In the lead-up to next month’s Global Entrepreneurship Congress, numerous parallel events are being planned around niche interests of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. One such event looking to bolster the African entrepreneurial community is “Building Cohesive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Africa,” to be held Wednesday March 18, 2015.
It is widely acknowledged that entrepreneurs will play a large role in the economic growth of Africa. As a result, there are an increasing number of efforts underway to try to help those entrepreneurs and build the entrepreneurial ecosystems across the continent. However, many times these efforts are done in isolation and without the collective support of the other ecosystems members.
Presented by the Global Entrepreneurship Network and the Lions@frica partnership, “Building Cohesive Entrepreneurial Ecosystems in Africa” will feature a series of TED-style talks from experts and practitioners on efforts they are making to bring their countries’ entrepreneurial ecosystems together into a cohesive whole that is able to better support the entrepreneur. African and international speakers will provide a range of solutions to consider.
In anticipation of the event, Global Entrepreneurship Week’s Director for African Initiative Nick Vilelle shared his thoughts with the Nigerian Tribune on building entrepreneurial ecosystems in Africa, the role that the government and media play in shaping the narrative and the importance of giving everyone the chance to create their own destiny, regardless of where they are born.
My overarching feeling would be that yes, we do need to build better support systems for entrepreneurs on the continent. However, I think it is more important that the support we provide becomes more efficient and effective. Too many efforts are siloed and don’t make connections to the greater entrepreneurial ecosystem. I would like to see our programs get smarter and more cohesive. This is why we are organizing a session at the GEC around this very topic.
For more information on the GEC and to register, please visit gec.co.