The African Development Bank Young Professionals Program:

Description: The African Development Bank is the continent’s leading development finance institution and a key development partner of its 53 Regional Member Countries. It is also a leader and partner in major sub-regional and continent-wide initiatives such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the Infrastructure Consortium for Africa, and the African Water Facility. The AfDB is currently accepting applications for its Young Professionals Program.

Responsibilities: As part of the Bank’s Young Professionals Program (YPP), you will have the opportunity to work across the continent, and be at the forefront of exciting Bank initiatives that are helping to shape Africa’s future. The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a highly competitive program targeting motivated and talented young professionals under the age of thirty-two (32) and committed to making a difference on the continent. Upon acceptance and entry, successful applicants will undergo unique on-the-job training and development to prepare them for a rewarding career and future leadership roles within the Bank.

Qualifications: Successful candidates must be committed to Africa’s development and demonstrate outstanding academic and professional achievement, as well as effective teamwork and leadership potential. If you meet these criteria, the Young Professionals Program is the perfect point of entry from which to join our team.

To Apply: The AfDB offers an internationally competitive remuneration and benefits package. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. A detailed description of the AfDB YPP is available on the Bank’s website at www.afdb.org/ypp. The deadline for receipt of applications is March 15th, 2010. Please send your application form to the following email: recruitypp@afdb.org – or to: AfDB Young Professionals Programme, Staff planning and Recruitment Division, Human Resources Management Department, African Development Bank, BP 323, Tunis-Belvédère 1002, Tunisie, Fax: +216 71 832 713, www.afdb.org.

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For additional information – click here.

If you or anyone you know has experience with the AfDB’s Young Professional Program, feel free to leave some insight in the comments section – inquiring minds want to know!

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From meetingpoints.org:

Although markedly distinct from the western canon of hip-hop, H-Kayne has emerged on the contemporary music scene as “hip hop made in Morocco”. Adil (Sif Elssan), Azzedine (Ter Hor), Hatim (HB2) and Othman, the MCs of H-Kayne, are four boys who grew up on the same street in Meknès and found inspiration in rap, scratching, and dee-jaying. They began to mix Oriental grooves with strong rhythms, scratching, and popular texts, spoken in darija (local vernacular), producing an original, contemporary, punchy street sound, against prevailing trends of gangsta-rap. Their first album, entirely self-produced, ‘Un Son de Bled’Art’ earned them attention and acclaim, and the second, ‘HK 1426’, established them on the scene. Their playing with “darija” is a hallmark of their virtuosity; they draw inspiration from the tradition of ‘Meknassi jazal’, or traditional dialectical, rhymed spoken word poetry from Meknès.

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‘Tis the question of the day. And while no one knows exactly what is going to happen, according to some, a potential power struggle is looming.  After President Yar’Adua’s nearly three month absence, Vice President Goodluck Jonathan was granted executive authority by the National Assembly two weeks ago.  Upon the return of the president,  Information Minister Dora Akunyili reportedly said,  ”[Jonathan] cannot go back to Vice President until the National Assembly reverses their resolution that made him Acting President, which was even supported by the Federal Executive Council and more importantly by most Nigerians.”

Acting Pres. Goodluck Jonathan, after receiving executive authority Feb 10, 2010

President Umaru Yar'adua, in healthier times.

It will be interesting to see how everything pans out and the course Nigerian politics at the national level has to take, but something I found interesting about all this was the way in which the President returned, well articulated on Akin’s blog:

The sad part of the news is nuanced in the fact that he was transported rather than a traveller, he was carried rather than walking, he arrived unseen, unwelcomed, unheralded, un-ushered and absent from press coverage under the cloak of darkness.

Unwelcomed, unheralded, un-ushered and absent from press.  Understandably, he’s very ill. But any type of communication from him or his handlers would have been nice, no?  President Obama can go to the local convenience store and back in the States and people will be reacting; whether jeers or cheers, applause or boos, you will definitely hear something.  Doesn’t seem to be the case in Naija. Why?

