By Seli Baisie
Ghanaian rapper M.anifest has been named as one of the featured speakers at the 2025 Africa Development Conference (ADC), set to take place on April 11 and 12 at the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The annual student-led event, organised by students of African descent at Harvard Law School and the Harvard Kennedy School, brings together policymakers, scholars, artists, and thought leaders to engage in dialogue around sustainable development on the continent. The 2025 conference is themed “Africa by 2040: The Future of Africa’s Youth.”
“M.anifest, born in Accra, is widely recognised for his lyrical depth and fusion of African popular music and Hip Hop. With critically acclaimed albums such as Nowhere Cool, Madina to the Universe, and his recent project New Road and Guava Trees (released in March 2025 under Nas’ Mass Appeal label), he has consistently spotlighted African and Black narratives through his art,” a post on Harvard’s Africa Development Conference Instagram page read.
The conference is expected to host over 500 attendees and will feature a plethora of speakers across multiple sessions. While M.anifest is among the cultural voices spotlighted, the conference will also include sessions with legal experts, business leaders, policy strategists, and academics. Discussions will span topics such as artificial intelligence, digital innovation, international law, youth entrepreneurship, higher education investment, and Africa’s creative economy.
Highlights from the two-day programme include:
- “Africa’s Innovative Economy”, a session exploring AI, tech, and digital platforms for youth empowerment;
- “Beyond the Game”, which examines the role of sports in economic and youth development;
- “Shaping Tomorrow”, a cultural roundtable with emerging African artists and art patrons;
- And a closing keynote address, followed by a vote of thanks and a social afterparty titled ADC X Elevate.
The event will begin at the Harvard Kennedy School with an opening keynote titled “From Policy to Prosperity: Governance, Education and Economic Mobility for Africa’s Youth”, followed by a reception. Day two shifts to the Harvard Law School, offering a mix of plenaries and breakout sessions focused on financing, legal reforms, and Africa’s learning systems.
Organisers say the conference aims to foster collaboration and spark transformative action by placing Africa’s youth at the centre of strategic discourse.
