Good day everyone, once again happy new month. I was at the office of the president and ceo of African Chamber of Commerce DFW for a quick interview some days ago.
He talked about the African Economic Forum coming up this Ocober, how the ACC started, and so on. Read the exclusive inteview below…
Could you please tell us your name?
My name is Sanmi Akinmulero, I’m the president of African Chamber Of Commerce DFW (Dallas Fort Worth). I live here in Dallas Texas.
Could you tell us what the African Economic Forum is about?
The African Economic Forum which will be held here in Dallas Texas from October 14 – 19 is the 16th edition. The whole idea is to look for a way to get Africans that are in business both within the States and Africa to come together and network. At the same time to exchange culture and business ideas.
Aside SouthAfrica, I have never seen any other country that has advertisement that invite people to come and visit their country for business forum. That was why we started the forum 16 years ago becasue we saw the gap and we decided to bridge the business gap.
Are the youth included in this forum?
Yes, of course, the idea of youth being involve does not really have anythig to do with age. Some people in their forties will call themselves youth. And you have some people in their thirties who are already business owners, meanwhile you see some people in their sixties who doesn’t really understand the rudiment of business a 35 year-old person might know.
We are currently seeking youth to volunteer to be part of the forum; although they don’t necessarily have to give a speech, but they can talk about a subject matter in their area of expertise. So we are encouraging student from colleges to volunteer to be part of the forum.
Do you have any particular age range for people who can attend the forum?
It’s pretty much open to everyone who are willing to volunteer or be part of the forum. Their is no age limit in business.
Could you tell us about program of the event?
The forum starts on Wednesday October 14 through Sunday October 19. We have lots of Ambassadors, CEO’s, Governors, Ministers who are coming for the event.
Could you please mention some of the dignitaries that will attend the forum?
We are expecting 4 Governors from Democratic Republic of Congo, Governors from Nigeria, Kenya and all over Africa. We got confirmation from Ambassadors, like Ambassador of Burundi, Ambassador of Nigeria, Prof Adefuye, who is the co-host, and Ambassador Amina Alli, who is the Ambassador representing African Union to United State (She is the chair of this year event).
Also, Ministers from different part of Africa will be attending the event including Minister of Planning from DRC. Several CEO’s have already confirmed their attendance.
Each day has different topics and different representatatives.
Are people welcome to sponsor the event?
Yes, although we have some sponsors already but new sponsors are welcome. Exxon Mobil is interested in sponsoring this year’s event. DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) has been part of our sponsors from day one. DFW airport have also been part of the sponsors until this year. We have individual sponsors like Mr Floyd (owner of FBM in Fort Worth) who has been in partner with us for the past 5 years.
Aside the yearly forum, how often do you hold your meeting?
We hold our business meeting every Wednesday; this allows for people to network and learn more about different business opportunities.
Contact:
You can follow African Chamber of Commerce facebook page Here
For participation, volunteering, and further enquiries, you can visit www.africanchamberdfw.com for more info
