The discussion, tagged Africa: The Future is Now will explore among others whether Africa is taking off in general or through isolated cases. It will also explore the champions and engines of success in Africa while also interrgating obstacles to growth and the place of the middle class in providing sustainable development. Governor Ahmed will discuss functional education and entrepreneurship as multidimensional approaches to developing Africa's youth and by extension, its growth.

Other panel members, according to a statement by Dr. Muideen Akorede, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication to Governor Ahmed, are Moncef Cheikh-Rouhou, Professor and Member of the Tunisian Parliament, Prof. Achille Mbembe of Witwatersrand University, South Africa, Magette Wade, founder and CEO of Tiossan, Senegal and Lionel Zinsou, Chairman of PAI Partners, France.

Before the discussion, Governor Ahmed will join nine other finalists for the OECD DAC Awards Ceremony, also in Paris, where the state's highly acclaimed Community Health Insurance Scheme has been shortlisted for an award. The forum will also feature a discussion of PPP ventures in healthcare delivery and the launch of the OECD DAC Publication: Development Cooperation Report 2014.