For years, Amb. Mfon Ekpo has been creating spaces where people can pause, learn, ask questions and engage with ideas that can shape their lives and communities. Now, that vision is taking a more permanent form.
The Chief Executive Officer of The Discovery Centre is set to convene the Global Knowledge Festival in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from September 17 to 20, 2026, culminating in the commissioning of the Global Knowledge Centre, described by the organisers as Africa’s first global knowledge centre.
The four-day festival represents a significant evolution of Ekpo’s work with The Blueprint of How, a platform that has, over the years, facilitated conversations around leadership, personal development, entrepreneurship, knowledge and impact.
But for Ekpo, the next phase is not simply about hosting another gathering or creating another platform for conversation. It is about building a space where those conversations can continue long after an event ends.
“For years, we have taken the conversation to different places. Now, we are creating a permanent space where the conversation can continue, grow and inspire generations,” Ekpo said.
That philosophy sits at the heart of the Global Knowledge Centre, which is envisioned as more than a physical structure. It is intended to become a permanent platform for learning, knowledge exchange, collaboration and leadership engagement.
For Ekpo, knowledge is most powerful when it moves beyond information and conversation to influence decisions, create connections and produce meaningful action.
This thinking is also reflected in the design of the Global Knowledge Festival, which seeks to move beyond the traditional conference format. The four-day gathering will bring together voices from Nigeria, Africa and beyond to explore issues around knowledge, leadership, policy, innovation, culture and human development.
Participants will have opportunities to learn from diverse perspectives, exchange ideas, build relationships and explore avenues for collaboration.
The festival will also incorporate culture and tourism, creating a broader experience around learning and human connection while positioning Uyo as a meeting point for ideas and people.
For Ekpo, the festival and the Centre are interconnected. One creates a space for the immediate exchange of ideas, while the other provides a permanent home for the wider vision.
The initiative also reflects the broader mandate of The Discovery Centre, an international training and development organisation and social enterprise focused on advancing human potential, strengthening leadership and helping individuals and organisations translate knowledge into meaningful impact.
Drawing on psychology, human-centred design thinking and interdisciplinary approaches to learning, the organisation works across personal transformation, education, leadership, organisational development, governance, women’s empowerment and enterprise.
The Global Knowledge Festival therefore represents more than an event on the calendar. It marks the evolution of a vision that began with conversations and is now moving towards institution-building.
For women and emerging leaders navigating an increasingly complex world, access to knowledge, networks and spaces for meaningful engagement can be critical to unlocking opportunity and leadership potential. By creating a platform designed to bring different generations, sectors and perspectives into the same space, Ekpo’s initiative seeks to make that exchange more deliberate and enduring.
When the Global Knowledge Centre is commissioned in Uyo, the milestone will mark a new chapter in Ekpo’s journey of building platforms around knowledge and human development.
From September 17 to 20, the Global Knowledge Festival will bring together people and ideas from across Nigeria, Africa and beyond.
