May 10

May 10 A Succinct Summary Of The 24th Africa Business Summit 2026 At The London School Of Business

This article was drafted by Norman Busigu. Images supplied via the Africa Business Club (London School of Business).

The 2026 Summit kicked off in style on 1st May, and took place at the London Business School's campus on the 2nd May.

This theme for this edition of the summit was “From Potential to Progress: Building Africa's next Growth Chapter”. It placed focus on business-led, homegrown models that addressed the continent's pertinent development challenges and the opportunities that arise alongside. Key topics included Philanthropy and Aid landscape, Africa's VC ecosystem, Minerals and Oil & Gas, and Entertainment and the Creative industries. This was coupled with dedicated panels that provided a platform for local and aspiring entrepreneurs to share their perspectives.

The Summit was successful in bringing together business leaders, founders, investors, and leading policymakers to engage and collaborate on actionable strategies that ensure Africa’s future growth is not only sustainable, but designed to meet the unique needs of Africa's context and its people.

Below is an outline of the summit’s running order:

Opening remarks - Bukky Oyedeji (Assistant Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship - LBS)

Opening Lecture - Seun Solanke-Ebhojie (Partner and Associate Director BCG)

Keynote fireside chat with Chuba Ezenwa (MD - Head of Investment Banking Sub-Saharan Africa - Bank of America)

Panel 1A - The business of entertainment: Transforming Africa’s creative industry into a cultural and economic driver. Panellists: Olive Nwosu (Independent writer and filmmaker), Joe Kinvi (Founder and CEO, Borderless), Joseph Kenny Tipton (Investor, Helios Investment Partners), Goodness Victor (Songwriter and Publisher Partnerships, Manager - EMEA, Spotify)

Panel 1B - Rewriting Africa's Development Playbook: Capital, Philanthropy, and the Future of Aid. Panellists: Tara Sabre Collier (Chemonics International, Senior Director Impact Investing), Ahish Kumar (Advisor, Multiple - Acumen, Pensions for Purpose), Sunil Lalvani (Founder and CEO, Project Maji)

Panel 2 - Africa in Motion: Building Africa's Financial Ecosystem for Scale. Panellists: Dr Collins Igwe (CFO, BudPay), Gbite Oduneye (Managing Partner, ODBA) Ola Oyetayo (Co-founder and CEO, Verto), Dan Bronstein (Co-founder and CEO, Vavita)

Panel 3 - The future of Africa’s “hard” resources: Unlocking the continent’s minerals and O&G opportunity. Panellists: Karim Shaaban (Co-founder and CEO, Rosetta Energy), Kwasi Ampofo (Head of Metals and Mining, BloombergNEF), Folaseto Akin-Olugbade (Director, Africa50)

Panel 4 - The role of Africa's diaspora community. Panellists: Daniel Yu (Founding Partner, Africa Jobs Fund), Gloria Niiquaye (Co-founder and CEO, Comeso), Florence Bavanandan (Head of Platform & Operations, Launch Africa Ventures)

Panel 5 - The 10 × Question: What Will It Take to Unlock Africa’s Venture Moment? Panellists: Abi Ajayi (Head of Middle East & Africa, Primary Markets, London Stock Exchange Group), Esther Waititu (Chief Financial Services Officer, Safaricom), Iyinoluwa Aboyeji (Founding Partner, Future Africa), Adeyemi Adegbayi (VP, Catalyst Fund)

Panel 6 - The Health Dividend: Building African Healthtech for Lasting Prosperity. Panellists: Dr Elsa Zekeng (Founder and CEO, SökerData), Uwem Uwemakpan (Head of Investment, Launch Africa Ventures), Adama Ibrahim (President, Global Life Sciences Advisory and Consulting)