President of the Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has been appointed Grand Patron of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF), with the business leader urging entrepreneurs to embrace stronger connections, collaboration and partnerships as pathways to economic growth.
Dangote made the call after receiving the certificate of appointment during a visit by the board of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival.
The appointment, which was formally presented by a delegation led by GEF President, Dr. Summy Smart Francis, also came with special recognition for Dangote’s contributions to entrepreneurship, business development and economic transformation across Africa.
Speaking after receiving the honour, Dangote said the greatest value of the initiative lies in its ability to connect entrepreneurs and businesses from different regions and create opportunities for collaboration.
“The main benefit of this is actually the connection. It is about connecting, merging and seeing what people can do together.”
He added that the platform would bring together entrepreneurs from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and other parts of the world, allowing them to explore opportunities for partnerships and joint ventures.
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“It is a great pleasure to receive this award, and I promise I will do my best,” Dangote said.
GEF Seeks Stronger Entrepreneurial Partnerships
Dr. Summy Smart Francis, speaking on behalf of the GEF board, said Dangote’s experience in building businesses and investing across various sectors of the African economy would add value to the festival’s mission.
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The festival’s board is chaired by Dan Vatovic in Colorado, United States.
According to the organizer’s, Dangote’s involvement is expected to strengthen efforts to connect established business leaders with emerging entrepreneurs, investors and institutions while expanding opportunities for enterprise development across Africa and beyond.
The appointment was facilitated by Dr. Elizabeth Jack-Rich, Vice Chairman of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival, who has also been involved in the organization’s mentorship initiatives.
Jack-Rich Highlights Importance of Mentorship
Speaking during the engagement, Jack-Rich said her own experience as a mentee had contributed significantly to her growth and motivated her to support the expansion of mentorship opportunities to a much larger number of entrepreneurs.
“For me, as a mentee, I have seen tremendous growth since I joined the mentorship programme,” she said.
“That was why I reached out to extend such mentorship to millions of entrepreneurs out there, and I am so grateful for its acceptance.”
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Her remarks underscored the festival’s emphasis on mentorship, networking and collaboration as tools for helping entrepreneurs develop sustainable businesses.
Global Entrepreneurship Festival Heads to Egypt
The 2026 Global Entrepreneurship Festival is scheduled to take place in Cairo, Egypt, from November 6 to 8.
The event is expected to bring together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, innovators, policymakers and other stakeholders from different parts of the world for networking, business collaboration, investment discussions and knowledge sharing.
With Dangote taking on the role of Grand Patron, the festival is positioning itself around stronger connections between entrepreneurs, capital, markets, institutions and established business leaders.
For African entrepreneurs, the organizers say the gathering will provide opportunities to build partnerships and explore new avenues for business expansion and economic development.
