MIPAD Announces Okonjo-Iweala, Mene, Afede, Onyeali-Ikpe, Others Among Global Top 100 Trade Champions of African Descent Worldwide

•  Set for April 19 awards, recognition in Switzerland 

 Sunday  Okobi

The Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) has unveiled the inaugural honorees of the Most Influential 100 Export and International Trade Edition. 

The first set of honorees and highly celebrated personalities in trade and export announced by MIPAD include the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Wamkele Mene; President and Managing Director, Trade and Development Bank (TDB) Group, Admassu Tadesse; Chairman, Export Barbados (Caribbean), Adrian Padmore; Commissioner for Trade and Industry, African Union Commission, African Union, Albert M. Muchanga; Caribbean Export, Permanent Secretary of Trade and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Antigua and Barbuda) Clarence E. Pilgrim; President and CEO, AstrategiK Group, Angelle B. Kwemo; Assistant US Trade Representative for Africa (USA) Constance Hamilton; Director, US Trade and Development Agency, Enoh T. Ebong; President and CEO, Corporate Council on Africa, Florizelle Liser.

The list also has the Minister of Trade and Export Promotion, Algeria, H.E. Kamel Rezig;  Chairman, World Trade Centre Accra, Ghana, H.R.H Togbe Afede; the Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite; Executive Vice President, Intra-African Trade Bank (IATB), Kanayo Awani; Director, Trade Development (Africa & Caribbean), World Trade Centre Miami, US, Kemi Arosanyin; Secretary of State for Business and Trade and President of the Board of Trade (United Kingdom/Nigeria), Kemi Badenoch; President, US-Africa Business Centre at US Chamber of Commerce, Kendra Gaither; President of the Buenaventura Chamber of Commerce (Colombia), Milady Garces Arboleda; Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Plc (Nigeria), Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe.

Others are Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director and CEO, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (Nigeria); Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (ITC); Prof. Benedict Okey Oramah, President, African Export–Import Bank (Afreximbank); Prof. Landry Signé, Executive Director, Thunderbird School, Co-Chair, World Economic Forum Friends of the AfCFTA and Senior Fellow, Brookings; Reta Jo Lewis, President and Chair of the Board, Export-Import Bank of the United States (USA); Sand Mba Kalu: Executive Director, Africa International Trade and Commerce Research (Nigeria); Susan Namulindwa, Executive Director at Africa Trade Desk; Thiago Thobias, Advisor, Foreign Trade, Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES); Wrenelle Stander, CEO, Cape Town and Western Cape Trade Promotion Agency (WESGRO); and Wanjiru Machugu-Zenz Joy, Founder and CEO, African Women in Trade (AfWITrade).

The organisation, however, stated that nominations are still open for the remaining honorees to complete the distinguished 100 in this special edition.  The comprehensive Global Top 100 Honorees will be announced on May 1, 2024, when the complete Class of 2024 Honorees in all editions will be revealed.

A statement issued by the organisation said: “Please join us in congratulating these inaugural 2024 MIPAD honorees for their positive contributions to trade in Africa and across the Diaspora. Congratulations once again to the outstanding individuals shaping the future of global trade.”

It added: “We look forward to hosting these inaugural honorees on April 19 in Geneva in Switzerland, on the sidelines of the third session of Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, for a private reception in honor of the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who is director-general, World Trade Organisation (WTO); 2024 Hall of Fame Awards recipient, Wamkele Mene, who is the secretary-general, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, and other honorees in the trade edition.

“Nominate leading personalities in export and international trade today. If you are a trade expert, join the global conversation by connecting with us via WhatsApp. Also, join the celebration and grand finale.”

MIPAD noted that it is eagerly anticipating hosting all honorees, past and present, in New York City, USA for Most Influential 100 Recognition Week 2024 (RW2024) from September 20 to 22, following the opening of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York City #UNGA

It added: “As we approach the conclusion of the International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024), we warmly invite all honorees, totaling 2,000 recognised from 2015 to 2024, to join us in this significant grand finale during the Recognition Weekend 2024 following the opening of the 79th UN General Assembly in New York City.”

The Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) is a global civil society initiative in support of the International Decade for People of African Descent, proclaimed by United Nations General Assembly resolution 68/237, to be observed from 2015 to 2024. 

“MIPAD identifies high achievers of African descent in public and private sectors from all around the world as a progressive network of relevant actors to join together in the spirit of recognition, justice and development,” the group stated.