What’s your take on the situation? Drop a line in the comments below.

Source, Source, Source & Source

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:: FRIDAY ::

Fashion Show: Before the two featured lines, MOSHOOD & Chi Chi & Chi Chi E’s O di Line, came out, there was an awesome slide show presentation of african fashion – pictures ranging from the more traditional/cliche’ic looks that come to mind when you think ‘Africa” and “Fashion” to the more contemporary, western inspired ‘fits that now grace runways from Paris to New York. Great to see the diversity.

After that, and a little entertainment from the hosts, male models wearing MOSHOOD came out. Lots of shirtless, good looking men in tailored, pajama-esque pants. Needless to say us ladies enjoyed the eye candy.  Also sprinkled in were well made whole outfits.  Chi Chi & Chi Ch E’s O di Line was then presented, with a series of woman’s outfits that ranged from simple to sexy, day to night. Beautiful pieces of clothing and it’s no wonder the line has been featured by Haute Magazine, the Tyra Banks show and in other notable arenas. Check out a few pics from both shows below:

Naeto C Concert: After the fashion show and a short intermission, Naeto C came out and performed for the crowd and of course, there was a contingent of women shouting, taking pictures and enjoying. But there was also that the section of the room with a lot of ’too cool for school’ folks. lol you know what I mean, people calmly bumping their heads, subtly swaying to the music because they are just too cool to openly rock to the music.  It only lasted for a little while though – by the time “Kini Big deal” came on, most people were open and having a good time.  *Sidenote on Mr. C – He was great. Dealt with the initial lukewarm reception very well, cracking jokes, made comments like how great the crowd was and how he had heard people come to the conference to find their wives/husbands. He even did a little one two-step for us though his dancing skills are…interesting. Good times.

Pictures from his concert:

:: SATURDAY ::

Saturday’s agenda consisted of 3 keynote speakers, 3 panel sessions, lunch, a banquet and an after party. There were plenty of panels to choose from to feed you’re appetite for the happenings on the continent and I ended up at three – the private equity panel, the media and entertainment panel and the new faces of entrepreneurship panel.  Highlights below

• Private Equity and the African Growth Story – Panelists included Hurely Dody (ECP), Yemi Lalude (Adlevo Capital) and Seyi Owoduni (Kingdom Zephyr); moderated by Folabi Ayoola (Octave Partners).  Basically, the gist of this panel was that PE was good before the recession when Africa was growing at about 6%. Right now, not so much. And it will probably take 2-5 years for the economies to recover.  Most PE firms are looking at strengthening the businesses within their portfolios rather than taking on new businesses but that is subject to change once growth starts up again.  Also, most PE firms have been investing generally, not sector specific, though when asked to predict the future of PE in AFrica, a panelist said that the trend will probably move towards sector specialization – investing in tech, or agriculture, etc.  The panelists also talked abotu the challeneges to PE in AFrica – including changing the mentality of family owned business owners to see how PE investment could benefit them.  But as one panelist said – as soon as the money comes in, people very quickly start to appreciate the value.  Overall, very knowledgeable individuals who were candid about the challenges and opportunities.

• Media and Entertainment: An Emerging Tide of Creative Opportunities – On the panel were Mark Walton (EVP of The Africa Channel), Toyin Subair (Founder of HiTV) and Naeto C and it was very well moderated by  Prof. Anita Elberse. Great panel and the main takeaway was that people who are interested in media and entertainment need to be apart of really building the industry.  Distribution and capitalization were the buzzwords  - artists, creatives, soon to be execs needed more outlets to distribute their creative content and money & resources invested to create quality content.  As Mr. Subair noted, there’s so much to do so its not for lack of work.  As many eluded to if interested, you didn’t even have to come up with something new, just copy what’s in America and tailor it to Africa!  A panelist also mentioned how a lot of the money for investment in Africa was being thrown into oil, financial sector, etc, but media and entertainment were real formidable areas for investment and all that is necessary to build the sector was human capital. Very interesting thoughts.  Mr. Walton was very vocal from the outset, noting that now was the time to get involved and create the documentaies, the movies, the music, the shows. Naeto C talked about his experience as an artist, how he was advised early on to make his music more in line with the audience tastes – that being, more AFrican.  One thing he mentioned that really stood out to me was the fact that people are way past the western stuff.  Africans are intersted in being African and celebrating their culture and and themselves.  Music to our ears. The issue of piracy was also touched, but that went back to creating better distribution methods and systems.

