grows our business in socially responsible and ways.

CBRE

The global EY organization has more than 280,000 professionals who are united by the common purpose of Building a Better Working World. We bring a multidisciplinary approach to our clients that includes an integrated suite of professional competencies, including economists, strategists, CPAs, engineers, lawyers, social scientists, policy analysts, developers and over 20,000 data scientists. This is how we deliver high-quality insights to our clients. EY is the most globally integrated Big Four professional services organizations. We use our global reach and relationships to better engage with clients, governments and not-for-profits in support of our purpose of Building a Better Working World.
We&rsquo;re organized in four practice areas as well as sectors:
Assurance &ndash; We help our clients build stakeholder confidence and trust by helping them manage regulatory responsibilities, mitigate risk, promote transparency and drive long-term sustainable growth.
Consulting &ndash; We help organizations realize their social, economic and cultural value by helping them improve performance, manage risk and harness the potential of their people agenda.
Strategy &amp; Transactions &ndash; We help organizations manage their capital and transactions, including strategies to raise, invest, optimize and preserve capital. By managing their capital, organizations can define their competitive position and create social and economic value.
Tax &ndash; We help clients navigate the dynamic tax environment and address their business issues. This includes seizing the upside of market trends and focusing on how the tax function can support long-term business growth.
EY is committed to working with Indigenous and Minority communities to build and maintain effective, long-term and mutually beneficial relationships. To achieve this commitment, we strive for relationships that are based on transparency, mutual respect and trust
&nbsp;
To register as a diverse supplier: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/diversity-inclusiveness/environmental-social-governance-services

Marriott International

Liyema Consulting

InSync Training

Lonadek Global Services is an ISO:9001:2015 Engineering Technology &amp; Innovation Solutions Company located in London &amp; Lagos. We provide STEM and TECH Talent who deliver Digital Transformation Solutions.
We increase efficiency, performance and profitability in the high-technology driven sectors. Through our inclusive &amp; diverse Talent, STEMpreneurs &amp; TECHpreneurs in the EMEA region, we deliver value to our partners, clients and stakeholders. Our Digital Solutions are widely used in the Energy, Power, Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas sectors in resource-rich emerging economies. For Engineering Technology and Innovation Solutions +2348033216064

Lonadek Global Services

Dugo provides total creative solution in the management and service of business promotion using promotional material, recognition products souvenirs and timeless keepsakes.&nbsp;
Dugo is at the forefront of promoting Made in Nigeria products, as part of import substitution we produce bags and accessories for schools, business promotion, fashion bags and souvenirs. Most of our proudly Nigerian products (BASTM) are made with Afrocentric designs and materials for local and export market Our mantra for this range is &ldquo;Quality has no country of origin&rdquo; Over the years we have become the preferred brand in our Industry by redeﬁning standards, delivering outstanding customer service and exceptional creativity.&nbsp;
We have built in-house capacity to consult, design, customize as well as stock promotional products, awards/recognition items, souvenirs and timeless keepsakes. We provide creative promotional material solutions for highly effective marketing and procurement outcomes. Our designers are very creative; they can transform ideas or concepts to create a WOW effect! We listen, innovate and deliver results. Our production unit is equipped with state of the art technology for customization and this includes laser engraving, transfer printing, sublimation, embroidery, screen printing, doming etc. We also provide printing service for paper products like brochures, ﬂyers etc. 80% of our production is done in-house which means we control the quality and craftsmanship every step of the way, above all our turnaround time is fast and efficient. We keep stock of unique array of products.
&nbsp;Our membership of Promotional Products Association International in USA gives us access to promotional products specialists and manufacturers across the globe. As one of the few African members of Award and Personalization Association (APA) we have brought creativity and innovation to this industry in Nigeria.&nbsp;
We are also a member of WEConnect, which gives us access to multinational organizations in Nigeria. As part of our import substitution we offer proudly Nigerian bags and travel accessories under our Bags Accessories &amp; Souvenirs label (BASTM). These are designed, manufactured and customized with pride in Nigeria by Dugo.&nbsp;
Our showroom displays array of over one thousand (2,000) products which include: choice crystal, Acrylic, Wooden awards, Trophies, Paperweights, Drink wares, Desk accessories, Timepieces, Writing instruments, Diaries, Notebooks, Executive Collection, Travel accessories etc.&nbsp;
We are one of few distributors of international brands and the only service partner in Nigeria for Prominate, a UK based global joint venture in the provision of branded merchandize, premiums and promotional materials to multinational organizations.&nbsp;
In Nigeria we belong to Association of Promotional Products Specialists of Nigeria (APPSON) and the Managing Director of Dugo is the founding and Pioneer President, we also belong to Enterprise Development Center (EDC) as life ambassador, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industries (LCCI) and Women in Business (WIMBIZ) and WEConnect with our Managing Director as the pioneer Chairperson of the Nigeria Chapter of WEConnect International. In recognition of our passion for quality we received the Quality Crown Award in London amongst other awards and recognition in Nigeria.&nbsp;
Recently, our Managing Director was honorably listed in the Nigeria Women Annual: 100 Women Leader (2022 Edition) in acknowledgement of her distinguished career and contributions to the development of the society.

