Changing the narrative on Africa, presenting Africa in its proper intellectual, economic, political and social context at the launch of the Africa Center at Aliko Dangote Hall in New York with HE President Faure Gnassigbe of Togo, CEO Africa Center Dr Uzodinma Iweala, Dr Mo Ibrahim, Aliko Dangote, HRH Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and Naomi Campbell.

Changing the Africa Narrative with the Launch of the “Africa Center at Aliko Dangote Hall” in New York on the margins of UNGA.

With Aliko Dangote, Halima Dangote, Governor Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and CEO Aliko Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou.

Managing climate risks, adaptation and resilience requires a basket of instruments including sovereign and other types of insurance.

Discussing the African Risk Capacity ARC at the Insuresilience forum at UNGA with Denis Duverne AXA Board Chair, Mark Carney Governor Bank of England, Ingrid Hoven DG German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

Also with Minister of Finance Barbados Hon. Ryan Straughn and Ekhosuehi Iyahen Director Insurance Development Institute.

At the #UNGA, discussing carbon pricing with the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC).

Analysis by CPLC, New Climate Econ, WorldBank and others shows that Carbon Pricing can be a useful instrument to get countries and businesses on a low carbon emissions development pathway.

Implementing a carbon price like South Africa and Argentina have just done can also generate additional revenues to fund social priorities for poor people including infrastructure.

Germany, Finland, British Columbia, Mexico among others all have successful carbon pricing regimes. With Dr Karsten Sach, Director General, Ministry of Environment Germany.

At a JICA Media sponsored forum #TICAD, Yokohama speaking on Unleashing the Power of Girls and Women in Africa.

With Madame Kaori Kono wife of Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, State Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Abe Toshiko and a group of Nigeria participants. “Women need to be in power not in position!”

Leading African Rating and PR firm, Avance Media has announced its inaugural list of 100 Most Influential African Women, which features distinguished women whose works and accomplishments continue to inspire the next generation of women in Africa.

https://newsbreakers.ng/okonjo-iweala-awosika-adichie-abudu-others-make-list-of-africas-most-influential-women/

Pictures of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and other global financial icons at the G7/Bretton Woods Forum at the Banque de France discussing Global Public Goods, the performance of the International Financial System and the role of the Bretton Woods institutions going forward.

https://okonjoiweala.news/2019/07/17/ngozi-okonjo-iweala-speaks-at-the-g7-bretton-woods-forum/

At the Rencontres Economiques Aix en Provence, France debating challenges and opportunities to combat corruption with Michel Sapin Former Finance Minister France and author of the famous Sapin2 anti-corruption and anti-money laundering legislation in France, Lisa Osofsky Director Serious Fraud Office UK, and Emmanuelle Auriol of Le Cercle des Economistes France.

AUST is the pride of Africa
https://okonjoiweala.news/2019/07/03/ngozi-okonjo-iweala-in-aust/

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala with the wonderful diverse staff of Standard Chartered AG Frankfurt office discussing the challenges and opportunities of banking in Germany and in Europe. Stanchart has opened a full fledged subsidiary in Germany.
https://okonjoiweala.news/2019/06/18/ngozi-okonjo-iweala-engages-standard-chartereds-staffers-in-germany/

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala with Members of the Restructured CARICOM Commission to reform and grow the ECONOMY of the Caribbean in front of Government House, Bridgetown Barbados.

https://okonjoiweala.news/2019/06/13/ngozi-okonjo-iweala-to-help-in-reforming-and-growing-the-caribbean-economy/

With senior Japanese Government officials and legislators discussing @Gavi‘s vision to leave no poor and vulnerable child behind unvaccinated in developing countries. SDG 3! Of the 700 million children immunized by Gavi thus far, 293 million are in Africa. With Mr Hiroto Izumi, Special Advisor to Japanese Prime Minister and Hon Shinjiro Koizumi, MP and Director of the Health, Labor and Welfare Division of the LDP.

Also with Hon Masayoshi Shintani, Parliamentary Vice Minister for Health, Labor and Welfare @MHLWitter, Hon Norikazu Suzuki, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon Minoru Kihara, Member of Parliament- LDP and MPs of the Liberal Democratic Party at the Foreign Affairs Committee meeting chaired by Honorable Matsushita and Honorable Nakayama.

Discussing Gavi partnerships and deliverables in Africa with African Ambassadors in Tokyo.

