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Abuja - Delegates to the World Economic Forum on Africa, taking place next week in the Nigerian capital Abuja, will be in the right place to reflect on the rising continent's problems, as well as its undoubted potential.
Participants, including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and African leaders, meet as the continent's largest economy grapples with a surging Islamist revolt and inter-communal clashes that highlight poverty, ethnic and religious schisms, and battles over power and resources in many parts of Africa.
"If people want to take a look at a dynamic, high-potential place in Africa, Nigeria is that place, but it also has a whole host of issues that are not going away anytime soon," said Mark Shroeder, head of sub-Saharan Africa analysis at business and security consultancy Statfor.
Policymakers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists attending the 24th World Economic Forum on Africa (Wefa), a replica of the flagship annual WEF held in Davos, Switzerland, will be ensconced in the concrete fortress of the Abuja Hilton.
They will be protected by 6 000 police and soldiers - the largest security operation Nigeria has ever mounted for a summit.
An April 14 bomb blast on Abuja's outskirts, which killed at least 75 people and was claimed by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, triggered the big security shield for an event which is normally the setting for convivial and relaxed discussions.
But despite the announced security cordon around the city, another suspected bomb exploded on Abuja's outskirts on Thursday, killing and injuring several people.
Participants, including Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and African leaders, meet as the continent's largest economy grapples with a surging Islamist revolt and inter-communal clashes that highlight poverty, ethnic and religious schisms, and battles over power and resources in many parts of Africa.
"If people want to take a look at a dynamic, high-potential place in Africa, Nigeria is that place, but it also has a whole host of issues that are not going away anytime soon," said Mark Shroeder, head of sub-Saharan Africa analysis at business and security consultancy Statfor.
Policymakers, entrepreneurs and philanthropists attending the 24th World Economic Forum on Africa (Wefa), a replica of the flagship annual WEF held in Davos, Switzerland, will be ensconced in the concrete fortress of the Abuja Hilton.
They will be protected by 6 000 police and soldiers - the largest security operation Nigeria has ever mounted for a summit.
An April 14 bomb blast on Abuja's outskirts, which killed at least 75 people and was claimed by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, triggered the big security shield for an event which is normally the setting for convivial and relaxed discussions.
But despite the announced security cordon around the city, another suspected bomb exploded on Abuja's outskirts on Thursday, killing and injuring several people.
