This archive report was first published on 8 December 2019.
December 8, 2019 - The Kusi Ideas Festival, a strategic platform to discuss Africa's future, has officially kicked off in Kigali, Rwanda. The festival, organized by Nation Media Group, brings together leaders and stakeholders to look back at Africa's progress over the past 60 years and set the pace for the next 60 years.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nation Media Group Board Chairman Dr. Wilfred Kiboro emphasized the significance of Rwanda as the host country, citing its possibilities as a model for other African nations. He stated, 'We are celebrating 60 years as Nation Media Group and with this in mind, we thought it would be good for the continent to have a conversation about its future. That's why we are here today.'
The festival will focus on four key themes: Feeding Africa's Billions, Towards a Borderless Continent, Winning the Fight, and Human Security in Africa. Panellists during the plenary discussion on the continent's agricultural future agreed that technology could hold the key to helping Africa feed itself.
Dr. Diane Karusisi, CEO of Bank of Kigali, noted that the continent spends more than $35 billion on food imports, yet with $11 billion of investments, it can change this. She emphasized the need to start seeing investments that transform African agricultural opportunities.
Senior advisor at Africa Media Initiative, Sarwat Hussein, added that young people can blend technology with agriculture to improve the continent's prospects. He encouraged more young people to take up the use of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and other new technologies to help improve agricultural practices.
