Johannesburg – More than 15 000 people joined a virtual global audience to hear Bill Gates speak on “Innovating for Food Security and Climate Change in Africa”.
The hybrid event on was streamed live from the University of Nairobi and hosted online by Africa.com (www.Africa.com).
It was the largest such event in Africa.com’s history,
Registrants from 131 countries included 51 African countries and 80 countries in the rest of the world.
3 500+ Kenyan university students, 900+ university students from the rest of Africa and the world registered for the virtual audience.
Pan-African and international journalist, Uduak Amimo, moderated the live discussion in Nairobi.
She introduced questions from the audience seated in the University of Nairobis Chandaria Centre For Performing Arts while Teresa Clarke, Chair of Africa.com, hosted the thousands who tuned in virtually from around the world.
In his first trip to Africa since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Gates announced the foundation would spend more than $7 billion over the next four years to support African countries and institutions working to develop and implement innovative approaches to confront hunger, disease, gender inequality, and poverty.
Gates said Africas young people have the talent and opportunity to accelerate progress and help solve the worlds most pressing problems.
Africa.com facilitated online surveys & polls during the event where both the in-person audience and the virtual audience were invited to participate.
- 94% of those polled said they are feeling the effects of climate change.
- 89% believe food supplies and prices are especially vulnerable to climate change in sub-Saharan Africa.