• The New Face of Entrepreneurship in Africa – This panel started off well. On the panel was Lawrence Achigbu (Chimons Group), Bruce Ayonote (Subruban West Africa), Obinna Ekezie (Zeep Travel Network), Peter Mombaur (Africa Holdings & co-founder of the African Leadership Academy) and Chukwuka Monye (Ciuci Consulting), all entrepreneurs who covered the spectrum in terms of when they started their businesses and what stage there were currently in. Basically the y let us know that its hard work and no one should expect to touch down in Lagos and the money would start flowing. Not going to happen.  As Mr. Ayonote mentioned, the only thing standing between your success and your aspirations is yourself. No one can tell you what to do . You have to know what you want to do, who you want to be and work to fill whatever apparent gaps.  Mr. Ekezie, a former NBA player, told us about how a lot of physical work on the ground had to be done to set up his business and how it took a while to establish trust among customers.  Rather than pay on line or over the phone, Zeep customers would come into the physical office with payment just to make sure everything was real!   Mr. Monye talked about how business was a process and a key to his success was getting decent people in place first. What stole the show at the end were the answers to the last question presented: What were the panelists views on a woman accomplishing the things they had accomplished in Africa. I tweeted some of the responses, including the comment that “women’s faces opens doors,” and how women might be better suited for “NGOs” or being “Picassos;”  As you may imagine, lots of quite outrage bubbled throughout the room, as females in the audience whispered things like, “what about my education? my experience?!” In general, the idea seemed to be that it’s significantly more difficult for women to be successful entrepreneurs because oftentimes society isn’t fair to female businesspersons, but it has and can be done.

The keynote addresses were all excellent, starting with Haskell Ward (Senior VP of SEACOM) in the morning, Tope Lawani (Co-founder of Helios Investment Partners) at noon and Dr. Anna Mokgokong (Exec. Chairperson of Community Investment Holdings). The session with Mr. Lawani was moderated by Prof. Calestous Juma and felt very much like a great conversation rather than a lecture.  Though many of the points he made were well received, one that stood out to me in particular was a comment he made about business and enterprise being the key to sustainable economic development on the continent.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to go to the banquet, at which Mr. Lawani received the ABC Leadership Excellence Award.  I was however, able to make it to the after party and DJ Obi was on, spinning a mix of African and American music.  At one point, Naeto C came up and performed his verse on the Lagos Party remix which was fun.  All in all, nice wrap up to a great two days.  Should mention that the event’s platinum sponsor was Arise, a publication of ThisDay and attendees received the current issue of Arise, along with other goodies.

So that’s all folks, the run down of what went on. Glad I went – the atmosphere and general feeling was positive and energizing. But this is just my perspective, so if you went and went to different panels, maybe a whole different perspective, add it in the comments section – enquiring minds want to know!

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CLICK HERE TO PREVIEW THE GREEN OCTOBER MIXTAPE VOL III

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GREEN OCTOBER MIXTAPE VOL III (Free)

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If I absolutely had to choose only four cuts to listen to, they’d be:
B.O.U.Q.U.I – Take You Away
Ajah Onu – Forever
Banky W – Lagos Remix (w/ Naeto C, Dbanj, El Dee & gice)
Vector feat. Shogun – I Love You Nigeria

What about you? List your favorites in the comments section below!

