For the first time in the 170-year history of World Expos, every country in Africa will participate with its own pavilion, including the first pavilion for the African Union. World Expo is set to an unprecedented platform for the planet’s youngest, fastest-growing continent to collaborate and make connections that will drive its progress and prosperity.

From October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, Expo 2020 will welcome more than 190 participating nations for a global gathering to broaden horizons and exchange ideas that inspire action to tackle real-life challenges and spur positive change.

Africa – and all it has to offer – will be accessible to the world in new and unexpected ways. Visitors can taste Ethiopia’s next big super-grain and chocolate from Ivory Coast, discover how croton nuts create energy in Kenya and explore Gabon’s space ambitions. Over six months, they will learn about Ylang Ylang and the perfume industry in the Comoros, the ancient custom of sand drawings in Angola and how the rhythmic Democratic Republic of Congo is making ‘Africa’s heart beat.’

They will be able to explore the African Union Pavilion – a colourful arena devoid of national borders that will highlight the continent’s potential and ambitions, reflected in its Agenda 2063 aspirations, which address agriculture, transport, science, and technology health.

Visitors to the Ethiopia Pavilion, for example, will meet a replica of ‘Lucy,’ the world’s oldest human fossil, while Nigeria will bring its Afrobeat music and burgeoning ‘Nollywood’ film scene, as it showcases an abundance of culture, creative, and economic opportunities.

Africa is predicted to account for one third of the global population by 2100. How the continent embraces its accomplishments and overcomes its challenges – from the global health pandemic to climate change, sustainable food supplies, and equal access to the basic human rights of education, digitalisation, and healthcare – will have enormous implications in the continent and beyond.

This year, Africa Day celebrations focus on arts, culture, and heritage as levers for building a better Africa, and many African nations have already revealed glimpses of the exciting programming they will bring to Expo 2020.