Prince Cletus Ilobanafor, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of CEOAFRICA, is set to attend a high-level African Union (AU) workshop aimed at empowering youth through African language innovation and digital technology. The event, organized by the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), will be held from May 27 to 28, 2025, at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The two-day operational workshop will focus on the establishment of the ACALAN Continental Youth Committee for the Empowerment of African Languages (ACYCEAL). With the theme “Empowering African Youth through Language Innovation and Digital Technologies,” the gathering is expected to bring together language experts, technologists, policymakers, and youth leaders from across the continent.
Prince Cletus, whose media organization CEOAFRICA has long championed African visibility on the global stage, will contribute to discussions on mobilizing youth engagement and shaping innovative strategies to drive linguistic empowerment.
“I will be there to contribute to the mobilization of youth engagement and foster innovative strategies that will drive linguistic empowerment across the continent,” he said ahead of his departure.
The initiative is aligned with key African Union frameworks, including Aspiration 5 of the AU Agenda 2063, the Language Plan of Action for Africa (LPAA), and ACALAN’s Strategic Plan (2022–2032). The workshop will feature expert presentations, panel sessions, and collaborative working groups dedicated to drafting an operational framework and concrete action plans for ACYCEAL.
Prince Cletus also expressed interest in participating in policy-level discussions, particularly those linked to Assembly Decision 796, which promotes Kiswahili as a working language of the AU, and the ongoing observance of the Decade of African Languages.
A member of the African Languages Week Coordinating Committee (ALWCC), Prince Cletus emphasized the importance of digital collaboration. “Collaboration among youth, developers, and investors in language technology is vital for achieving our goals,” he noted.
The workshop is anticipated to serve as a pivotal moment for reinforcing the role of African languages in digital innovation and youth empowerment, while strengthening continental identity and cultural preservation in the 21st century.