This week at the World Economic Forum – May 9

Welcome to this week’s update from the World Economic Forum.

Most shared this week

Techno-political transformation. Professor Klaus Schwab on how talent, innovation and technology are changing what it means to lead.

#WEFAfrica is a conversation for the whole of Africa, says @eskanza (meme).

On Forum:Blog

#BringBackOurGirls and protect all Nigeria’s children. Gordon Brown on the launch of the Safer Schools Initiative. And Saadia Zahidi on the obstacles girls face to getting an education in Africa.

How Africa tweets. From activism to ice cream, with Zulu, Swahili and Xhosa languages on the rise. Also: what the MOOC can do for Africa, a new kind of entrepreneur, and how to get more Africans online.

Seven reasons to be optimistic about Africa. From the “Silicon Valley of Banking” to the rise of individual freedom. Also: Three ways investment is changing, and how Africa’s innovation will transform the world.

Lagos – city of dreams and nightmares. The UN’s Amina Mohammed on how one Nigerian city encapsulates the complex future of development.

Demographic boon or burden? Young Africans need jobs and governments need to wake up, says Global Shaper Chude Jideonwo.

Turning green shoots into green growth. Africa’s smallholder farmers need better access to finance, says the head of Grow Africa.

On the trail of Ebola. A Young Global Leader on African clinics and the fight against infectious diseases. Also: a view on the links between health and wealth.

The World Economic Forum in the news

It’s time for the real Africa to stand up. Elsie Kanza on optimism, talent, trade – and challenges. (World Post) It’s not just about growth, it’s about the right kind of growth. (AllAfrica.com) Five minutes with the Forum’s Head of Africa. (Pulse)

The World Economic Forum: a much needed vote for Nigeria – and a platform for the world to see a new side of Africa. (AllAfrica.com)

What inclusive growth means for Nigeria. Philipp Rösler on sub-Saharan Africa’s economic engine. (AllAfrica.com)

Nigeria’s president vows to free kidnapped girls. Opening the meeting, President Goodluck Jonathan thanked the global community for its support, and spoke of Nigeria’s efforts to end terrorism and create jobs. (Reuters) The president sees the abductions as a “turning point.” (BBC)

Nigerian business launches $10m Safer Schools fund. (ThisDay, ChannelsTV, Punch, Leadership, Premium Times) The pilot scheme will identify the most at risk schools, involve local communities, the security services and children themselves. (ahramonline)

World Economic Forum on Africa focuses on bilateral relations and intra-Africa trade (CCTV). World leaders, heads of government and investors arrive in Abuja. (Nigerian Tribune) “It’s not what you’d imagine.” (AllAfrica.com)

16 African firms named as Global Growth Companies. They’re trailblazers and innovators. (Business Day)

Leaping ahead to better health. Robert Greenhill and Mathieu Lamiaux on Africa’s fast track to high-tech medicine. (The Guardian)

Don’t be afraid of US-EU trade. Lowering business barriers would open opportunities for all, argues Philipp Rösler. (USA Today)

Reading list

Only 55% of girls go to primary school in Nigeria. Facts and figures from the front line in the struggle for education. (Ampp3d)

“I live in fear of Boko Haram”, writes a Nigerian history teacher. (The Conversation)

The rise of Africa’s tech hubs. There are 90 of them across the continent, and more than half of economies have at least one. (World Bank)

China is not overtaking the US. Jeffrey Frankel asks if the global economy is really at a watershed moment. (Project Syndicate)

We need to change the way economics is taught. Its credibility as a profession is at stake, writes Diane Coyle. (VoxEU)

Office time, translated. “Just a sec” means five minutes. “Quick meeting” means three hours. “Quick chat?” 48 minutes. (McSweeney’s)

Have something for our reading list? Drop me a line.

Coming up next week

It’s not the data that matters, it’s what you do with it. Forum:Blog explores trust and privacy as we launch the Rethinking Personal Data Report, and a visit to Bangalore Global Shapers hub ahead of India’s election results.

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Author: Adrian Monck is Managing Director of Public Engagement at the World Economic Forum