The final afternoon session, “Africa Feeding Africa: Transforming Africa’s Agricultural Sector through Private and Public Partnerships,” explored the importance of streamlining partnerships for imports and exports, and tapping into the continent’s agricultural potential and abundance in natural resources such as land, livestock, and agricultural value chains.

The day-long convening concluded with brief remarks by Almaz Negash, Founder and Executive Director of ADN. Almaz reflected on the opportunities and challenges of bringing Africans together. She reminded the audience that when we speak about Africa, we are talking about 54 countries with different cultures, religions, ethnicities, and priorities. It is for this very reason that ADN is committed to bringing Africans and friends of Africa together to work together to promote collaboration and action. The convening ended with an evening reception where participants had the opportunity to network and continue discussions with key panelists after the conclusion of the event.

The 2019 D.C. convening is a part of ADN’s Impact & Innovation Speaker Series that brings together Africans, diasporans, and friends of Africa from sectors ranging from government to business to NGOs to academia in order to strengthen partnerships and advance the development of the African continent. ADN gathers at key national hubs of influence, including Silicon Valley, the center of innovation and entrepreneurship; New York, the center of finance; and Washington, D.C., the center of diplomacy and policy.