High-Powered GEW Panel Declares: Ecosystem Builders Are Essential to Unlocking Africa’s Transformation

As part of the vibrant activities of Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2025 Ethiopia celebration, a critical discussion titled "Why Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Builders Matter for Africa’s Transformation" convened leading voices from across the continent to share insights on the future of African enterprise.

The panel was moderated by Sherry Uwase, Marketing & Communications Manager at Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies Rwanda (AGGPR), who successfully guided a lively and honest conversation among a powerhouse group of experts: Emeka Okafor (Strategic Innovation & Technology Lead, UNDP’s timbuktoo), Laurence Hunzinger (Policy & Program Development Advisor, IOM), Dawit Tilahun (Country Director, Inkomoko), Prof. Theodore Menilik (Founder & CEO, Menelik-MFUNI), and Mekdim Gullilat (Country Manager, Reach for Change Ethiopia).

The panelists agreed the African entrepreneurship ecosystem is a growing sector characterized by immense energy, rapid learning, and the inevitable challenges of transition and growth.

The discussion moved beyond policy to explore the often-underrated, behind-the-scenes work of ecosystem builders, where a unique perspective on the role of human mobility on entrepreneurial strength and diversity, creating both challenges and vast opportunity pools for innovation, was offered.

The panelists also delivered a strong call to action regarding necessary shifts in the ecosystem. Operating in silos and focusing solely on "unicorn" solutions that ignore grassroots economic drivers were cited as issues. Prioritizing collaboration, sharing data transparently, and investing heavily in foundational ecosystem enablers like digital infrastructure and early-stage capital were raised as key solutions.

The panelists also stressed a decisive closing thought: "Africa will transform when ecosystem builders prioritize collective impact over individual success."

The lively panel concluded with a renewed commitment from the participants to continue building the robust and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems necessary to shape Africa’s prosperous future.