With Their Excellencies from left to right: Mr Lulama Ngonyama of South Africa, Mr Frank Okyere of Ghana, Professor Gana Yisa of Nigeria, Mr Ahmed Ali of Djibouti, Ms Ndiyoi Mutiti of Zambia, Mr Solomon Maina of Kenya and Ms. Venetia Sebudandi of Rwanda.

Gavi participates in PATHBREAKING LAUNCH in Tokyo! A world first in biometric fingerprint identification and authentication for children under five! In partnership with NEC of Japan and Simprints of the UK. This technology will enable Gavi to track and identify millions of children missing out on life saving vaccines and include them. Thereby saving more lives!

The technology works in remote rural areas and urban slums without internet access or electricity. Hence the hope that it will identify and help track for immunization millions of missing children in Sub Saharan Africa and other developing regions where vulnerable children live.

Please click on https://www.facebook.com/NgoziOkonjoIweala/videos/404783536779196/ to watch the full speech visit my Facebook page.

Also click FT and OneNews articles below!
https://markets.ft.com/data/announce/detail?dockey=600-201906060115BIZWIRE_USPRX____BW6063-1

https://m.onenewspage.com/n/Press+Releases/1zkidwfoch/Gavi-NEC-and-Simprints-to-Deploy-World.htm

MOU signing and project launch in Tokyo with Mr Nobuhiro Endo - Chairman of the Board of NEC Corporation, Mr. Toshiya Matsuki - Executive Vice President of NEC and Dr Tody Norman - CEO of Simprints Technology.

The @ARCapacity is strengthening partnerships to better support African governments to manage climate-related risk and build resilience, especially for poor households in rural areas. The World Food Program is a wonderful partner in this endeavor.

Thank you Ambassador Beasley @WFPChief and @WFP Staff for continued support to ARC.

At the World Food Program in Rome signing the support agreement

With Mo Ibrahim discussing the Promise of Africa particularly with respect to Youth and Technology at #GoogleZeitgeist in London.

Africa’s young people are a positive for the continent. Equipped with appropriate skills and opportunities they can provide the productivity boost the continent so badly needs to transform and compete.

Africa’s youth can also be a positive global externality in a rapidly aging world. Technology companies need to invest and help harness this human resource!

Enjoying Tel Aviv Honorary Doctorate Award ceremony with Their Excellencies Ambassador of Nigeria to Israel and his beautiful wife; the Ambassador of Nepal to Israel ; and the Ambassador of Ghana to Israel. Also with family and friends Kayla and Arthur Spector and Dr Ikemba Iweala

Wonderful to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy degree at Tel Aviv University for my work on Economic Development, Poverty Alleviation, Transparency and Inclusion.
With Chair Board of Governors TAU Dr Jacob Frenkel, President TAU, Prof Joseph Klafter and fellow honorees including Former Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen, Chair UBS and former Chair ECB and Bundesbank Dr Axel Weber.

In Tel Aviv discussing technology, innovation and partnerships with Africa in agritech and digital health with tech entrepreneurs, civil society, and public and private sector participants. At the Start Up Nation Hub with Wendy Singer, Davidi Vortman and others.

Small island economies and Low-income countries, especially in Africa, bear the brunt of climate change and weather based events. Witness the serious and now frequent droughts in eastern, southern and West Africa, the floods and cyclones that hit Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

The African Risk Capacity an African Union organization is strengthening, improving, and deepening its bench of resilience building instruments including Insurance to better serve African countries.

Discussing ways to strengthen organization and improve products and service delivery with the ARC Group management, board and partners.

In #Riyadh discussing @Gavi results, Global Health Security and partnerships with the Saudi Fund for Development. With Dr Khalid bin Sulaiman Al-Khudairy, Vice Chairman and Managing Director; Eng. Yousef Al-Bassam, Advisor of Saudi Fund for Development and Mr Ibrahim Alsugair, Senior Economic Advisor.


Discussing innovation and scaling immunization for children in poor countries in Riyadh, with HRH Prince AlWaleed Bin Talal and HRH Princess Lamia Bint Majed Al Saud of Alwaleed Philanthropies.

In Kuwait with HE Dr Abdullah Al Matouq, Advisor to the Amir and Chairman of the International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO), Hadeel Alsabti (IICO), and Dr Mustafa Redha Ministry of Health Undersecretary discussing partnerships with @Gavi

Visiting the SEWA professions and services. At a SEWA paper factory where women make notebooks and other stationery from recycled waste.

And at a SEWA communications training session for women learning how to scale their interventions and community outreach.

