By Our Reporter.
Eur Ing (Amb.) Dr. Chinedu Ogwus, an accomplished European engineer, diplomat, and global development reformer, has once again placed Africa firmly on the international stage. On Saturday, September 20, at the Royal National Hotel, London, he was honored with the prestigious Africa–UK Best Procurement Practices Champion Award during the Africa–UK Trade and Investment Conference and Awards 2025.
But beyond the honor, it was his keynote address that electrified the gathering. Speaking on the theme, “Green Trade and Climate-Smart Investment: A Shared Agenda for Africa and the UK,” Dr. Ogwus captured the attention of policymakers, investors, and business leaders from both regions with a message that was at once urgent, visionary, and deeply practical.
“Green trade is Africa’s gateway to prosperity. Climate-smart investment will open new industries, create jobs for millions of our young people, and position Nigeria and the continent as leaders in the global green economy,” he declared to resounding applause.
With over 60% of Africa’s population under 25, Ogwus highlighted that the continent’s future depends on empowering its youth through climate-smart opportunities. He stressed that renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green technology innovation are not just environmental imperatives but pathways to mass employment, innovation, and global competitiveness.
In his keynote, Dr. Ogwus painted vivid possibilities that lit up the imagination of the delegates. He spoke of renewable energy industries that could raise a new generation of African engineers and technicians, climate-smart agriculture that would not only feed the continent but establish Africa as a global food exporter, and green technology innovations that would turn waste into wealth through the creativity of Africa’s tech-savvy youth.
He further stressed that eco-certified exports would grant African goods stronger access to European markets, where environmental standards now dictate competitiveness.
“Our youths are not just the workforce of tomorrow; they are the innovators of today,” Ogwus emphasized, his words met with loud applause. “If Africa embraces green trade and climate-smart investment, Nigerian youths will become exporters of innovation to the world not seekers of opportunity.”
According to Dr. Ogwus, green trade is commerce done with conscience a model of producing and exchanging goods that reduces carbon emissions, conserves natural resources, and safeguards ecosystems. In contrast, he defined climate-smart investment as the strategic flow of financial resources into projects that both protect economies from climate risks and unlock new avenues for prosperity, ranging from solar farms and eco-housing to drought-resistant crops and waste-to-energy innovations.
This clear and practical framing resonated strongly with delegates. UK policymakers and African stakeholders alike were seen nodding in agreement, signaling that Ogwus’s intervention was not lofty rhetoric but a grounded roadmap for Africa’s sustainable economic transformation.
The London conference, themed “Evolving a New Framework for Trade and Investment Between Africa and the UK Within the Changing Global Economy,” brought together high-level delegates from governments, multinational trade institutions, and civil society. Yet, it was Ogwus’s keynote—tying climate action to youth empowerment—that left the most lasting impression.
Observers noted that Dr. Ogwus is fast becoming one of Africa’s strongest reformist voices on the global stage—bridging diplomacy, engineering expertise, and grassroots development advocacy. From energy transition strategies in Kigali earlier this year to his call for climate-smart entrepreneurship in London, he is building a profile as a continental gift to Africa’s future.
As the applause filled the Royal National Hotel, it became clear that this was more than an award night—it was the unveiling of a new continental agenda. One where Africa’s youth are empowered, where trade is both profitable and sustainable, and where leaders like Chinedu Ogwus stand as torchbearers of a greener, smarter, and more prosperous Africa.
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