The six winners of the Rebranding Africa Award 2022 were honored for their actions that are said to be propelling Africa to the forefront of the world stage in the quest for a lucid and positive narrative on the continent.
The awards ceremony took place during the 8th Rebranding Africa Forum held on October 21 in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on the theme “What strategies of attractiveness of African countries?”. The 9th edition of the Rebranding Africa Forum will be held on October 20 and 21, 2023 on the theme: “African financial systems in mutation, reconciling authenticity and modernity: the paths of financial inclusion”.
Highly anticipated, the Rebranding Africa Awards once again highlighted talented personalities in 6 categories: Media leadership Rebranding Africa Award; Empowering women Rebranding Africa Award; Business leadership rebranding Award; Development champion Rebranding Award; Lifetime achievement Rebranding Award as well as Governance leadership Rebranding award.
Media Leadership Rebranding Africa Award: Seidik Abba
The Media Leadership Rebranding Africa Award, presented to journalist and research associate, Seidik Abba, aims at rewarding a media or a man of the media who has distinguished himself for his action in favor of the African continent. The prize was awarded to Seidik Abba in recognition of his brilliant career as a journalist and his invaluable contribution to the understanding of the security crisis in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, through various reference books.
Journalist-writer and academic, Seidik Abba was the central editor of the pan-African weekly Jeune-Afrique and Head of the Paris office of the Pan-African News Agency (PANAPRESS). A former columnist and reporter for Le Monde Afrique (Le Monde Group), he has been regularly analyzing African news on international media for several years, particularly crises on the continent.
Seidik Abba is a research associate at the Hauts-de-France Polytechnic University in northern France, where he has completed his doctoral thesis in Information and Communication Sciences (ICS). His interests include security, political and development issues in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin.
He is the author of several books that are references, including “Journey from the Heart of Boko Haram: Investigation of the Jihad in Sub-Saharan Africa” and “To Understand Boko Haram, Mali-Sahel, our own Afghanistan …
“Empowering Women” Rebranding Africa Award: Apolline Traoré
The Empowering Women Rebranding Africa Award, presented to filmmaker and director Apolline Traoré, is given to a woman (or a group of women) whose daily leadership reflects the prominent place of women in building a positive narrative on the African continent.
Apolline Traoré, it is indicated, was rewarded for her unquestionable leadership in the world of African cinema and her immense cinematographic talent that highlights, for several years, the daily struggle of women for the emergence of the African continent.
Born in 1976 in Ouagadougou to a diplomat father, Apolline Traoré travels the world through her father’s work. At the age of 17, the family moved to the United States, where Apolline Traoré studied at Emerson College in Boston, a renowned institution in the fields of art and communication.
Apolline Traoré has directed several short films: “The Price of Ignorance” in 2000, about a rape victim in Boston, USA, and “Kounandi” (The Lucky Person) in 2003, about a rejected dwarf. The latter film was selected for the 2004 Toronto International Film Festival.
Apolline Traoré produced her first feature film in 2004, entitled “Sous la clarté de la lune”.
In 2005, she returned to Burkina Faso, where she worked with Idrissa Ouedraogo. In 2008, she directed the television series “Le Testament”, before experiencing success with the feature films “Moi Zaphira”, in 2013, “Frontiers” in 2018 and “Desrances” in 2019. This last film was awarded two prizes, obtained in February 2017 at the Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou (Fespaco).
Appoline Traoré is also the Ambassador of the National Museum of Burkina Faso.
Business leadership Rebranding Awards: Dr. Sidi Ould Tah
This prize, awarded to Dr. Sidi OULD TAH, Director General of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), aims to distinguish an actor whose approach, positioning and leadership have been outstanding in the business world. The award was presented to him for his brilliant performance which enabled BADEA’s capital to be increased by 370% in 2022 and for his leadership at the head of an institution that contributes significantly to the development of African countries.
Dr. Sidi Ould TAH was born on 31 December 1964 in Mederdra, Mauritania.
He was unanimously elected Director General of BADEA by the Board of Governors of the Bank during its 40th meeting held in Kuwait on 7 April 2015. He assumed his duties on 1st July 2015.
