Innovate Africa Foundation in collaboration with Interswitch Group, Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG), and WorkNigeria, have just concluded the 2024 Inspire Africa Conference which held at the prestigious Eko Convention Center, Victoria Island. The highly anticipated Conference was tagged the continent’s largest tech product event with this year’s theme as “Product Is Hard,” which reflects the challenges of building and leading in complex environments, especially within Africa’s fast-evolving tech landscape.
Christian Idiodi, the Founder of Innovate Africa Foundation and the convener of the Inspire Africa Conference stated that, “Our focus is on empowering Africa to build and solve problems in Africa for Africa. This year our theme is ‘Product is Hard’ because we recognized not just the nuance of building or solving problems in Africa being very challenging but many aspects is very hard as well. This year we had conversations on the hard problems that organizations face in trying to solve problems.”
Over 2,000 attendees, 100 plus African tech founders and product leaders, and 30 plus global speakers and coaches gathered for the four days of immersive learning, hands-on training, and networking. The focus centered on how African companies can optimize product teams, hire top talent, and harness new technologies like artificial intelligence to solve difficult problems and drive success. The first day of the conference was dedicated to practical training and exploration of key trends in the tech industry. Participants gained insights from Silicon Valley Product Group renowned teachings, covering essential topics like product management, team optimization, and the latest in AI. The remaining three days were of masterclasses and coaching which provided deeper insights for founders and entrepreneurs.
Initiatives such as the Inspire Africa Conference are crucial in developing the technology value chain and upskilling our workforce, Founder and Group CEO of Interswitch Group, Mitchell Elegbe stated. He adds, “We prioritise partnerships and platforms that enable individuals and communities prosper across Africa. As an African-oriented organization, we are committed to driving Africa’s development and we understand the power of nurturing African led innovation by providing African talents with opportunities of this nature.”
Idiodi also mentioned that, “By 2030, Africa is projected to have the largest working population in the world. That’s a lot of people with the potential to work together towards a common goal driven by technological innovation. The key for us, is providing them with the skills and capital they need to thrive in the global market and that is what the Inspire Africa Conference seeks to do.“
The four days event was indeed a transformative experience for Africa’s tech product community as it offered a unique blend of learning, innovation, and collaboration. And in addition to the intensive workshops, the conference offered networking opportunities for participants to connect with other product experts, enthusiasts, venture capitalists, and experienced advisors, opening doors to potential collaborations and funding opportunities.