In Ahmedabad, meeting with over 200 women leaders and trainers of the 1.9 million strong Self Employed Women’s Association (#SEWA)! Incredible stories of courage, hard work, self-empowerment, group empowerment and results for households, communities and the nation!

Women are particularly interested in the HPV vaccine for their daughters and young girls to prevent the ravages of cervical cancer, now a leading cause of cancer deaths among women globally but particularly in low and middle-income countries.

Cervical Cancer deaths were 311,000 in 2018, outstripping maternal deaths. Poor women in low and middle-income countries have little access to cancer screening. Hence, it is important to support HPV vaccines for adolescent girls!

With waste recyclers members of the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in Ahmedabad discussing livelihoods, and challenges and opportunities in health care given their profession. Also engaging officers of Ahmedabad municipality on the women’s need for water and toilet facilities at the Dumpsite.

SEWA is the largest association of self-employed women in the world with 1.9 million poor members organized according to professions. Gavi is partnering with SEWA to develop and communicate messages to households and communities on Health hygiene, and immunization, especially routine immunization, and measles and rubella.

Discussing the financing of universal health coverage with Ministers of Finance, Planning and Budget, development partners and civil society at the World Bank Spring Meetings.

As Githinji Gitahi of Amref Health Africa said, “We must all agree on a common definition of universal health coverage.”

We must focus on primary health care. We must focus on efficiencies from health financing. Let’s prioritize high return investments in health such as immunization, nutrition, health promotion to reduce #NCDs, skilled birth attendants etc. We must devote additional resources to health care financing. Investing in healthcare is not just a human right, it’s also smart economics.

Finance ministers can use smart instruments to raise additional revenues. Excise taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary beverages.

Debating the impact and future of Globalization, the winners and losers and the way forward at the George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs.

With Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore, Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Vice President Equitable Growth World Bank. With Professors Danny Leipziger, and Maggie Chen and other faculty and wonderful African students at GWU

At the Women Trailblazers in Development Economics Forum at the Center for Global Development CGD with the amazing Amanda Mukwashi @AMukwashi, Global CEO Christian Aid, and the indomitable Gargee Ghosh, Director For International Policy @gatesfoundation, ably directed by Amanda Glassman @glassmanamanda, COO @CGDev. We need more women in Economics!

At the presentation of the new International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd) by the Global Commission for Education led by former UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, in partnership with the Global Business Coalition for Education.

Education bonds like green bonds can substantially leverage private sector and philanthropic resources to put more children in school in lower-middle-income countries whose access to concessional resources is curtailed. 263 million children are out of school globally and in lower-middle-income countries, only 67% have access to complete primary education, so 33% are falling through the cracks. We need to move from $1.2 trillion to $3 trillion to close the gap in global annual education finance.

Only a concerted effort by the private sector, multilateral institutions and governments can deliver the resources needed. #IFFEd is a good start with its objective of initially leveraging $8-$10 billion using the MDBs balance sheet in the next 5 years.

With Mark Haefele of UBS, Hiro Mizuno of the Japan Government Pension Investment Fund, Sir Ronald Cohen of The Portland Trust, Liesbet Steer of the Global Commission for Education and Prime Minister Gorden Brown at the presentation of the #IFFEd in Washington DC.

The Task Force on Fiscal Policy for Health co-chaired by @MikeBloomberg and @LHSummers, of which I am a member, was created to address the growing burden of #NCDs. Our analysis shows we could prevent 50 million deaths over 50 years if countries implement taxes to raise prices of tobacco, alcohol + sugary beverages by 50%.

Finance ministers could raise more revenues to invest in programs that truly benefit poor people and include those at the bottom end of the ladder. Check out the link below for the study and recommendations.

https://www.bloomberg.org/program/public-health/task-force-fiscal-policy-health/#overview

The Power of Women's Leadership! At the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) forum in Washington with Minister of Energy Chile and co-Chair CPLC, Susana Jimenez; CEO World Bank, Kristalina Georgieva; MD IMF Christine Lagarde.

Africa can lead the way on Renewables! Finance ministers can raise additional revenues for social development through carbon pricing. Carbon Pricing should drive Africa’s development not hinder it!

African finance ministers discuss challenges and opportunities for mobilizing more domestic resources for economic and social development at the Center for Global Development Washington DC, on the sidelines of the World Bank-IMF spring meetings.

With Masood Ahmed, Sanjeev Gupta, and Mark Plant of CGD and African finance ministers and Central Bank Governors.

https://mobile.twitter.com/NOIweala/status/1116242112876556288