Olori Atuwatse III, wife of the Olu of Warri, has urged African leaders to adopt investor-friendly policies and strengthen institutions to attract capital from Africans on the continent and in the diaspora, saying such reforms are essential to unlocking Africa’s wealth and accelerating its economic transformation.
She said Africa could not achieve sustainable prosperity without creating an enabling environment that allows its people, particularly entrepreneurs and investors of African descent abroad, to establish businesses, access opportunities and benefit from the continent’s economic potential.
Speaking at the Elevate Africa Convening 2026 in Accra, Olori Atuwatse III stressed that Africa must move from celebrating its cultural influence to building businesses and institutions that generate wealth for its people.
She expressed concern that despite the growing global popularity of African music, films and fashion, the continent earns only about $1 from every $100 generated through global trade in creative goods.
“Our soft power should do more than make the world lean in. It should make the world buy in,” she said, emphasising the need for Africans to own their brands, intellectual property and distribution platforms.
She cited the success of Hollywood and South Korea’s entertainment and beauty industries as examples of how cultural influence could be converted into economic power.
The Warri Queen also urged governments to strengthen economic connections with the African diaspora, particularly Black investors in the Americas and Caribbean, through deliberate investment opportunities and mutually beneficial partnerships.
She noted that Africa’s youthful population presented enormous opportunities but warned that political and business institutions must match young people’s ambitions with access to capital, markets and decision-making platforms.
Meanwhile, Ghana’s Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Abla Gomashie, said Africa must redefine its global economic narrative by recognising that its greatest resource was not only its mineral wealth but also its people.
The second-day discussions, held under the theme, “Africa: Defining Her Future,” featured prominent African leaders and development advocates, including Nicole Asinugo, Ama Ofeibea Tetteh and Dr Slyleecia Thompson.
Highlights included the signing of the Accra Declaration by the royal majesties in attendance and the presentation of a $25,000 cheque to Adekola Emmanuel, winner of the 2026 Thread of Africa initiative.
