The Focus Africa event was held at LUMS, and through a combination of presentations, CV clinics and ‘on the spot’ interviews gave students a chance to discover more about the opportunities opening up through the continent’s growing economic success.

As the lead organiser Nom Habu (MSc Quantitative Finance) explained, “Africa, with a population of over 1.1 billion people, has seen a massive increase in foreign direct investment in the last ten years. Six of the continent’s 54 countries are now among the world’s fastest growing economies. Despite the challenges in Africa, this growth has opened up opportunities in various sectors for skilled professions.

“We organised this event to give students at Lancaster and other universities a platform to connect with employers in Africa, network with other African students and celebrate Africa.”

The event was opened by the University Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Smith, and was followed by an address by the Ghanaian High Commissioner in the UK, Ambassador Victor Emmanuel Smith.  The keynote speech was given by Oluwafunke Amobi, Head of Human Capital for Stanbic IBTC Holdings, part of Africa’s largest banking group. Funke is a Lancaster graduate who completed her MBA at Lancaster in 2008.