AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2026 -Cotonou
09:00
Registration & Welcome Coffee
Delegate check-in and welcome coffee.
Included with General Admission
09:10
Opening Cultural Performance
spoken word group [placeholder] · TBC – local cultural dance
Opening cultural performance to kick off the gathering.
Included with General Admission
09:15
Kick-off by Master of Ceremonies
MC opens the programme.
Included with General Admission
09:22
Opening Remarks
AfriLabs · Anna Ekeledo · Executive Director
Opening remarks from AfriLabs leadership.
Included with General Admission
09:29
Welcome Address
AfriLabs · Board Chair · Rene Parker
Welcome address from the AfriLabs Board Chair.
Included with General Admission
09:39
Keynote: Host Government Address
Cabinet Secretary · Government of Benin Republic [placeholder] · Minister · TBC
Keynote address from the host government.
Included with General Admission
09:49
Good-will Messages
TBC – AfriLabs Former Board Chairs · Trustees [placeholder]
Good-will messages from AfriLabs former leadership.
Included with General Admission
10:20
Panel: Innovative Financing to Catalyse Innovation at Scale
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC (3-4 investors) [placeholder]
Panel on innovative financial solutions for innovation at scale.
Included with General Admission
10:25
Energizer by the MCs
Included with General Admission
10:45
Special Address by Guest of Honour
Guest of Honour [placeholder] · HE TBC
Special address from the gathering's guest of honour.
Included with General Admission
10:55
Keynote: Development Partner
Development Partner [placeholder] · Regional Director · TBC
Keynote from a development partner organisation.
Included with General Admission
11:05
Fireside Chat: Board Chair & Development Partner
AfriLabs Board Chair · Rene Parker · with TBC [placeholder]
Fireside conversation between AfriLabs leadership and a development partner.
Included with General Admission
11:40
Tea Break / Networking
Included with General Admission
13:45
High-level Ministerial Roundtable
Development Partners [placeholder] · Digital Economy · Investment · Ministers of Trade
High-level multi-stakeholder ministerial roundtable.
Included with General Admission
14:00
Track Activities (Session A)
Four tracks run concurrently in separate rooms; see individual track rows below for this same time block.
Included with General Admission
12:05
12:05
12:05
12:05
MC Energizer
Included with General Admission
12:10
Welcome Address
TBC · Track Lead [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
12:15
Welcome Address by Track Lead
AfriLabs [placeholder] · Senior Partnerships Manager · TBC
Included with General Admission
12:20
Welcome & Keynote Address by Track Lead
CEO · Partner Organisation [placeholder] · TBC
Included with General Admission
12:10
Welcome Address
AfriLabs [placeholder] · Community Director · TBC
Included with General Admission
12:25
Keynote: Building Investor Confidence in African Markets
CEO [placeholder] · Founder · TBC
Included with General Admission
12:25
Keynote: Future-proofing Innovation Hubs for Scale & Sustainability
Partner Agency CEO [placeholder] · TBC
Included with General Admission
13:00
Fireside Chat: Policy to Practice - AI Regulation & Sandboxes
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
12:30
Presentation: Disability Inclusion Lens for Equitable Innovation
Assistive Technology Org [placeholder] · Founder · TBC
Included with General Admission
13:05
Panel 1: From Local Capital to Global Scale
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC (3-4) [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
13:00
Candid Chat: IP Protection for Innovation Hubs
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
13:15
Panel 1: Rethinking Equity, Access & Representation
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC (4-5) [placeholder]
Ties to RevUp Women NG.
Included with General Admission
13:10
Keynote: Africa's AI Inflection Point
Regulatory Body Secretary General [placeholder] · TBC
Included with General Admission
13:45
Panel 2: Macroeconomic Outlook on African Markets
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
13:55
Panel 1: Leadership Development for Impact & Equity
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC (4-5) [placeholder]
Links to Talent Accelerator Programme.
Included with General Admission
14:00
Panel 1: Building African AI Champions
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC (3-4) [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
13:40
Fireside Chat: Getting More Capital to Women Entrepreneurs
Included with General Admission
15:00
Lunch Break
Included with General Admission
15:00
MoU Signings / Press Briefing
Included with General Admission
17:00
Track Activities (Session B)
Four tracks continue concurrently; see individual track rows below for this same time block.
Included with General Admission
15:40
Breakout Roundtables: De-risking Capital / Ecosystem Support / Gender Lens Investing
Facilitators: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
15:40
Panel 2: Building an AI Alliance for Africa
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
15:45
Candid Conversation: Local Language Resources & Entrepreneurial Growth
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
15:30
Fireside Chat: Measuring What Matters - Aligning Startups with SDGs
Included with General Admission
16:10
Panel 2: Hub-Led Strategies for Jobs, Governance & Digital Trust
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
16:10
Panel 3: Financing Africa's Next Industrial Decade
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
16:20
Policy Workshop
Facilitators: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
16:15
Fireside Chat: Designing Inclusive Innovation for Equity and Access
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
16:40
Presentation: Legal Strategies for Investing Across Africa
Legal Partner [placeholder] · TBC
Included with General Admission
16:50
Panel 3: Building Resilience - Sustainable Startup Support Ecosystems
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
17:00
Panel 2: Inclusive Finance & Design
Moderator: TBC · Panelists: TBC (4-5) [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
16:50
Presentation: African Policy Toolkit
AfriLabs Board-at-Large Member [placeholder] · TBC
Included with General Admission
17:00
Closing & Networking
Included with General Admission
17:00
Networking / Closing
Included with General Admission
17:00
Closing / Networking
Included with General Admission
17:20
Networking
Included with General Admission
17:10
Closing Circle
Included with General Admission
22:00
AAG 2026 Gala Night
Theme: TBC [placeholder]
Included with General Admission
Colours mark tracks and are assigned automatically; every session is named with its track as well, so the agenda reads the same without them.