SPEAKING
Anna Ekeledo speaks at the highest levels of global discourse, addressing heads of state, ministers, CEOs, and international policymakers at forums including the World Government Summit, the UN General Assembly, the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings, and the Africa CEO Forum.
Her talks are informed interventions, grounded in data, shaped by experience, and designed to shift how audiences think and act.
Founder and Host
Anna founded and hosted the AfriLabs Annual Gathering from 2016 to 2025 as Executive Director—the continent’s largest convening of innovation enablers, held across 9 African countries and in partnership with the African Union Commission and the United Nations.
As Executive Director Emerita, she returns in 2026 to host the Trade and Industry Track at the 11th edition in Cotonou, Benin Republic.
Speaking
ENGAGEMENTS
Featured Speaking
AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2021 Abuja, Nigeria, 2021
World Government Summit Dubai, UAE, 2022
AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2023 — Ministerial Roundtable Kigali, Rwanda, 2023
Global Inclusive FinTech Summit Kigali, Rwanda, 2023
GITEX Africa Marrakech, Morocco, 2023
TEDx Abuja Abuja, Nigeria, 2023
Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) UNGA, New York, USA, 2024
Global DPI Summit Cairo, Egypt, 2024
Korea-Africa Summit Seoul, South Korea, 2024
UN Global Compact Roundtable, Africa CEO Forum Kigali, Rwanda, 2024
ITU Broadband Commission, Annual Fall Meeting UNGA, New York, USA, 2024
DCO General Assembly & International Digital Cooperation Forum Kuwait, 2026
Skoll World Forum Oxford, UK, 2026
AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum Lagos, Nigeria, 2026
Speaking & Convening
A selection of high-level speaking
engagements from the past three years.
11th AfriLabs Annual Gathering
Cotonou, Benin Republic, November 2026
Host, Trade and Industry Track.
Global DPI Summit
Cairo, Egypt, 2024
Speaker on digital public infrastructure and innovation ecosystems.
AfCFTA Digital Trade Forum
Lagos, Nigeria, July 2026
Speaker; hosted by the AfCFTA Secretariat and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment of Nigeria.
Global Entrepreneurship Congress Africa (GEC+Africa)
Cape Town, South Africa, 2024
Speaker, Ministerial Roundtable
DCO General Assembly & International Digital Cooperation Forum
Kuwait, 2026
Ministerial Panel on Cross-Regional Collaboration; Panel on AI.
Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI), Unstoppable Africa, UNGA
New York, USA, 2024
Moderator, high-level panel on timbuktoo UNDP initiative and African innovation financing.
Skoll World Forum
Oxford, UK, 2026
Fellow and speaker
DCO General Assembly & Digital Youth Dialogue
Manama, Bahrain, 2024
Speaker and co-facilitator on digital economy and youth empowerment.
AfriLabs Annual Gathering
2016–2025
Founder, Host, and Keynote Speaker, hosted across 9 African countries, including by the African Union Commission and the United Nations Office in Nairobi/UNDP timbuktoo.
World Government Summit
Dubai, UAE, 2023
Panel speaker on Africa’s innovation economy and digital governance
India-Africa Entrepreneurship & Investment Summit
Nairobi, Kenya, 2025
Speaker and workshop facilitator on cross-continental trade and investment linkages.
Africa Startup Conference
Algiers, Algeria, 2023
Speaker, Ministerial Roundtable.
IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings
Washington DC, USA, 2025
Speaker, timbuktoo UNDP panel on Investment and Policies for Startup Scale.
Global Inclusive FinTech Summit
Kigali, Rwanda, 2023
Keynote on ‘Capital Meets Policy’.
Sterling One Foundation & UNGCNN - Private Sector Roundtable
Lagos, Nigeria, 2025
Speaker on Catalytic Financing for Innovation in Africa.
SOCAP Global
San Francisco, USA, 2023
Speaker, State of Africa track
Korea-Africa Summit
Seoul, South Korea, 2024
Speaker on policies for Korean and African startups.
Opportunities in Africa Summit, UNGA
New York, USA, 2023
Featured speaker on African innovation and investment.
UN Global Compact Roundtable, Africa CEO Forum
Kigali, Rwanda, 2024
Speaker, Global Conversations Roundtable on sustainable business and African economic transformation.
Global Market Conference
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 2023
Speaker on Alternate Pathways to Education and Skills.
Skoll World Forum
Oxford, UK, 2024
Fellow and speaker on social entrepreneurship and African innovation ecosystems.
TEDx Abuja
Abuja, Nigeria, 2023
Presentation: ‘Building Communities: A Tool for Innovation’.
ITU Broadband Commission, Annual Fall Meeting, UNGA
New York, USA, 2024
Speaker, ITU Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development annual fall session.
GITEX Africa
Marrakech, Morocco, 2023
Speaker, ‘Disrupting the Status Quo: Strategies for Building Most Inclusive and Innovative Tech Ecosystems’.
Speaking Enquires
Anna is available for keynotes, panel discussions, fireside chats, and moderated conversations at global forums, corporate events, and policy convenings.
Ready To Build Something That Lasts?
Whether you’re looking for a strategic advisor, a board voice with continental reach, or a speaker who can move a room, Anna is open to conversations that align with her commitment to advancing Africa’s digital economy and trade.