The Inspire Africa Conference, the much-anticipated four-day event dedicated to exploring the intricacies of the product ecosystem came to an exciting conclusion on September 21st, 2023. Hosted at the prestigious Eko Convention Center in Lagos from September 18th to 21st, the event comprised of an array of insightful workshops that left attendees inspired and better equipped to navigate the dynamic world of product development.
These sessions featured local product leaders such as Funto Akinbeshin, Senior Product Manager at Spotify; Princess Edo-Osagie, Product Leader at Interswitch Group; Anthony Isichei, Senior Product Manager at Pagatech Limited; Temi Giwa, Product Lead at Paystack Nigeria; and Zainab Arilesere, Product Leader at Omnibiz Africa.
Marina Lauchengco delivered an insightful keynote address titled ‘How Africa can become a superpower.’ During her presentation, she shared valuable insights on the art of constructing exceptional products, debunked common product-related misconceptions, and issued a compelling call to action, emphasizing that the opportune moment has arrived for Africa to embark on its journey towards greatness.
Beyond the conference itself, participants took part in a series of workshops, featuring world-class product coaches like Christian Idiodi, Marty Cagan, Lea Hickman, Chris Jones, Martina Lauchengco, and Jon Moore, esteemed partners of Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG), who will generously share their expertise.
These workshops were designed to further enrich the knowledge and skills of attendees, enabling them to effectively contribute to product innovation in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
Rebecca King, representing Innovate Africa Foundation, highlighted the significance of the conference, stating, “The Inspire Africa Conference is a pivotal moment for Africa, bringing together industry leaders, local talent, and global experts to drive innovation. Our commitment to shaping the future extends beyond the conference, with workshops aimed at equipping attendees with the tools they need to make a meaningful impact.”
Interswitch, one of the lead sponsors of the event through its representative Princess Edo Osagie expressed their delight at the profound impact of the workshops, stating, “This knowledge exchange is certain to catalyze innovation and fuel industry growth.
Chris Idiodi, Founder of WorkNigeria and a lead sponsor, also stated that the goal of the event was to create an environment where industry professionals could come together to
learn, share, and collaborate. The positive feedback we’ve received from both attendees and sponsors reaffirms the importance of events like this in our ever-evolving product landscape. He also emphasized the pressing need for Africa to harness technology’s potential to address critical challenges, such as unemployment, poverty, and insecurity.
The Inspire Africa Conference was attended by 1,000 product professionals from 30+ countries in Africa, with participants from the U.K. and U.S. joining in Lagos, Nigeria. The event reaffirms its status as a pivotal milestone in Africa’s journey toward technological empowerment and economic transformation.
