Business advisory and leadership powerhouse, Tarragon Edge, has officially commenced hosting the highly anticipated 10th-anniversary celebration of the HIVE Africa Global Leaders Program (11.0) at the Alisa Hotel North Ridge.
The milestone event, which marks a decade of cultivating high-impact leadership across the continent, is being steered under the strategic vision of Dr. Genevieve Pearl Duncan, Founder of Tarragon Edge and Chairperson of the HIVE Africa Advisory Board.
Setting a profound tone for the 4-day summit, Dr. Duncan delivered a powerful charge to the gathered delegates on the core philosophy of transformative leadership:
“Purpose gives leadership its direction, service gives it meaning, and impact gives it legacy.”
Dr. Genevieve Pearl Duncan, Founder of Tarragon Edge & Chairperson, HIVE Africa Advisory Board
The gala night was a showcase of African identity, enterprise, and economic potential, carefully curated to reflect the host organization’s commitment to continental growth.
Delegates, diplomats, and business leaders were enveloped in the rich cultural heritage of the host nation, greeted by the rhythms and energetic choreography of a traditional Kpanlogo cultural troupe.
Tarragon Edge facilitated a bustling mini-market that captured the attention of attendees. Beyond standard arts and crafts, local vendors proudly displayed a wide array of value-added African innovations, ranging from male and female clothing and intricate bead jewelry to indigenous health products and locally packaged organic foods, signaling a thriving African agro-processing sector.
The overwhelming majority of delegates proudly donned stunning traditional wear, showcasing a rich tapestry of Kente, boubous, and modern African prints. The cultural display was so pronounced, standardizing an authentic African aesthetic on the global stage.
Though hosted by Tarragon Edge in Ghana, the summit boasts a massive pan-African footprint, drawing heavy representation from powerhouse nations including Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia, Cote D’ Voire. Organizers capitalized on this diverse gathering by initiating a five-minute networking blitz that instantly galvanized the room with cross-continental exchanges and collaborations.
Complacency is toxic — Dr. Imran Choonara
Delivering a heavy-hitting charge to the delegates, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Crown International, South Africa, Dr. Imran Choonara, cautioned African leaders against resting on past achievements.
“As leaders, we support others to find their path or potential,” Dr. Choonara noted, before using a vivid metaphor to warn against institutional stagnation during milestone celebrations.
“Celebration without vision is stagnation. We celebrate so much and forget the vision for the future. When water is flowing you can drink it. But when water stays in a place for too long it becomes toxic, and can kill. We should not be thinking about what we have achieved; we should be thinking about those who are yet to join HIVE. Leaders influence.”
Dr. Imran Choonara, CEO of Crown International
Integrate people, purpose, and performance — Dr. Stella Agyenim-Boateng
Adding a critical governance and administrative lens to the evening, the Vice Chairman of the Public Services Commission of Ghana, Dr. Stella Agyenim-Boateng, challenged the audience to adopt an entirely new leadership paradigm.
Dr. Agyenim-Boateng warned that old leadership models built primarily on authority, hierarchy, status, and control are glaringly becoming unsustainable and “spineless” in tackling modern realities. Instead, she noted that Africa’s sustainable success relies heavily on how leaders value and cultivate their human capital.
“The future of Africa belongs to leaders who understand that sustainable success of our continent depends on the effective integration of three critical elements that must be applied as common denominators for an effective forward move—and these three are people, purpose, and performance. These are not competing priorities; they are actually mutually reinforcing pillars of effective leadership.”
Dr. Stella Agyenim-Boateng, Vice Chairman, Public Services Commission
She further reminded the corporate and public leaders in attendance that while structural assets are important, human resource remains the ultimate catalyst for change. “Technology may accelerate processes, infrastructure may support growth, and capital may finance development, but it is people who innovate. It is people who create, it is people who solve problems, and it’s people who drive transformation,” she stated, adding that Africa’s greatest resource lies directly within the ingenuity of its youth.
From recipients to architects
On her part, the Director of Administration for the Transport Secretariat (FCTA) in Nigeria, Dr. Mrs. Nanre Emeje, electrified the gathering by declaring an end to the historical deficit narratives long imposed on the continent.
Dr. Emeje observed that for generations, the global community has looked at the continent through a negative lens, but insisted that the tide has completely turned.
“The question associated with Africa for a long time has always been: ‘What is wrong with Africa?'” Dr. Emeje stated. “Today, the question is: ‘What is Africa building? And how can we be a part of this?’ Gone are the days when Africa was just a recipient. Africa is now an architect.”
Celebrating Impact: The 2026 Awards Roll
The high-profile gala evening reached its climax with the presentation of the 2026 Africa Alumni Exceptional Leader Awards and global excellence honors, celebrating individuals making tangible interventions in health, governance, and social enterprise.
The full honors roll for the night included:
Decade of Impacting Leadership Award: Grace Osula (CEO, HIVE Africa)
HIVE Impact Global Award:
Dr. Ibrahim Mahama
Distinguished Leadership & Impact Award (Health, Education, Women’s Reproductive & Mental Health):
Prof. Promise Emmanuel Sefogah
HIVE Africa Global Leaders Award For Excellence:
Eng. Ayoola Olatunji,
Amb. Alhaji Salamu Amadu,
Mr. Asuquo Emmanuel Umoh.
2026 Africa Alumni Exceptional Leader Awards:
Mad. Helen Nkoli Nkedo,
Dr. Fatima Muhammad.
With the opening gala concluding on an incredibly high note, Tarragon Edge leads the delegates into the upcoming strategy sessions of the Main Conference, armed with a renewed mandate to actively engineer and execute the continent’s future development.
