Celebrating Six Years of Shared Value Africa: A Journey of Growth and Purpose
On Africa Day, May 25, 2024, as the founder and CEO of the Shared Value Africa Initiative, I was filled with both gratitude and self-reflection. Founded six years ago, our initiative was born from a deep love for Africa and a commitment to supporting the less fortunate and rectifying the lingering effects of colonialism.
Today, our continent is home to nearly 1.5 billion people, boasting the youngest population globally. In 2023, about 40% of Africans were 15 years old or younger, a stark contrast to aging populations in countries like Italy, China, and the USA. This demographic dividend represents a critical advantage, and harnessing it, is essential for our future.
Over the past six years, the advocacy and awareness driven by the Shared Value Africa Initiative have expanded across the continent, building invaluable communities and business connections in over 14 countries. This network and ecosystem we’ve developed is truly priceless.
Reflecting on this journey on May 25th, I was deeply humbled and proud by the impact we’ve made and the overwhelming support from our Shared Value community. It reminded me that we never walked alone, and as Africans, we share a collective responsibility for our continent’s sustainability.
Looking ahead, our focus must be on fostering leadership that transcends greed, power, and self-interest. We need leaders who prioritize the people and the principle of profit with purpose—ethical leaders who lead by example and not just with empty promises. It’s time for us to consciously and collectively reject leaders who hinder our progress, and we need to support one another in this endeavor.
Our youth cannot afford to follow the footsteps of leaders who fail to drive change and prosperity for all. As the Shared Value Africa Initiative evolves into Shared Value Africa, the commitment remains to continue to advocate for the private sector adoption and implementation of Shared Value as a core strategy. This means enabling and equipping companies to profitably Address social and environmental issues through core business strategies. We want businesses to recognise societal challenges as opportunities to create economic value, which in turn drives greater innovation and competitiveness, while also addressing societal needs. We need to build more equitable societies where prosperity is not reserved for a privileged few.
The Shared Value Africa strategy for the next 6 years include the opening of offices across the continent collaborating with local partners in the set-up in the chosen countries. The first one for this year will be Shared Value Nigeria that we are launching on June 26th in Lagos.
In closing, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone listening to this podcast and extend further gratitude to our Shared Value Community, members, network and partners. Your support and contributions have been instrumental in our success. I pray that together, we continue to make a difference and build the sustainable and prosperous Africa we Want.
I want to take this opportunity to invite you all to the 2024 Africa Shared Value and ESG summit in October in Nairobi, Kenya. A gathering of likeminded individuals and enterprises that has the interest of Africa at heart and where we consciously and intentionally discuss and agree action points on how we as a collective can create prosperity for our continent and its people.
