Entrepreneurship was a big topic at the Georgetown Africa Business Conference

The population of Africa (currently at 1.3 billion people) is projected to double by 2050. Dr. Abubakar Bukola, the president of Nigeria’s Senate, told hundreds in attendance last weekend at the third annual Georgetown Africa Business Conference at Georgetown University about how that’s an opportunity.

“Local talent is yearning for partnership and collaboration with talented, capable people such as yourself to realize the hopes of the growing youth population,” Buloka said. “Naturally, a continent with a fast growing population that enjoy good music, movies, media and content production – and are eager to pay in order to stay abreast of information concerning their social entertainment – would not take long to be a continent to reckon with.”

Yesterday, President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, delivered a lecture at the 2018 Georgetown Africa Business Conference (#GTABC2018) in Washington DC, United States of America. These are the highlights of his remarks:

"On Africa's Population Being an Opportunity" pic.twitter.com/VZkPrHQzsu

— Archive of the President of the 8th Senate (@SP8thNGRSenate) February 4, 2018

The conference started three years ago on the heels of President Barack Obama’s Africa Summit, which generated world news when it brought leaders from the continent to Washington, D.C. This year’s event brought 600 entrepreneurs, politicians and students. Among them was Temini Ajayi, a Duke University Medical School student who won the Young African Professionals DC Pitch Competition for his app DOKSTA. Ajayi’s app provides training for Nigerian medical students. He won $1,000 and a round trip ticket to Nigeria.

DeShuna Spencer, the founder of recently launched African Diaspora streaming platform KweliTV, was a panelist at the event.

“There were students here, entrepreneurs, people curious about business. I think the main sense of this event was about unity,” Spencer said. “I think there has been a misconception about the stories of Africa – child soldiers, AIDs, Ebola, flies on sick children’s faces. That’s not the whole story.”

Dr. Scott Taylor, director of the African Studies Program at Georgetown, addressed President Donald Trump and said that the conference will continue to be held at the school.

“I wish Donald Trump was here. Indeed, Donald Trump might learn something from all of you,” Taylor told the audience at the conclusion of the conference. “We’re not just waiting around, but instead are seizing opportunities, exploring entrepreneurship… dynamic ideas and rich educational backgrounds. We need to harness that, and we are harnessing that.”