Campus summit is chance for high-profile female African leaders to engage with U.S. businesses to strengthen their countries

In mid-April, the Liberty University School of Business hosted Equity for Africa, one of the highest caliber summits to ever grace the campus.

The conference brought in African faith leaders, entrepreneurs, American CEOs, and other business heads, to discuss and pitch economic development opportunities within Africa. All parties involved emphasized the faith aspect, coming together with a common goal of fulfilling the Great Commission by funneling capital investments to the African continent.

One of the most inspiring elements of the conference was witnessing the incredible integrity of the female African heads of state who overcame major impediments in their personal lives and went on to lead their nations and make major overhauls to health, education, human rights and democracy.

While some of these major political and business trailblazers participated in person, others joined virtually and were able to introduce the needs of their communities.

These female national leaders included former President of Malawi Her Excellency (H.E.) Joyce Banda, Vice President of Liberia H.E. Jewel Howard-Taylor, Nigerian billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist Apostol Folorunso Alakija, ambassador of Rwanda H.E. Mathilde Mukantabana, and former chief innovation director at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Leah Pedersen. Many of these trailblazers shared their testimonies and contributed their voices via videoconferencing. Petersen also moderated the panel on emerging technologies impacting developing countries.

“Advancing women in the African economy to ensure their success as business leaders is crucial to the continent’s robust economic growth,” Pedersen said. “Representing over 50% of the African population, women deliver solutions and approaches tackling the continent’s toughest challenges. In addition, women tend to invest more in healthcare and education thereby prospering entire communities. As highlighted at Liberty University’s Equity for Africa summit, increasing women’s advancement in business in Africa benefits the entire continent and creates the economic returns sought by investors.”

Dr. Edna Udobong, a native of Nigeria and an associate professor of government at Liberty who assisted in organizing the summit, engaged with many of the African leaders.

“The female CEOs and African heads of state who participated in the summit demonstrated the need to support and encourage women to continue to reach out to ‘the least of these’ in our communities through business,” she said, gleaning from Matthew 25:40.

“The Queen of Sheba learned after her visit to King Solomon that the only way to succeed in business is God’s way (1 Kings 10:1-13),” she added. “God has placed godly women

CEOs in the marketplace to shine the light on how businesses should be run to glorify Him in the business.”

Many of these connections were made possible through Pastor Forson Swanzy, who has worked with some of these powerful leaders for years.

School of Business dean Dr. Dave Brat said the school strongly believes that a business partnership between the two continents is in America’s best interest, for the economic development and faith opportunities.

Liberty’s School of Business will continue this tradition of excellence. In August, it will host the CEO Summit, the first of its kind, bringing in CEOs from across the nation to discuss American innovation. The lineup will include CEO of Hobby Lobby and Chairman of the Museum of the Bible Steve Green with other CEOs from national firms, including IBM, ExxonMobil, Apple, Goya, In-N-Out, as well as other major American business executives and government leaders.