LR Gbenga Oyebode, Board Chairman and Pioneer Board Member, Vanessa Moungar, Board Member, Swithin Munyantwali, Board Member

African Philanthropy Forum (APF) The 2024 conference on the theme A New Agenda for African Philanthropy: Catalyzing Finance to Accelerate Africa’s Transformation closed yesterday (Tuesday, October 29) with the determination of Africans to take ownership of their problems and adopt a new era of philanthropy – one that is agile, collaborative, and focused on catalyzing finance to accelerate Africa’s transformation.

The two-day conference held in Marrakech, Morocco, brought together stakeholders, government officials, regulators, oligarchs, financiers and all parties interested in philanthropy for Africa, from across the African continent and beyond. beyond.

Mosun Layode; Executive Director, APF

“This was an incredible gathering and we have the key elements needed to develop an agenda to catalyze financing for Africa’s transformation. More than ever, it is time for Africans for Africa,” declared Mosun Layode – Executive Director, APF.

“Our reflections during the plenary sessions showed the need to be intersectional and to consider issues such as climate change, gender justice and education not just as sectors, but as fundamental and cross-cutting considerations in our fight for development. We also see the need to find creative ways to unlock finance to support philanthropy, such as remittances, and innovative financing mechanisms such as blended finance. More than anything, African philanthropy needs to start thinking about how we can move from thought to action. continued Layode

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the African Philanthropy Forum, Gbenga Oyebode said the 2024 Conference was one of the best the APF has produced in a long time, with an exceptionally high level of discussion. Conference delegates made it clear that the APF has enormous convening power and remains the leading voice for philanthropy on the African continent.

“There is no other group on the African continent that can bring all these opinions together in one room and chart the future of the continent.”

Keynote speaker, Abdou Diop. Managing partner at Mazars Morocco.

In his opening speech Abdou Diopmanaging partner, Mazars Moroccosaid if Africa was to reinvent philanthropy for its future, it would need to move from individual interventions to systemic change in philanthropy. We should move from informal to formal donations using financial and technical instruments for enhanced coordination and transparency.

Institutions should become more inclusive and communities should be empowered to lead their own development initiatives. Current challenges to effective philanthropy are fragmentation of efforts, cultural differences, and accountability issues.

Diop noted that other African countries could learn from the Moroccan approach. By creating a favorable business climate and investing in critical sectors such as infrastructure, renewable energy and education, Morocco has not only positioned itself as a regional leader, but has also attracted philanthropists and partners of development. Its collaborative policies that attract foreign investment and promote public-private partnerships are key to this success.

Despite the continent’s opportunities, philanthropic support remains below expectations and fails to match external efforts. This trend highlights the urgent need for a paradigm shift to ensure that African resources are used to address African challenges. Similarly, funding for countries in the North has always been sub-optimally aligned with continental priorities.

Eme Essien Lore

Eme Essien Lore Co-founder, Wealth4Impact and moderator of the plenary on Unlocking and Redirecting Fund Flows for Transformative Impact highlighted that, despite a dramatic increase in remittances and philanthropy from abroad to Africa, there is still a need for better align with local needs.

Delegates were told that in the future, the number of African millionaires is expected to increase by 56%. “There is wealth on the continent, but it is very concentrated wealth and the only way to share it is through traditional methods of philanthropy. »

“Africans are already giving. Not only representatives of high income groups, but also those in the upper middle income category who actively contribute, would happily grant significantly higher amounts if they had the assurance that their offers are used more sustainably. The challenge is to use this funding strategically to unlock other funding,” noted Degan Aliexecutive director of Adéso.

Speaking during fireside chat, Lisa Issroffco-founder of Issroff Family Foundationreflected on how her upbringing in South Africa inspired her to dedicate her resources and time to philanthropy. She also stressed the importance of involving all relevant stakeholders in efforts to develop Africa.

The conference concluded with the New Agenda for African Philanthropy session, during which delegates reflected on extensive deliberations and addressed the big objective of the conference: what the new agenda for African Philanthropy should be. .

About the African Philanthropy Forum
The African Philanthropy Forum (APF) is a strong and dynamic community of partners who, through their strategic giving, investments and influence, promote shared prosperity on the African continent. It was incubated by the Global Philanthropy Forum (GPF), a global network of strategic philanthropists and social investors engaged in international causes from 2014 to 2016. In 2017, the APF became an independent entity and continues to be affiliated with the GPF.

Over the years, the APF has established a strong presence on the continent, with footprints in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Nigeria, in Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe through meetings and activities. The APF also invested in the development of two toolkits for African philanthropists and the “Why give” Series consisting of interviews with strategic philanthropic leaders from Africa to present their motivations for giving.

Since its creation, the APF has reached more than 2,500 philanthropists, social investors and key players in the philanthropic space in Africa and around the world. Through APF’s high-impact meetings and initiatives, the organization has facilitated collaborations, amplified the work of changemakers, and shared best practices and philanthropic strategies to promote local development.

Gbenga Oyebode

LR Gbenga Oyebode, Chairman of the Board and Pioneer Board Member, Mosun Layode, Executive Director, APF, Vanessa Moungar, Board Member, APF, Ngozi Obigwe-Kunuji, Head of Operations, APF and Swithin Munyantwali, Board Member

Audience Overview – Gbenga Oyebode on stage – APF Board Chairman

Aisha Ahmad

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