UK minister of State for Africa commends WISH Africa for impactful maiden edition

At the main expo hall of Olympia London, Kensington on the 8th and 9th of June 2019, WISH Africa brought together the best minds from Africa and the Diaspora to share their experiences and achievements in their respective fields.

Focusing on four countries from four corners of the African continent: Morocco (representing the North), Kenya (representing the East), Nigeria (representing the West) and South Africa (representing the South), the expo also featured educational cultural installations by Vlisco&Co, MOE+ artArchitecture and UNESCO and a marketplace showcasing premium African goods.

Speaking at the event, Harriet Baldwin, the UK Minister of State for Africa, said: WISH Africa is a fantastic showcase for the strength of the UK’s partnerships with so many African countries’.

The WISH Africa Expo 2019 was supported by Dangote Group, Orange Island Development Company, Bank of Industry (BOI) Nigeria, Vlisco&Co, 21st Century Technologies Limited, Kuramo Capital Management, W8 Advisory, The Chris Ogunbanjo Foundation, MOE+ artArchitecture, IDD UK, Eva Sonaike and Pop Up Africa.

The expo will travel next to Nigeria, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa in the coming years.

WISH Africa is a social enterprise in the form of a media and marketing platform focused on culture, commerce and its development in Africa.

The mission is to promote a more positive image of Africa and Africans on the continent and in the diaspora.

WISH Africa believes that this in turn will lead to greater cultural understanding, greater inter and extra African commerce, and that this, in turn, can impact positively on the socio-economic development of the continent. WISH Africa is founded by Lola Emeruwa.

IFEOMA OKEKE

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.