Tony Elumelu
[AAI’s 60th Anniversary]
AAI Awards Gala to honor Tony Elumelu, Nigerian financier and philanthropist, and Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, CEO of UN Sustainable Energy for All Initiative
Chevron will receive Corporate Award
The Africa-America Institute, a leading New York-based international education and policy organization, will host a spectacular 60th Anniversary Awards Gala on Wednesday, September 25 at the New York Hilton in New York City. For 60 years, AAI has been dedicated to advancing education and professional training for Africans, and promoting engagement between Africa and America through education, training and dialogue.
Held annually during the opening week of the United Nations General Assembly, distinguished U.S. and African leaders and top diplomats will gather for one of the most high profile Africa-focused event in New York City.
At the Anniversary Gala, AAI will present the African Union on the occasion of its 50th anniversary with the first-ever AAI Institutional Legacy Award, in recognition of the organizations’ intertwining histories since their respective creation. AAI will pay tribute to the African Union/ Organization of African Unity, predecessor organization to the AU, in liberating African countries and fostering development, peace and security in Africa. H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, the first female Chair of the African Union Commission, will accept the award on behalf of the African Union.
Tony Elumelu, a Nigerian entrepreneur, a philanthropist and the Chairman of Heirs Holdings Limited, will receive the 2013 AAI Leadership Award in Business and Philanthropy award. Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, newly-appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, will receive the 2013 AAI Distinguished Alumnus Award. A native of Sierra Leone, Yumkella previously served as former Director-General of the United Nations Industrialization Development Organization (UNIDO). Chevron will receive the 2013 AAI Corporate Award for its corporate responsibility initiatives across Africa.
Broadway Star Thuli Dumakude will perform at the Awards Gala.
The Gala program will feature a “Conversation on Africa’s Past, Present and Future”. President of Ghana H.E. President John Dramani Mahama and President of Tanazina H.E. Jakaya Kikwete are confirmed to participate in the Conversation. The other invited African Heads of State include Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Chair of the African Union H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn; President of Namibia H.E. Hifikepunye Lucas Pohamba; President of Nigeria H.E. Goodluck Jonathan; and President of South Africa H.E. Jacob Zuma.
This year’s major corporate sponsors are Chevron, Norton Rose Fulbright, SNR Denton, Schlumberger, Exxon Mobil, Shell and The Coca-Cola Company.
Founded in 1953, the Africa-America Institute (AAI) this year celebrates its 60 year anniversary by commemorating its ongoing mission to help strengthen Africa’s human capacity through advanced education and professional training for Africans, educating Americans about Africa, and leveraging the capacities of the AAI Alumni Network—a multinational, multigenerational, and multidisciplinary force for positive change, and resource for expertise, in Africa.
For more information on AAI visit www.aaionline.org
AAI’s Career Expo is next week.
