Alumni - Food Security in Africa
Alumni Thought Leadership Networking Panel Discussion
Facilitated by the Alumni Association Middle East Chapter in collaboration with SABCO-UAE
SABCO-UAE, Stellenbosch and DP World invite you to join our upcoming webinar, "Enhancing Food Security in Africa: The Role of Infrastructure Development," where industry experts will discuss innovative strategies and solutions for improving food security in Africa through infrastructure development.
As a leading global provider of smart logistics solutions, DP World recognises the crucial role that infrastructure plays in ensuring a stable and reliable food supply chain. By investing in infrastructure, we can facilitate better access to markets, reduce post-harvest losses, and improve overall food security on the African continent.
Each esteemed guest on our panel looks forward interacting with you on the matter as we explore the possible solutions together.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Olusiji Aina
Development Economist and Impact Investing Specialist
Olusiji Aina, is a Development Economist and Impact Investing Specialist. He is a strategist with professional competency in building strategic leaders, high impact market-relevant skills for economic development, creating employment and promoting economic growth in Africa. Olusiji has headed several multi-million dollar projects cut across several sectors - including the CBN-NESI power sector intervention fund, USAID funded programs, World Bank, Google Safety and several other MFIs and DFIs intervention projects.
Olusiji has over 20 years’ extensive professional work experience spanning strategy, financial inclusion, renewable energy, project management, agribusiness, enterprise development, human capital development, and 10 years of extensive banking experience in Institutional and Commercial Banking. He is a graduate of Statistics and obtained a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Development Finance from the Stellenbosch Business School in South Africa, and EMP from Lagos Business School, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Development Economics at UNICAF University. He holds a Certificate in Enterprise Development through Value Chains and Market Systems from International Training Center of Turin, Italy; A Chartered Development Finance Analyst (CDFA), Chartered Global Investment Analysts (CGIA), Associate, Chartered Institute of Economist of Nigeria (ICEN).
He received several global recognition awards which includes outstanding humanitarian work awarded by the Global Goodwill Ambassadors Foundation, United States, 2020. He was appointed Peace Ambassador by the United Nations Systems, ECOSOC Consultative Status (WOLMI), to promote international peace, and global education. Olusiji is a functional member in the Human Capital development, and Financial Inclusion & Financial Markets Thematic Groups of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG). Olusiji teaches on strategic leadership, sustainable local economic development, international trade finance, climate finance, corporate governance and policy andseveral other topics.
He is a regular speaker at international conferences which includes United Nations climate conference, ANDE’s global conference, IMF Spring meetings among several others. Olusiji is the Co-Chairman Kogi State Economic Council, Board member –Kogi State Investment Promotion Council, Member – Kogi State Youth Development Commission. He was recently appointed as member ofthe Advisory Board of the U.S.-Africa Trade Council to advise on the programs, policy leanings and the body of efforts to improve the trade traffic between the United States and Africa.
Njeri Mwagiru
Senior Futurist: Institute for Futures Research (IFR) at Stellenbosch Business School
Dr Mwagiru is a Kenyan national who has lived in different countries internationally, and is resident in South Africa. Njeri is currently Senior Futurist at the Institute for Futures Research (IFR) at the University of Stellenbosch. She has a Masters in International Relations from the University of the Witswatersand and received her PhD in Business Administration at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. Her doctoral thesis focused on issues of organisational leadership, knowledge, gender and diversity, and transformation.
She has worked with a range of organisations in several capacities and contexts including, higher education teaching and skills building; research; programme development and support; executive management training; short course design, planning and delivery; project coordination; evaluation of initiatives for valued business, public sector, and international partners. Her professional and research interests focus on the potential for African countries to realise development ambitions in a sustainable and collectively beneficial way. Her work supports and facilitates integrated strategic planning and organisational performance to achieve desired futures. Njeri is also a trained Game Master to facilitate the Scenario Exploration System.
MD Ramesh
CEO: Africa Improved Foods
MD Ramesh is a senior global leader with 3 decades of financial and operating acumen, having successfully managed businesses through several business cycles. He has deep experience in starting up, growing and leading Agri and Food sector businesses in Developing and Frontier markets. An Africa specialist, known in the industry for thought leadership in the sector, MD is a managing corporate and policy-making relationships at the highest levels.
MD was Group CEO at TGI Agribusiness Lagos, Nigeria from 2020 to 2021. The TGI group started in Nigeria in the late 1980s and has a footprint across 8 countries with a mix of food processing and soft commodity value chains in the portfolio. The business has over 10 000 employees and a senior multinational leadership of 75. The business includes complex supply chains, processing factories, logistics and associated assets.
Previously, he was President at Olam International Ltd from 1992 - 2019. MD joined the founding team in Nigeria in 1992. Over 27 years, he managed diverse businesses across Africa, India, Europe including supply chains, farms, processing factories, M&A acquisitions and trend-setting Sustainability and Governance standards.
He has also taught the Agribusiness session, and at the first Shared Value session by Dr Michael Porter at Harvard Business School, as well as at the GSB, University of Cape Town, South Africa for 9 years. MD Ramesh is a co-author of “Amazing Africa: A Corporate Journey’’, a book on living and working in Africa. He played cricket at International level.
Edwin Hewitt
Head of Logistics: sub-Saharan Africa, DP World
Edwin is Head of Logistics: sub-Saharan Africa at DP World. He was appointed as CEO of Imperial Logistics South Africa in March 2020, and became CEO of the Logistics Africa business of Imperial, a DP World Company, in July 2020.
Edwin has an exceptional reputation for translating strategy into operational excellence and for simplifying organisational complexity in multiple industries across Africa. Formerly CEO of companies such as DAWN and Capital Africa Steel, he also served as Chief Restructuring Officer of PPC and Group Executive Director of Murray & Roberts.
Edwin holds a Master’s in Technology degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Tshwane University of Technology, and has completed the International Executive Management Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA), and the Management Development Program at the University of Pretoria.