WIA Initiative in Dakar to push women entrepreneurs in Africa

Thursday, April 12, 2018, was held the 1st Regional Africa West Summit in Dakar, organized by the Women In Africa (WIA) Initiative, the first international platform dedicated to the economic development and support of leading and high potential African women. This dense day alternating plenary, masterclasses and two formats of exchange and sharing unpublished – AKWABA and a giant brainstorming – brought together 180 people from 15 different nationalities.

In closing, the WIA Philanthropy Foundation has launched its call for applications for Project 54 WIA Entrepreneurs’ Club. Intense and inspiring, this regional event has kept all its promises!

On April 11, 2018, the eve of the Summit, Christophe Bigot, Ambassador of France to Senegal received a delegation of 50 women entrepreneurs. On this occasion, the services of the Embassy and the French Development Agency presented the programs for these startups, especially in the digital sector. SEDIMA GROUP then invited African women leaders to a dinner to reflect with its President Anta Babacar Ngom Bathily on the theme: What role for women in the inclusive growth of African economies?

April 12

“Women Entrepreneurs in Africa: How to Leverage?”

It is on this strategic theme for the future of the continent that the Women In Africa (WIA) Initiative has chosen to structure its first West Africa Regional Summit. The choice of Dakar has become imperative as Senegal embodies the dynamism of women’s entrepreneurship.

The 180 women and men present, from 15 different nationalities, actively contributed throughout the sessions to feed the debate with relevance. The time has come to accelerate the accompaniment and networking of the new generation of African women so that they can express their tremendous potential for an innovative and inclusive Africa. As Aude de Thuin, the Founder and President of the Women In Africa initiative, reminded: “It is in response to these imperatives that the Women In Africa initiative is positioning itself on the one hand as an innovative digital platform dedicated to the economic development and innovation, and also support for the new generation of African women. On the other hand the first network of personalities and expertise for the empowerment of women in the 54 African countries.”

The choice of the School of Sands has become obvious for the team of Women In Africa (WIA) Initiative, Germaine Acogny, historical figure of dance in Africa, world-renowned for its art and founder of the place, “it took the audacity of Aude de Thuin to concretize this first Regional Summit in this place of sharing with particular vibrations”. Germaine Acogny also said that her own daring bet enabled her to realize her artistic and entrepreneurial dream.

IMPORTANT MOMENTS

  Plenary

During the plenary session (on the theme: Africa, an example for the world in terms of women’s entrepreneurship?) Fatoumata Ba, Founder and CEO of Janngo Africa but also Goodwill Ambassador of the WIA Philanthropy Foundation, passionate about entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment, affirmed that “in West Africa, the first trigger for women was inspiration, the second one was education and the third one was technology. The digital haunts me because it makes it easy for enterprising African women to export themselves outside their borders or even on the continent. But this technology that accelerates and develops local projects of women entrepreneurs does not replace these women!”
She added, “My biggest pride is to have managed an African group (Jumia) with a parity of 50%”

For Nimna Diaité, President of the Federation of Saloum Corn Producers (FEPROMAS), which has the status of a cooperative and federates 28 local farmers’ networks comprising 2558 producers, including 1087 women, “When a woman decides to succeed, she succeeds”.

Participant in this panel Ndèye Thiaw, Managing Partner at Brightmore Capital says, based on her experience, that “the lever for action for women is primarily political and that for this purpose it takes a different type of ministry than that of the female condition”. Driven by a strong commitment to contribute to the development of the private sector and the realization of innovative investments with a social and profitable impact, she said that with the investment fund Brightmore Capital “she analyzes the projects carried by women in social indicators as much as in financial indicators. We are looking at the whole value chain.” After several initiatives in entrepreneurship, she confirms that her experience has taught her not to be afraid of failure.

For Tidjane Deme, partner at Partch Ventures (and former boss of Google for Francophone Africa in Dakar), “African countries, starting with Senegal, must understand that if they want to develop, it is women who must be supported. He also explains that “one of the levers for accelerating the development of projects led by African women entrepreneurs is that they agree to open their capital to investment funds. It’s relevant and useful.”