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1. Cook a meal

Nothing says I love you like a nice, home cooked meal.  Gentlemen, we ladies think its sexy when you get in the kitchen and burn a little for us.  And ladies, we get wined and dined on a regular, would be nice to throw down one serious and satisfying meal for the man every now and again. Valentines Day presents the perfect opportunity.  Get creative and incorporate the theme of the day into your meal; the new beau is sure to appreciate the effort

Bonus: For more edible gift ideas, click here.

2. Write A Card

Take it a step further than the classic Hallmark card that spells out sentiments you didn’t even know you had. Buy a card that’s cute on the outside and completely empty on the inside. Grab a pen and write down, in your own words, how you feel.  You could write a poem, a verse from a song that reminds you of the other, or just talk about your favorite memory of the person – maybe your first day or the funny/awkward things you used to do before you actually snagged your beau.  Sweet = sexy

3. Burn a CD

If done right, you can have your new beau thinking about you virtually everywhere they go.  Put together a CD of songs that are special to the two of you, songs that remind you of moments you shared or songs, etc.  It doesnt have to be straight R&B, Norah Jones or Sade. Mix it up. Throw a little Jay on there, some Dbanj, a dose of Ursh, Asa and a host of others. You’ll have the beau bumping in the car, at work, at the gym and at home with a smile on their face and you on their mind.

4. Coupon Book

Remember when you were younger, you made coupons for your parents to redeem – a free “clean up your room” card or a “leave me alone I want to sleep, go play somewhere” pass?  Well you could make one for the new beau. Throw together a redeemable coupon book  for a hot oil massage, foot rub, and “Beau’s Choice” opportunities.  You could even include coupons for practical things like a tire change, full tank of gas, books for school.  Use your imagination for both sexy and smart coupon ideas.

5. Store Bought

• A really good book – If your new beau is a reader and you have a good handle on their taste in books (or you overheard them telling someone else how much they want to read a certain book) stop by Borders and scoop it up for them.  They’ll love it and it will show that you appreciate their affinity for books.
• Perfume - Scent is among the most alluring things about any individual and who doesnt want to smell good.  Perhaps not the most creative gift, but definitely one the benefits both your nose and theirs. Get them a scent that is bold and unique. You want the scent to stand out as much as your beau does.
• Shoes – Guys, it may be a little difficult for you to pick the perfect pair of shoes for your ladyfriend, however, if you two have been out shopping lately and she tried on or pointed to a particular pair that “spoke” to her, but she ended up not being able to get – GET IT FOR HER if you can. The relationship between women and their shoes is similar to that between men and their cars. It’s unexplainable yet powerful.

Interesting Gift Idea: M&M with their face on it.  You won’t be able to get it before Sunday, but if you wanted to do a follow up or a late Valentines Day thing, you could present your beau with candy covered chocolates with their face on it.  Weird…but could be cute.

Gifts to Avoid:

Gift Card – Unless you are handing your beau a 10,000 prepaid visa, don’t get a gift card. It just doesn’t show that you put time and thought into the gift.

Flowers – Flowers are fine but only if the accompany something like the empty card (see Suggestion 2) or are at the table for dinner (See suggestion 1).  Just flowers doesn’t denote enough thought or time. You can get a dozen roses from the gas station down the street in most American cities for 9.99.  Be creative.

So there You have it folks: Gift ideas for the new beau in your life.  What do you think? Anything we missed? Received a gift from a new beau you’d like to share? Add your own suggestions in the comments section below.

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Source & Source

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The theme of the event was ‘A Tent Today and Home Tomorrow.’  As Donna Karan explained to Tonic, “It’s really a call to action to come together and say, ‘What can we do for Haiti. The short term is ‘A Tent Today and Home Tomorrow.’ The long term is [working together to build] a sustainable community.”  She continued with: ”What we’re about to do is launch a piece tonight. It’s not the end, it’s just the beginning. It’s a call to action bringing people from business art and fashion together to create a coalition of change.”

