by Junius Williams
Mr. Dangote’s talk on Thursday, 29 October 2015 constituted the inaugural Hakeem and Myma Belo-Osagie African Business and Entrepreneurship Lecture. This annual lecture is co-sponsored by the Harvard Center for African Studies and the Africa Business Club at Harvard Business School. Over 220 students, scholars, faculty members, business leaders, and journalists, from across the Harvard community and beyond, attended Mr. Dangote’s talk, moderated by Caroline Elkins, Oppenheimer Faculty Director of the Harvard Center for African Studies and Professor of History and of African & African American Studies.
This annual lecture sits at the forefront of the Center for African Studies’ recently launched African Entrepreneurship Program, which aims to incubate innovative ideas, integrate entrepreneurship into the classroom, and provide direct support and mentorship to Harvard students. Mr. Dangote’s inspirational talk, and particularly his emphasis on the value of entrepreneurial training for students, launched the lecture series in a meaningful way.