The LSE Africa Summit is an annual student-led conference that showcases Africa's expertise and global contribution, promoting debate around the continent's contemporary challenges and opportunities. Gathering renowned scholars, leading politicians, change-makers, activists and forward-thinking entrepreneurs, the Summit provides a unique platform for sharing ideas and nurturing relationships, translating thought into meaningful action. Today, the LSE Africa Summit is the biggest event of its kind in Europe.
The LSE Africa Summit 2025 will be held in March 2025 and applications to be part of the organising committee are now open!
Deadline to apply is October 15, 2025.
For more information and to find out how to book tickets, please visit the Africa Summit website.
First established by LSE students and held in 2014, the two-day conference has since earned a reputation for centring afro-centric scholarship and exploring issues critically, in response to a rapidly evolving continent. Each year a new student team designs, fundraises and delivers the Summit, supported by the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa. Panel discussions and keynote speeches are often accompanied by practical workshops, concerts and exhibitions.
In 2014, the founders of the Summit created the event to overturn narratives of the continent as diseased, hungry and underdeveloped. This ethos speaks to understanding Africa as a diverse region best articulated by those on the continent, which includes both the influential and the marginalised.
2024 LSE Africa Summit
The 2024 LSE Africa Summit took place in March 2024, focusing on the theme "African Minds Transforming Futures." This impactful event brought together policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders from across Africa and its diaspora to discuss the future of education and its critical role in sustainable development on the continent. Panel discussions and workshops addressed topics such as resilient education systems, technological innovations, and the role of African scholars in global academia. Attendees engaged in insightful conversations aimed at fostering collaboration and shaping Africa's educational landscape for future generations.
For more information on the Summit please visit the Africa Summit website.
2023 LSE Africa Summit
The 2023 Summit was held on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 March. The weekend's programme included panel discussions and policy workshops, around the theme: 'The Now and Next Generation'. The Summit brought together policymakers, academics, and industry leaders from the continent to highlight the importance of African youth to future decision making.
Follow this link to see the programme for the 2023 LSE Africa Summit.
Speakers
The Summit has brought together Heads of State, prestigious academics, senior government officials, visionary entrepreneurs, influential artists, philanthropists and leading thinkers from across Africa and its diaspora.
Politicians have included Presidents, Vice Presidents and Supreme Court Justices from Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Mauritius and Ethiopia including Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Yemi Osibanjo and Meaza Ashenafi, as well as leading policymakers such as Dr Donald Kaberuka (former president of the African Development Bank), Ibukun Awosika (chairman of First Bank of Nigeria), Dr Albert Zeufack (Chief Economist for Africa at the World Bank) and Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area, Wamkele Mene. Many more special guests have included film director and actress Genevieve Nnaji, Founder of WorldRemit Ismail Ahmed, musician Sean Kuti, activist and academic Stella Nyanzi and Cristina Duarte, the United Nations Special Advisor on Africa.
Themes
Past Summit themes have included Entrepreneurship (2014), Innovative Governance (2015), Africa within a Global Context (2016), African Solutions to African Issues (2017), Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation (2018), Africa’s Future Frontiers (2019),The Global Crisis as a Catalyst for Change (2021) and African Prosperity through Peace, Health and Development (2022). The March 2020 Summit was cancelled to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Visit the Africa Summit website.