Dr Sidi Ould TAH holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Nice-Sophia-Antipolis (France), and a D.E.A in Economics from the University of Paris VII. He also holds a diploma in general economic studies and a master’s degree in economics from the University of Nouakchott. Dr Ould TAH is fluent in three languages, namely Arabic, French and English.
In addition, Dr Ould TAH has attended several training sessions conducted by prestigious institutions (Harvard Institute for International Development (USA), London Business School (UK), and Swiss Finance Institute (Switzerland)), in the field of investment, leadership, asset management and financial engineering.
Dr Ould TAH, started his career as an executive at the Mauritanian Bank for Development and Trade (BMDC), between 1984 and 1986, then, as a financial analyst at the Food Security Commission (1986). In 1987, he became the administrative and financial director of the municipality of Nouakchott. In 1988, Dr Ould TAH joined the Autonomous Port of Nouakchott, where he was advisor to the Director General and Director of the Internal Audit Department.
During the period 1996-1999, he held the position of Financial Analyst at the Arab Authority for Investment and Agricultural Development (AAIDA), based in Khartoum, before joining the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group in Jeddah, He then joined the Islamic Development Bank Group (IDB) in Jeddah as Investment Promotion Officer in the Islamic Corporation for Export Credit Insurance and Investment Guarantee (1999-2003), and then as Technical Assistant to the President of the Group, a position he held until his appointment in 2006 as Advisor to the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, in charge of investment.
In 2007, Dr Ould TAH was appointed advisor to the Prime Minister of Mauritania, in charge of infrastructure and in July 2008, Minister of Economy and Finance. Since August 2008, he was Minister of Economic Affairs and Development of Mauritania until his election as Head of BADEA.
Development Champion Rebranding Award: Abdoulaye Bio Tchané
The Development Champion Rebranding Africa Award, presented to Abdoulaye Bio Tchane, Minister of State for Development and Government Action of the Republic of Benin, recognizes a major player for his leadership, vision and exceptional action in favor of development on the African continent. The award was given to him for his imprint and his significant contribution to the implementation of the National Development Plan “Benin Revealed” which now places Benin in the category of middle-income countries with the best growth within WAEMU.
A renowned economist and financier, Abdoulaye Bio Tchané served as Director of the Africa Department of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) before becoming President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD) in 2008. From May 1998 to January 2002, Abdoulaye Bio Tchane was appointed Minister of Economy and Finance of Benin under President Mathieu Kerekou. His time in office was marked by the consolidation of public finances and an economic growth rate that exceeded 6% in 2001.
Born in 1952, Abdoulaye Bio Tchané joined the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) at the age of 27, where he started as an economist and worked his way up to become director of studies at the bank’s headquarters in Dakar. It was under his direction that the first stock exchange in Abidjan was set up.
Governance leadership Rebranding award: Mustapha Niasse
In recognition of his exemplary leadership as head of the National Assembly of Senegal from 2012 to 2022, his brilliant political career and his significant contribution to strengthening his country’s democracy, the jury of the Rebranding Africa Award has decided to award Moustapha Niasse, former president of the National Assembly of the Republic of Senegal.
A statesman with a rich career, Moustapha Niasse was the chief of staff of former Presidents Léopold Sédar Senghor and Abdou Diouf. Several times minister, he was also the head of government of Abdou Diouf and Abdoulaye Wade. Involved in politics in the party of Léopold Senghor since he was 17 years old, even before independence, Mustapha Niasse led the National Assembly of Senegal for a decade, from 2012 to 2022.
Lifetime achievement Rebranding Award: André Flahaut
In recognition of his rich political career, his attachment to humanist values and his invaluable commitment to strengthening relations between Belgium and the African continent, the jury of the Rebranding Africa Award honored André Flahaut, Minister of State and Honorary President of the House of Representatives (National Assembly) of the Kingdom of Belgium.
A prominent Belgian socialist politician, André Flahaut was President of the House of Representatives from July 20, 2010 to June 30, 2014, during the 53rd legislature. During his eight years as Minister of Defense, he initiated an in-depth reform of the national defense and strongly boosted the military cooperation between Belgium and the African continent.
