Distinguished guests, esteemed colleagues, and dear friends,
On behalf of the President of the IUJ African community Mr Trymore Musariri and the entire community members, I stand before you with deep gratitude in my heart. It is truly an honor to express our sincere appreciation for your presence and participation in today’s event, “An Afternoon with Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa.”

First and foremost, I would like to extend our profound thanks to Ms. Ahunna Eziakonwa, UNDP Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa, for her enlightening keynote address. Your insights on Africa’s role in international forums and the importance of youth and women as catalysts for change have truly resonated with us all. It is a particular honor for me to be meeting you again, following our first encounter at the Kobe meeting last year. Your story about growing up in Nigeria and gaining admission to an Ivy League University is exciting.

As Africans we need to change the narrative of aid, poverty and corruption with animals running around our household by our excellent performance. We need to create an export focused continent. We need to manufacture and consume what er produce and export finished products and professional services. We need to make the private sector the center to take action to walk the talk and review performance. Then compliment it by training and capacity building.

I also want to express our heartfelt appreciation to the International University of Japan and UNDP for making this event a reality. The journey to this moment has been one of dedication and perseverance, taking almost a year to initiate the relationship between IUJ and UNDP. Today, we see the fruits of that labor, and it is indeed a great blessing to witness this collaboration come to life.

I would like to take a moment to sincerely thank the organizing team for their tireless efforts in putting together this event. Your dedication and hard work have made today a great success. A special thank you also goes to the IUJ students, whose enthusiasm and commitment to this cause have been truly inspiring.

As we reflect on the success of today’s event, I would like to implore both IUJ and UNDP to see this as the beginning of a lasting partnership. I strongly encourage UNDP to work closely with the IUJ African community on various projects. With one of the largest, most diverse, and united African communities in Japan, we have a unique opportunity to foster meaningful collaboration and drive impactful initiatives together.

Let this not be the last event of its kind, but rather the first in a series of collaborations that will continue to explore and amplify the significance of Africa on the global stage. The current team of IUJ African community Leadership will reach out to you at UNDP to explore how they can build on this foundation.
Thank you once again to everyone who made today possible. Your efforts, commitment, and support are deeply appreciated.
May we all continue to work together to foster greater understanding, collaboration, and progress for Africa and beyond.
Thank you.