Billionaires Rabiu, Dangote others honoured at African Women Summit

Nigerian billionaires, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Group and Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group/Dangote Foundation, and Liberia’s Vice President, Jewel Howard Taylor, were among distinguished Africans honoured at the African Women Summit 2021 organised by the Coalition of Women in Africa for Peace and Development (COWAP).

At the event which held on the 5th and 6th of August at Dubai’s Hilton Alhabtoor Hotel in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dangote was named Man of the Year for women empowerment in recognition of his Dangote Foundation’s micro grant programme which empowered 391,000 women with N3.1 billion.

Chairman of BUA Group, Rabiu was honoured as the African Entrepreneur of the Year for his donation of N1 billion to the Nigerian government as COVID-19 response grant. While Liberian Vice President, Jewel Taylor, was decorated as the Trail as Blazer of the Decade for female political participation.

In his address, the founder of COWAP, Belema Meshack-Hart, noted that the need to celebrate people and organizations across Africa that empower the woman and girl child, is a focal point of the NGO.

“Women at all levels are critical to national development, and bear the brunt of hardship, thus anyone empowering them is a hero to us,” Mr. Belema who is a He for She global Ambassador stated.

He added that his life’s goal is to empower the woman and the girl child.

Other awardees at the event include; Hajiya Maryam Mairo Aminu Tambuwal, Wife of the Sokoto State Governor, as Woman of the year Girl child and women empowerment, Hajiya (Dr.) Aisha Bala Mohammad, Sarauniya Bauchi, as Woman of the year Adult Literacy Program for women, Aisha Yahaya Ibrahim, Founder of Aisha Foundation, as Gender Justice Champion, and Ahmed Zaid Saeed Al Shemeli, CEO of Hadarat Global, as He for She African Ambassador.

Others are; Hawa Charfaray, Founder/CEO Training Excellence South Africa, as Most Outstanding Consultant of the Year, Adut Noon Deng of Nation Hopes, as Girl child Education Champion, Purity Abhulimhen, Founder Spangler World, as End Poverty Champion, and Turkish Airline as Most Women Friendly Airline of the Year.

The gala and award night was graced by His Highness Sheikh Majid Rashid other dignitaries from across Africa, the African Diaspora and the United Arab Emirates.

“100 Faces Of Hope” an initiative by COWAP was also launched at the gala night to celebrate annually 100 unsung heroes across Africa. A full list of the 100 Faces Of Hope 2021 can be seen on the website cowapafrika.org.

COWAP is a project put together with an aim to harness the enormous capacity and goodwill of women in Africa by bringing them under a coalition towards achieving 4 (Four) thematic points, which aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); peace in Africa; girl-child education; ending hunger in Africa and ending poverty in Africa.