The Future Africa Awards & Summit Announce Global Board of Advisors and African Jury

The Central Working Committee for The Future Africa Awards & Summit 2014 today announced the formal expansion of its brain trust across the world with the announcement of its expanded jury consisting of the Board of Judges and Independent Audit Committee, as well as its Global Board of Advisors. “As TFAAS has expanded in scope and become both a global brand and set out to reach countries across Africa, we are excited to present the distinguished leaders from across the world who will serve on the Independent Audit Committee and the Board of Judges, and the Global Board of Advisors for The Future Project,” said Mfon Ekpo, a member of the committee and a Fellow with President Barack Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative. The Independent Audit Committee consists of leaders from across government, civil society and business from across Africa. Members include Katja Schiller Nwator (Leadership Development and CSR Manager, The Tony Elumelu Foundation), Mahamadou Sy (Founder and Executive Director of the Institut Supérieur de Développement Local (ISDL), Senegal), Wendy Luhabe (Author, accomplished public speaker and thought  leader), Abiola Alabi (MD, MNet Africa), Tonye Cole (Executive Director, Sahara Group), Ndidi Nwuneli (Founder LEAP Africa), Mo Abudu (CEO, Ebony Life TV), Gbenga Sesan (Founder Paradigm Initiative Nigeria), Elikem Nutifafa (Founding Partner, Oxford and Beaumont, Ghana), Chi-Chi Okonjo (Publisher, Ventures Africa), Victoria Trabosh (Founder, Ithafari Foundation), Taa Wongbe (Managing Partner The Khana Group), Ayo Ajayi (MD, PATH Global) and Jennah Scott (Director, Liberia Philanthropy Secretariat, Office of the President). The committee also announced the Board of Judges, a peer review committee formed of African media leaders below 40. Headed by Forbes’ Mfonobong Nsehe, the judges include Belinda Otas (Assistant Editor, New African Woman), Brenda Wendo (Deputy Features Editor, The Star Newspaper, Kenya), Billie Adwoa McTernan (Ghana correspondent, The Africa Report), Adam Bouhadma (Editor, 9rayti.com, Morocco), Michelle Atagana (Managing Editor, Memeburn). “Africa is at a stage where its young population is needed in order to secure the continent’s future,” said Belinda Otas. “I am excited about this generation of young Africans, for their hunger, their pursuit of purpose and their passion to see a better Africa. This is what The Future Africa Awards is about and I am honored to be a part of it.” The Global Board of Advisors is made up of some of the world’s most influential leaders from Europe, North America, and Africa. They include Bruno Kone (Minister of Post, Information and Communications Technologies, Cote d’Ivoire), Mteto Nyati (Managing Director, Microsoft South Africa), Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Nigeria), Dr. Frannie Léautier (Partner and Chief Executive Office, Mkoba Private Equity), Salem Mekuria (Professor, Wellesley College), Barbara Lethem Ibrahim (Founding Director, the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement, American University, Cairo), Mutiu Sunmonu (Country Chair and Managing Director, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited), Jamie Drummond (Co-founder, ONE), Federico Sarica (Editorial Director, VICE Italy), John Momoh (Chairman, Channels Television, Nigeria) Prof. Pat Utomi  (Director, Center for Values in Leadership), Obiageli Ezekwesili (Senior Economic Advisor, Open Society Foundation), and Anne Kabagambe (Director of Cabinet and Chief of Staff, Africa Development Bank). “I am delighted to join the board of advisors for this important project,” said Leautier, who is also a former Vice-President with the World Bank. “I have been very pleased by the impressive achievements of the platform.” This announcement follows the launch of the 2014 edition of the awards during the World Economic Forum on Africa. The platform has also been expanded to The Future Africa Awards & Summit, a 2-day ideas-fest, where the continent’s most influential leaders and institutions with portfolios on youth will gather to chart immediate action-points for expansion of jobs and opportunities, as well as good governance and citizen engagement.