A meeting dubbed ‘Africa Philanthropy Forum’ (APF) will open in Kigali today to discuss strategies to build and protect the capacity of Africa’s human capital and talent.

The conference, being held under the theme; "The Promise to the Next Generation”, will bring together over 50 high-ranking personalities representing philanthropists, governments, the business sector and public institutions.

The New Times has established that a range of high profile global leaders will grace the two-day summit to deliberate on the investments in centres of excellence to nurture the innovators of Africa’s next generation.Among these is the queen of the Kingdom of Buganda in Uganda, Sylvia Nagginda, who is among the key speakers at the forum, according to the programme.

"The forum will, among others, discuss investments in better health systems to improve health indicators and ward off the threat of epidemics, as well as investments in a skilled workforce that can address Africa’s infrastructure needs. Other issues to be discussed include; transformative approaches that increase the inclusion of women leaders across sectors and investments in entrepreneurship to unleash the creativity of tomorrow’s job creators,” the statement reads in part.

According to Jane Whales, the CEO of the Global Philanthropy Forum, the forum presents a peer learning community of individual donors who seek to advance economic growth that is not only robust, but also inclusive and sustainable.

"Many countries in Africa have experienced extraordinary economic growth in recent years, but the benefits have not always been broad-based.

"Building on the continent’s age-old tradition of generosity, they are leveraging their resources and their skills to advance the public good through strategic grant making, smart investments and professional mentorship. These are individuals who are committed to the success of Africa and fellow Africans,” said Whales, who is also the vice president of the Aspen Institute. The Aspen Institute is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues.

The expected participants represent philanthropy foundations like Safaricom, Dangote, Acumen, Rockefeller, MasterCard, Equity and Keroche, among others.

The African Philanthropy Forum is the fastest growing affiliate of the Global Philanthropy Forum, and the network has grown since 2014.

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