With an increasing number of African students acquiring excellent quality education overseas, and as the global economic climate forces many overseas graduates to consider returning home to contribute to the development of Africa, Cambridge University Nigeria Society have staged a day of talks and discussion.

‘Let’s Talk Africa’, staged at the Union Society last week, saw some leading speakers address these topics with an audience of more than 100 students, graduates and practitioners from the UK and beyond.
 

Henry Bonsu, former BBC presenter and co-founder of Colourful Radio, gave the opening address in his capacity as chair of the day.
 

The first speaker Dr Adesina Iluyemi, Executive Secretary of The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) spoke of investment opportunities in the health sector in Africa.
 

This was followed by Cambridge alumnus Osamede Okhomina, CEO of Energy Equity Resources, whose speech challenged the student delegates to think well about their motives for returning home and consider the challenges carefully.
 

Mr. Onche Ugbabe, Chief Strategy Officer of First Bank of Nigeria Plc, was the last speaker to address the delegates before lunch, looking at gaps and investment opportunities in the banking sector in Africa, using First Bank as a case study.
 

In between each speaker’s address, students were allowed to pose questions to the panellists. This continued over lunch where delegates were able to network and get first-hand quality advice from representatives at the ‘Careers in Africa’ stand.
 

The afternoon session was opened by Tommy Garnett, Director of Environmental Foundation for Africa and Faculty core member for the University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability. Tommy made a case for ‘Sustainable Development in Africa’ using his work there as a case study.
 

This was followed by a presentation from Jesse Ndika the Business Development Director of Careers in Africa about how students could participate in their upcoming three-day conference in London where they would have the chance to meet potential employers and in some cases be offered jobs on the spot.
 

The final speaker of the day was Martin Woolnough, Managing Director and CEO of Nestle Nigeria & Ghana who gave six good reasons for people to return home to work, showing the role of the manufacturing industry as pivotal to economic progress
 

For an hour, questions were taken from the audience which covered a wide range of issues from funding to deciding when is right to return home.
 

The day ended with a Vote of Thanks given by Mr. Olugbenga Ogunbode, CEO of TIEC who thanked all the participants, apologised on behalf of Ms. Pratibha Thaker, Director of the Economist Intelligence Unit's Africa department (part of the Economist Magazine) who was unable to make it due to the ‘Ash’ situation and wished everyone success in their pursuits.
 
Part of The International Education Consultancy (TIEC) corporate citizenship initiative, Let’s Talk Africa was sponsored by Nestle Nigeria and Energy Equity Resources, and supported by Cambridge University Nigeria Society, Careers in Africa, BBC Focus on Africa, First Bank and the British Council. 234 Next, Financial Standard and Business day were key media sponsors.

Pictured (l - r) are Olugbenga Ogunbode, CEO of The International Educational Consultancy (TIEC); Osamede Okhomina, CEO of Energy Equity Resources; Mr. Onche Ugbabe, Chief Strategy Officer of First Bank Nigeria Plc and Dr Adesina Iluyemi, Executive Secretary, New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) Council

 

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