Nation Media Group CEO Stephen Gitagama makes his closing remarks for the first Kusi Ideas Festivals at Itare Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, on December 9, 2019. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The Nation Media Group is set to hold the second edition of the Kusi Ideas Festival on December 8-9. This year’s conference will focus on examining the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on African economies and livelihoods.
The conference, which will be held in Kisumu, western Kenya, with the theme of “Towards a Post-Covid Africa: Recovering Together,” will explore how the continent can recover from the crisis.
The Kusi Ideas Festival seeks to build a “Pan-African ideas transaction market” to capitalise on the opportunities and innovations available to Africa to help it win in the 21st Century.
Kusi Festival also seeks to contribute to shaping the agenda that will enable Africa be a leading player in global politics and economics. The Festival comes at a time when the continent has been ravaged by Covid-19, with slightly over two million people infected and about 50,000 dead.
The impact on economies has been severe with some countries witnessing significant contractions that have led to massive job losses and pushing more people into extreme poverty.
According to the International Monetary Fund, Africa faces a rough road to recovery with the region projected to post a negative three percent growth in 2020, representing the worst outcome on record.