Socio-anthropologist, Director of the Gender and Scientific Research Laboratory of IFAN, President of RASEF (African Network for the Support of African Entrepreneurship) and coordinator of the Caucus of Women Leaders of Senegal, Fatou Sow Sarr explains that “Public policies should contribute to a better environment for women entrepreneurs, and especially their family areas, to be in a position to ensure the proper development of their activities.”

  AKWABA

In this first session, which introduces a dialogue and transmission between two generations of African women, Amy Sarr Fall, Director of Intelligence Magazine (and one of Africa’s most popular social media personalities) said that “her deepest belief is that there is nothing stronger than education and regarding this, there is still a lot of effort to do in Africa and in the world.” She then introduced Fatou Khoulé Seck, high school student involved in inclusive education who impressed the audience with her strength of convictions and ambitions.

The other two AKWABA brought together Dr. Aïsha Conte, founding manager of NYARA, and a young woman who is very active in the field of local products processing and valorization, Camo Kane. Germaine Acogny then introduced Alesandra Seutin, a young choreographer who spoke with a beautiful dance and a song referring to the genocide.

  Cultural industries

After the lunch, Aïssa Maiga, actress and producer, reminded that it was “the responsibility of countries and governments to integrate cultural activities as a lever for economic development and outreach and that Senegal could be seen as a business model considering all the potential in our country.”

  Giant Brainstorming

The 180 participants exchanged and shared their ideas and practical solutions to leverage women’s entrepreneurship in Africa, led by Ivan Gavriloff, CEO of Kaos Consulting and Sophie Troff, consultant. There were strong recommendations and the restitution of this session will be made in the form of advocacy at the World Summit of Women In Africa (WIA) Initiative in Marrakech on 27 and 28 September.

  2 Masterclasses

Beliefs and Behavior, led by Nadia Mensah Acogny and Gilles Acogny, co-founders of Acosphere, and “Women and entrepreneurs: listening to our voice, learning to listen” led by Gnylane Thiam Traore, consultant and director of DevNetWork Africa in Dakar, have each in their own way explained how everyone has the power to transform their limiting thoughts, that self-confidence is working on a daily basis, recalling by the way how the development of soft skills constitutes a major lever of success and fulfillment for women leaders and high potential.

To summarize these exchanges, it appears that the lifting of the glass ceiling is essential as a lever to highlight the many contributions of women entrepreneurs in Africa.

In this context, this Regional Summit and, more generally, the WIA Initiative provide an essential contribution to the visibility and voice of women entrepreneurs in Africa, which are usually poorly valued and publicized.

  Closing Ceremony : official launch of Project 54’s call for applications, sponsored by the WIA Philanthropy Foundation

Project 54 will be the result of the call for applications (May 10, 2018), the first delegation of women entrepreneurs from all 54 countries of the continent. “Supporting women who disrupt the future of the continent through technological innovation is a win-win and sustainable investment for Africa’s international economies,” said Marine Liboz Thomas, President of the WIA Philanthropy Foundation. “If entrepreneurship has become a quasi-fashionable phenomenon among the young generation in Europe and the United States, African women are undertaking to contribute to the structural development of their country and often, unfortunately, also for a question of survival. We have much to learn from the great resilience of these women who will build the future of the continent, through innovations and disruptive technologies. Their talents and projects must be brought to light and accompanied. They could offer us unsuspected prospects!” She continues.

Marine Liboz Thomas also announced that Fatoumata Ba, Founder and General Manager of Janngo Africa is the Goodwill Ambassador of WIA Philanthropy and Edith Brou, CEO of Africa Contents Group and Founder of buzzyafrica.com, is the 1st Digital Goodwill Ambassador of WIA Entrepreneurs’ Club – Project 54.

Project 54, continent-wide deployment of the WIA Philanthropy Foundation, is conducted in collaboration with the strategy consulting firm Roland Berger and Société Générale, very involved in the subject of entrepreneurship in Africa. The 54 women winners will benefit from international visibility and targeted support at the Women In Africa Summit (WIA) Initiative in Marrakech on 27 and 28 September.