Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani; the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi; Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science & Technology, Olatunbosun Alake and other dignitaries will lead discussants as the Foreign Investment Network (FIN) hosts a high-impact Pre-Event Virtual Forum as a build-up to the FIN Web Conference & AI Expo 2025.
It is instructive to note that the FIN Web Conference & AI Expo will take place on November 16–18, 2025 at the Computer History Museum, Silicon Valley, Northern California, United States.
The theme of the event is titled: “Igniting the Future – AI Innovations Shaping a Sustainable Digital Economy, Connecting to Africa” while the pre-virtual forum will take place on Friday, October 10, 2025, between 5pm and 6pm GMT.
The FIN’s Director, International Communications, Mr Ayo Ayeni, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Monday.
According to Ayeni, the session will spotlight the intersection of AI, investment, sustainability, and Africa’s digital future, convening global tech leaders, investors, innovators, and policymakers for one power hour of insight and action.
Other speakers at the event include: Eric Schmidt (Former CEO, Google); Sabeer Bhatia (Co-Founder, Hotmail); Mark Minevich (Global AI Strategist & Venture Advisor); Mehdi Paryavi (Chairman, IDCA—data-center standards leader); and Prince Nnamdi Ekeh (Group CEO, Konga – a leading African e-commerce innovator driving digital inclusion across the continent) — hosted by Dalith Steiger (Co-Founder, SwissCognitive).
The Host & Moderator of the event, Dalith Steiger (SwissCognitive), is a foremost global AI convener and industry voice, and she is expected to shape the executive dialogues on AI adoption and impact.
The Chairman of FIN, Dr Olayinka Fayomi, will deliver the opening remarks with a topic titled: “Championing Africa–Silicon Valley Investment Bridges and Digital Economy” while Mark Minevich, a Global AI Strategist & Venture Advisor, will deliver the keynote address titled: “Sovereign AI for Inclusive Growth: A Practical 12-Month Roadmap for Africa’s Digital Economy.”
Other keynote speakers are Eric Schmidt — Former CEO, Google and Mehdi Paryavi — Chairman, IDCA, who will deliver a topic titled: “Building AI-Ready Data Centers: Standards, Sustainability, and Sovereign Digital Infrastructure.”
Distinguished global thought leaders at the event include: Sabeer Bhatia — Co-Founder of Hotmail; Prabhav Sharma — AI/Industry Transformation Leader bridging enterprise scale and public value; Wayne Ronhaar — Digital Infrastructure and Sustainability Strategist for AI-Ready Operations; Tim Kline — Enterprise Innovation and Emerging-Tech Commercialization Specialist; Gaurav Dhar — CEO, Marshal Fintech Partners; Dr. Nizar Ben Neji — Former Minister of Communication Technologies, Tunisia; Paula Ingabire — Minister of ICT & Innovation, Rwanda; William Kabogo Gitau — Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Information, Communications & the Digital Economy, Kenya; Enzo Di Taranto — President, Xzen Technologies INC; Samuel Nartey George — Minister for Communication, Digital Technology & Innovations, Ghana; and Sid Ali Zerrouki (TBC) — Minister of Post & Telecommunications, Algeria.
Speaking on the uniqueness of the event, the organisers said, “There is the need for Africa to do the needful at the AI table and it is important to elevate Africa’s leadership in shaping sustainable digital economies.”
On global connectivity, FIN further disclosed that it will ensure direct access to Silicon Valley investors, policymakers, and innovators, saying that it will encourage the stakeholders to showcase experts across AI, fintech, cybersecurity, sustainability, and infrastructure.
The FIN Web Conference & AI Expo 2025 is a premier convening of world leaders, investors, and innovators to shape the digital economy through AI, investment, and sustainability dialogues with a strong Africa–Silicon Valley bridge.
Registration:
Attendance is free with prior registration via: https://finwebconference.com/virtual-pre-event-registration/