General Electric (GE)’s Global Vice-Chairman, John Rice will be in Abuja between May 7th –  9th as co-chairman at the 2014 World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA) alongside Alhaji Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man and other eminent business leaders.

Rice, who also serves as GE’s Global Growth and Operations President and Chief Executive Officer will be joined by Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Heineken, Netherlands, Jean-François van Boxmeer, Mineta Diop, Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security, African Union and President, Femmes Africa Solidarité, Switzerland and Global Managing Director, of McKinsey & Company, United Kingdom, Dominic Barton.

Other co-chairs include Telkom Group South Africa Chairman, Jabu A. Mabuza, as well as Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, India, Sunil Bharti Mittal.

An international institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation, the World Economic Forum (WEF) achieves its objectives by engaging academic, business, political and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas.

The Swiss nonprofit foundation is focusing its next event on Africa, with Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria hosting the Forum in its capital city, Abuja.

The WEF on Africa is themed ‘Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs’, as unemployment is seen as one of the greatest problems facing the continent even as economies in sub-Saharan Africa have been recording unprecedented growth in recent times.

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan will declare the forum opened as business leaders across the globe gather to discuss the developmental challenges faced by Africa and create a common ground for both public and private partnership as a way of fostering development on the continent.

Africa’s economic resurgence has been forecast to continue, with projected growth of 5.5 percent in 2014, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

West Africa remains the fastest growing sub-region and continues to attract foreign investors due to a myriad of business opportunities and relative peace – despite the Boko Haram insurgencey in Northern Nigeria and the recent Malian crises. Such opportunities have earmarked to translate to improved economies and  job opportunities for the continent’s large youthful population; these are some of the issues the forum would seek to address.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with over 170 million people, plays a crucial role in the continent’s economic growth, but it is not without its challenges of poor infrastructure and unemployment as it struggles to utilize its natural wealth in solving social challenges.