Karan also points out that it’s possible for individuals to make a real difference, too: A donation of $1,000 to the initiative will purchase a tent — and a complete supply kit including water purification, cooking and sleeping accoutrements — for 10 people. “For $1000 you can be servicing ten people, which is extraordinary,” Karan says.

Mary J. Blige tells Tonic, “I’m hopeful that people will really purchase a lot of those tents. If you go inside those tents, there are stoves, water, all kinda stuff — and it just makes me feel good that she would put together something like that. When I walked inside that tent I was like, ‘Man, God bless you for doing this.’ Because they need this, in a package like that, not all separate but a package with everything that’s needed.”

For more of the night’s highlights and commentary from both Whoopi Goldberg and Soledad O’Brien, click here.
To be apart of the Hope, Help and Relief Haiti relief efforts, click here.
To donate to Yele Haiti, click here.

More pics from the event:

Source, Source & Source

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Sampling of Panels:

Social Enterprise in Africa: Attracting Private Sector Investment

What level of impact and financial return should a social enterprise have in order to attract private capital as a pre-requisite to achieving scale? Some think social enterprise and profit don’t even belong in the same sentence. Others argue that commercial level returns (coupled with a good social impact) suffices. Still, many believe that social enterprises in Africa need to compensate for investors’ “Africa fright” by earning above average commercial returns in order to attract significant private capital. Where do you come out on this? Join our panelists and expert moderator for an honest conversation.

• Nvalaye Kourouma
• Moderator: Michael Chu, Senior Lecturer of Business Administration, Harvard Business School
• Panel Coordinators: Taiwo Ajayi, Neha Patel, Yaw Agyenim-Boateng

The New Face of Entrepreneurship in Africa

An indepth look into the many ways that emerging and experienced African Entrepreneurs are creating and capturing value across the Continent. This panel brings together Entreprenuers in differing stages of business development to discuss their collective experiences and lessons learned along the way.

• Peter Mombaur, Partner, African Holdings PLC
• Obinna Ekezie, President and Managing Director, Zeep Travel Network
• Bruce Ayonote, CEO, The Suburban Group
• Chukwuka Monye, Founding Partner, Ciuci Consulting
• Lawrence Achigbu, CEO and Founder, Chimos Group
• Moderator: Mukti Khaire, Assistant Professor, Harvard Business School
• Panel Coordinators: Akintunde Kehinde, Hafeez Giwa, Taire Avbovbo

Business & Politics: Strange Bedfellows or Inevitable Allies?

We’ve all heard this one: politicians are in bed with big businesses. But, what does that mean for a continent that’s coming of age? One school of thought says it’s true, symbiotic and inevitable: Politicians need campaign financing, businesspeople need political/regulatory favors. Others believe that the role of government is to create a predictable business environment for all and anything more or less stifles Africa’s economic growth. What do you think? What do our panelists think? Join us for an honest conversation about the role of Business in Politics and vice versa.

• Nasir El-Rufai, Former Minister, Federal Capital Territory of Abuja
• Zemedeneh Negatu, Managing Partner, Ernst & Young, Ethiopia
• Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng, Member, The Parliament of Ghana
• Moderator: Catherine Duggan, Professor, Harvard Business School
• Panel Coordinators: Julia Mensah, Yaw Agyenim-Boateng

Media & Entertaiment

This panel aims to explore the increasing influence and expanding reach of the various outlets of the African Media and Entertainment Industry.

• Mark Walton, Executive VP, The Africa Channel
• Toyin Subair, Founder and CEO, HiTV
• Naetochukwu Chikwe “Naeto C”, Musical Artist, Storm 360
• Panel Coordinator: Akintunde Kehinde, Hafeez Giwa, Taire Avbovbo

African Telecom: Growth and New Opportunities

In 2008, Africa saw the world’s largest growth in mobile phones.  As penetration numbers increase across the continent, the focus is shifting from growth to enhanced data plans and mobile-based services.  This panel aims to explore the latest trends in telecommunications in Africa, and new opportunities for both mobile operators and businesses providing mobile-based services.