Dugo Limited

Zilon Trading

Ecogift Manufacturing

CI Coaching is a SETA accredited leadership development company. We equip leaders and teams with skills to lead more effectively and resiliently- through science. &nbsp; We use Science to provide the following: Neuro-Leadership Upskilling programs to future-fit leaders; Executive Coaching for C-Suite and Other Management; Team development coaching for high engagement and Performance; and Culture Change Programmes

CI Coaching

Time-Tell Nigeria Limited

Maina SA  (Pty) Ltd

Zans African Medical

Networking Session

Welcome back to Day 2 of the Africa Regional Conference, where you will have more opportunity to network and participate in exciting plenary sessions.

Temi Badru (née Popoola)

Mo Malele

Welcome to Day 2 of the Africa Regional Conference | Recap on Day 1

Increasing Trade &amp; Investment Between the U.S. and African Countries | Prosper Africa brings together tools from across the U.S. Government to provide businesses and investors with market insights, deal support, financing, and solutions to strengthen business climates.

Jeremy Faber

Prosper Africa | Keynote Address

The rapid digital transformation underway in Africa has the potential to have an equally transformative impact on women entrepreneurs. The need for business owners to adopt technology is compelling. Digital technologies are key enablers of small firm performance and facilitate improved access to information, employee collaboration, product quality, and task efficiencies. When Women Owned Businesses take the bold step of early adaptation of emerging technological trends in their businesses, they can better compete in global markets and economies.

Portia Masimula

Mope Abudu

Ibilola Amao

Candice Roberts

Tara Turkington

WBE Panel: Leveraging on Modern Technology to Drive Business Growth

Delegates are invited to participate in the industry-led parrallel panel discussions to hear for sector leaders how supplier diversity and inclusion is working to include women in key value chains. After that join us for an exciting Access to Finance Session sponsored by the African Development Bank.

Instructions on Industry Parallel Sessions and AfDB Access to Finance Session

&nbsp;For businesses that depend heavily on agricultural commodities, gender gaps remain a persistent barrier to growth, profitability, and sustainability. Gender gaps in inputs and production can reduce the quantity and quality of the harvest; gender gaps in post-harvest processing and storage can lead to post-harvest losses; and gender gaps in transportation, marketing and sales can result in fragmented and inefficient markets. Companies that apply gender-smart solutions can reduce their barriers and open a wide variety of benefits. The private sector has a lot it can do to bridge the gender gap in the commodity supply chain system across Africa.

Betty Kiplagat

Korkor Cudjoe

Sambo Ingawa

Saudat Salami

Odueyin Okonkwo

Parallel Session: Agriculture

Africa accounted for roughly 8% of the global oil output in 2020. Nearly 330 million metric tons of oil were produced on the continent that same year. The region generated 6.9 million barrels per day, the lowest production level since 2000. However, oil remains a primary driver for the economy in producing countries, and its vast reserves may launch other African nations as new producers. The hydrocarbon sector has also shown its potential regarding natural gas, reserves of which exceed 600 trillion cubic meters. This industry remains a lucrative business venture for many and women entrepreneurs have the opportunity to find opportunities in an otherwise male dominated industry.

Stella Okene

Funmi Ogbue

Teri Kruger

Victoria Kieti

Parallel Session: Energy | Oil & Gas

Africa&rsquo;s emerging economies present exciting opportunities to global businesses for expansion in retail and distribution. Changing demographics and improving business environments across the continent will be just two of the factors contributing to rising household consumption, which is predicted to reach $2.5 trillion by 2030. Seven countries&mdash;Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa&mdash;will soon hold half of the continent&rsquo;s population, and 43% of Africans across the continent will belong to the middle or upper classes. The rising income levels among all socioeconomic groups and increasing demand for goods and services should encourage businesses to explore introducing their products to the continent. Lucrative opportunities throughout Africa exist for investment, production, and delivery.

Zandile Mposelwa

Obinna Emenyonu

jazz mbanjwa

Parallel Session: Fast-Moving Consumer Goods

TEA BREAK

AFAWA finance leverages the African Development Bank&rsquo;s financial instruments and has two innovative solutions to drastically transform the banking and financial landscape in Africa and to create incentives for lending to women in business: A $300 million risk-sharing instrument to unlock $3 billion in credit for women businesses and enterprises in Africa. This mechanism will build upon the existing network of commercial banks and microfinance institutions to create structural change and lasting impact for women. A rating system to evaluate financial institutions based on the share and quality of their lending to women, and their socio-economic impact. Top institutions will be rewarded with preferential financing terms from the African Development Bank.
The AFAWA Guarantee for Growth program targets financial institutions to increase their appetite to lend to women who are known to be better payers, and who reinvest up to 90% of their income in the education, health and nutrition of their family and community.

