DUBAI – The African Union is looking to attract investments of more than USD 200 billion during Expo 2020 Dubai and is aiming to position the continent to host a future edition of the World Expo, according to Dr Levi Uche Madueke, Commissioner General of the African Union at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Speaking during Expo 2020 Dubai’s Daily Media Briefing, Dr Madueke referred to Expo 2020 as a “golden opportunity to showcase to the world that Africa is ready and open for business” and spoke about positioning Africa “for hosting an edition of [the] World Expo in the future”.
Dr Levi Uche Madueke said: “This is an exciting time for the African Union, an opportune time to further entrench the relationship between Africa and the UAE, leveraging the long-standing economic partnerships between our two regions. The African Union’s participation at this Expo presents the opportunity to showcase a continent-wide commitment to sustainable development through the AU Agenda 2063 strategic framework – as well as exploring opportunities for potential partnerships required for the African continent’s socio-economic transformation.”
In a follow-up interview, Dr Madueke noted this is the first time the African Union and every African nation have dedicated pavilions at a World Expo. He said: “It shows a continent that speaks with one voice, and is ready to work with the world … We are here as one.”
Discussing the opportunities for Africa offered by Expo 2020, Dr Madueke said: “[There are] a lot of opportunities to be unlocked … The youth will be able to get involved in terms of leadership, business, promotion of innovation in ICT [information and communications technology], and also an opportunity for the world to understand what we are doing for youth, such as the One Million by 2021 initiative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, who wants to promote the four Es: employment, engagement, education and entrepreneurship.
“We are also promoting women’s empowerment. We have programmes lined up to educate the world on what we are already doing, and some of the innovative ideas we have to empower our women, and we also have a lot to showcase in terms of infrastructure development.”
Located in the Opportunity District, the African Union Pavilion engages visitors in the organisation’s history and the vision of its founding fathers, and showcases how the continent empowers and creates opportunities for its citizens and the world.
