Abuja: Stakeholders in the creative and innovative sector have called on African youths to take the lead in shaping and branding the continent’s identity through innovation, creativity, and self-defined narratives. The stakeholders made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the 2025 IDCL Africa Conference tagged ‘FUTURECAST AFRICA: Branding Your Identity with Innovation’.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, FutureCast Africa is a clarion call to creators, coders, thinkers, and storytellers across Africa to reclaim the continent’s narrative. They emphasized that failing to integrate branding with innovation and technology would cost Africa visibility, credibility, and cultural sovereignty, allowing others to define the continent in ways that distort truth and dilute its potential.
The Founder of IDCL, Oluwakemi Olorede, stressed that FutureCast Africa was organized to bring all stakeholders together to showcase the African brand. “We see Africa as a talented and growing place where everybody can grow, develop, and stand tall. Africa is growing fast, and we are all part of this movement,” she remarked. Olorede highlighted the need for business owners and others to effectively package, rebrand, and position themselves on social media to ensure visibility.
Dr. Dotun Babatunde, Head of Digital Marketing at Olam Grains Nigeria, noted that it is now easier than ever to tell the African story due to the abundance of platforms available. “If you do not tell your story, they will tell it for you. So, you have to find out what works for you, where your audience is, and tell your story,” he advised, urging Africans to unite and narrate their stories, leveraging social media platforms to do so.
Mr. Aro Leonard, Founder of Klevaro Communications, reiterated the conference’s objective to inspire a shift in mindset among youths. He stated that while the technology and platforms are available, acceptance and utilization are crucial for progress. “As media organizations, communications people, government, and business people, we should begin to appreciate these platforms and use them to push ourselves forward,” Leonard advocated, highlighting the global achievements of Nigerians and the need for robust communication to propel further progress.