Esther Dassanou

Nishdeep Sethi

Introduction: African Development Bank and the AFAWA Initiative & Africa Guarantee Fund | The Guarantee for Growth Programme

In Africa, the gender gap in access to financial services is driven by women entrepreneurs&rsquo; own self-perception. Such perception leaves many African women on the fringes of the financial sector&mdash;unable to save, borrow, or build capital. Worldwide, women&rsquo;s access to finance is disproportionately low. Despite substantial overall progress&mdash;in 2017, the World Bank reported, 1.2 billion more people had bank accounts than in 2011&mdash;there is still a 9 percent gap between women&rsquo;s and men&rsquo;s access. In sub-Saharan Africa, only 37 percent of women have a bank account, compared with 48 percent of men, a gap that has only widened over the past several years.
The African Development Bank&rsquo;s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program, which facilitates women&rsquo;s access to finance via an innovative risk-sharing mechanism. AFAWA offers capacity building services for women entrepreneurs and advocates for reforms to support women-owned businesses. Last year, G7 leaders pledged $251 million to back the program aimed at unlocking $3 billion in private sector funding.

Liz Grossman Kitoyi

Sharon Mosini

Polo Leteka

Yetunde Moito

Panel: Addressing Africa's Gender Gap in Accessing Finance for Women Entrepreneurs

The African Development Bank and the African Guarantee Fund are showcasing the first beneficiaries of the AFAWA Guarantee for Growth program &ndash; an innovation aiming to unlock up to $3 billion in loans to women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Mary Thuo

Jackline Achaya Obiero

Susan Okoh

AFAWA Women Entrepreneurs Success Stories | Key Drivers of Economic Growth

Access to markets remains one of the biggest challenges that women-owned businesses face in Africa. This is as a result of a mix of elements including, relatively smaller business size, disadvantaged position within value and supply chains, and prevailing gender inequalities (e.g. lack of networks).
This session discusses how male champions in procurement can advance women owned businesses in Africa through gender inclusive sourcing. Gender inclusive sourcing is emerging as a formidable approach to connect women owned businesses to markets while supporting sustainable growth on both sides. It also facilitates a gender-lens approach to the sourcing footprint of large corporations and the achievement of gender-equal international trade across Africa. By facilitating multistakeholder conversation with a focus on Male Champions, this session will unravel the challenges and opportunities that exist for gender inclusive sourcing from both the private and public spaces.

Unathi Dyonase

Eroshan Alagaretnam

Otto Meyer

Lorenzo Bell

Yeshua Russel

Tim Omidosu

Akingbade Akindunbi

#HeForShe Panel: Male Champions on the Importance of Gender-Inclusive Sourcing

Certified WBEs from Nigeria and South Africa are make huge strides within their respective industries. Check out these video on the types of women-owned businesses are positioning themselves for growth and opportunities.

WBE Showcase | Prana Consulting + Stelog

As of 2022, 10 WEConnect International member buyers have collectively committed to source at least $22.4 billion in goods and services by 2025 from companies with diverse ownership, with a focus on women-owned firms. We call upon other members and non-members to contribute to that commitment by ensure that they go beyond the 1% and increase procurement spend with women-owned businesses in Africa.

Nomthandazo Mpande

Ngozi Nzegwu

#Rise2theChallenge | Going Beyond the 1%: WBE Council Representatives from South Africa and Nigeria

Regional Director for Africa, Margaret Mutheu will be joined by Market Leads, Yeshua Russell and Vanessa Mumba, for the final thank you to the sponsors and delegates for attending the Africa Regional Conference 2022.
MCs, Mo and Temi will officially close the conference plenary session and give instructions on the event portal that will open for three hours, as well as the "Deal Room."
&nbsp;

Margaret Mutheu

Vanessa Mumba

Final Thank You & Closing

To join Category Rooms, please click on the <a href="https://events.hubilo.com/WECIAfricaRegionalConference2022/rooms">ROOMS</a> tab

Category Rooms + Matchmaking

Certified WBEs from Nigeria and South Africa are make huge strides within their respective industries. Check out these video on the types of women-owned businesses are positioning themselves for growth and opportunities

Agenda

Speakers.css-1f6omqm{margin:0;font-size:1.4rem;font-weight:500;line-height:1.5;color:#5d5d5d;font-family:'Poppins',sans-serif;margin-left:0.8rem;}60 Speakers

Elizabeth A Vazquez