Organisers said no fewer than 20, 000 participants are expected to grace the GEF in Ondo State come November.
The Ondo State Government has declared readiness to host the world's largest gathering of entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, creatives, policymakers, and industry leaders at the 2024 Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GES).
The festival, themed 'Beyond Boundaries: Poverty Eradication through Entrepreneurship,' promises to provide a platform for government, corporate organisations and entrepreneurs to collaborate towards solving pressing global challenges, including climate change, hunger, poverty, and inequality.
The three-day event slated to be held at the Entrepreneurship Village between November 22 and 24, will attract 20 million viewers across over 67 countries, with 5,000 participants, 43 global speakers lined up and 17 plus television stations ready to plug in.
Speaking at a media parley and theme unveiling ceremony held at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos last week, a member of the GEF Board and Chairman of the Entrepreneurship Village, Dan Walkovitz, said the festival is designed to eradicate poverty in Nigeria.
He said the GEF is anchored on 12 planks, curated to accelerate progress towards achieving goal 17 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“GEF will bring together the brightest minds in business, innovation, technology, and creativity for an extraordinary convergence of ideas and inspiration,” Walkovitz added.
For his part, the Project Lead for the GEF, Dr Summy Smart Francis, explained that the festival's main objective is to address Africa's challenges and shift the people's mindsets towards solution-oriented ideas.
He said the event will allow participants to engage, inspire, educate, and empower themselves, noting that it is not just about addressing poverty, but about transforming the way people think about entrepreneurship.
Francis, who doubles as the Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa, on Entrepreneurship and Innovation, stressed that the upcoming festival will be the largest gathering of entrepreneurs anywhere in the world.
“The best weapon in Nigeria to fight poverty is through entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is our strength; why not use it to pay attention to your weakness, use it and your weakness will fade out. That is what the festival will be celebrating.
“As we prepare for the festival, I assure the world that we are dedicated to the delivery of an outstanding event and assure that the objective of the summit is met.
“Among the 12 concurrent events planned are networking sessions, business pitches to investors and venture capitalists, an awards gala, an innovation and robotics expo, a hackathon, art and creative exhibitions, a trade fair, a global leadership forum, an international women’s congress, a fashion show, and a grand closing concert.
“The Global Entrepreneurship Festival is the largest entrepreneurship event ever held in Nigeria, and it promises to positively affect many lives,” Francis stated.
Also speaking at the event, Governor Ayedatiwa, represented by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Hon. Wale Akinlosotu, said Ondo is ready to serve as the nation's entrepreneurship hub, thanks to its resources and vast landscape, which can accommodate various businesses ranging from tech, fashion and agribusiness, among others.
The Governor highlighted entrepreneurs’ roles in boosting the economy through the introduction of innovative technologies, products, and services.
“Moreso, the GEF event would put the country on the global map as the hub for entrepreneurship while catalysing discussions that will open doors for more investors into the country.
“Our dear state is big on entrepreneurship as is evident in the fact that we have the first entrepreneurship agency in Nigeria. For us, this entrepreneurship festival is a movement aimed at inspiring individuals and communities to harness their entrepreneurial spirit to create sustainable solutions for poverty alleviation,” he said.
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