Mieko Ikegame

Short CV：

She has worked for the United Nations for 33 years (United Nations Secretariat, United Nations Development Program, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Food Program of the United Nations) and is currently a special advisor to the AUDA-NEPAD President, visiting professor at Yokohama City University, visiting lecturer at the University of Tokyo, representative of the Japan Association of Friends of the United Nations in New York, advisor to the Africa Society, informal advisor to the Africa Committee Council of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, and judge for the Japan Africa Entrepreneurship Consortium.

Comments：

The days of Africa being far away are long gone. When the world’s population reaches 10 billion, Africa’s population will be 4.7 billion, according to the United Nations Demographic Division. This means that the political and economic center of the world will soon be shifted to Africa. The African continent is rich in natural resources and agricultural land. On top of that, it has a dynamic labor force, with over 70% of the population under the age of 25. At least one in two people has a cellular phone, and mobile banking is a pervasive part of their lives. The middle class also accounts for more than a third of the population, and their purchasing power has increased significantly. If you firmly grasp this situation, you will realize that Africa is the future of the world. Africa is the key to future markets and business expansion.