• Tito Alai, CEO, Mimi Africa
• Obinna Nweje, General Manager, MTN Group
• Uche Ofodile, Head of Strategy, Vodafone Ghana
• Zakir Gaibi, Principal, McKinsey & Company
• Moderator: Calestous Juma, Professor, Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government
• Panel Coordinator: Tawanda Sibanda

Developing Leaders for Africa

This panel aims to explore the challenges that the continent faces in developing good leaders in both the corporate and political arenas, and highlight critical success factors that significantly impact the ability to foster effective leadership in these contexts.

• Nuhu Ribadu, Visiting Fellow, Centre for Global Development, Washington DC
• Roland Akosah, Founder and CEO, ENO International, Ghana
• Ambassador Princeton Lyman, Adjunct Professor, Council on Foreign Relations
• Moderator: Linda Hill, Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Lastly, a little Naeto C for your viewing pleasure….Enjoy!

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Nope, just wanted a gentle, simple moisuritzer that did the following:

1. Prevented Acne
2. Killed potential acne
3. Lightened the blemishes
4. Evened out Skin Tone
5. Hydrated
6. Moisturized.

As you might have guessed, this super moisturizer 1) may not exist or 2) is very expensive therefore may as well not exist.

Or so I thought.

Below is a preliminary list of the top 3 facial moisturizers available for darker complexions.  All three are can be purchased at most local drugstores and are sold for under $10.  Quality  and affordability = bliss.  Check them out:

1. Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer

The Aveeno brand is well known and has been around for years.  Growing up, my mom always made us use the Cleansing Bar to wash our faces (followed by Vaseline for moisture…we were the shiniest kids in school) and our skin was always appear clear and supple.  The best thing about this moisturizer is that it’s based on Soy, which has Vitamin E and other antioxidants. It also has salicylic acid which is one of the main components in any acne fighting facial product.

2. Ambi Even & Clear Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30

Ambi is a line of skin-care products that’s specifically geared towards people of color, yet I don’t know any one who actually uses it.  The skin of the women in the commercials look STUNNING so if that’s what is working for them, we should all rush to CVS asap.  This moisturizer’s biggest strength is in its EvenBlend complex – a combination of Vitamins C & E  and Soy – that helps smooth skin tone.  It also has SPF 30 in it to protect the skin from the sun.  Yes, natural melanin does protect dark complexions but its a total myth that people of color don’t need sunscreen.  Skin cancer does not discriminate! Besides, Iman recommends SPF.

3. Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer, SPF 15 or 30

Gabrielle Union and Whitney Houston have both mentioned using Neutrogena cleansers – in fact, Gabby is a spokesperson for the company – but I haven’t heard of any buzz about this moisturizer in particular.  It’s similar to Ambi in that it relies mainly on soy to decrease blotchiness and even out tone and also contains SPF but nothing explicit about acne prevention.

SPLURGE ITEM: Bring in the Moisture Face Lotion by Carol’s Daughter

For $25, you could also check out Bring in the Moisture Face Lotion by Carol’s Daughter.  Lots of celebs have already endorsed Carol’s Daughter already but this particualar item, Beyonce mentioned as one of her favorites.  According to the website, it has antioxidant-rich Acai Berry and Vitamins A and E  as well as Willow Bark to help keep a clear, even and healthy looking complexion.  It also contains Aloe Vera, Jojoba and Manketti oils to “keep skin soft while minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”   No mention of any products that speak to acne particularly but still, sounds good.

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So, afiive readers – what do you use to keep your face looking fresh and healthy?  You a die-hard Ambi fan? Or do you use something not mentioned on the list? Got a product straight from the continent that you swear by? Share in the comments section! Enquiring minds want to know.

Front Page Photo Credit

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