In March of this year, the Africa Lottery Association (ALA) held its first scheduled meeting. Held in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, the purpose of the meeting was for the newly instated Executive Committee to take inventory. They assessed how business has been for the association over the past two years following the still-presiding President’s election.
It would appear that decisions made by Mr. Dramane Coulibaly – the Director-General of the ALA – regarding the influence held by the Pan-African Body are yielding actionable results. Nevertheless, the Body has decided to conclude the month of May in an exciting fashion. They will be organizing the African Grand Prix hosted in Marrakech, Morocco.
South African Grand Prix Preparations
Mr. Coulibaly revealed the ALA’s plans to organize the Grand Prix. Following several prior postponements to the event, it is the opinion of the new Executive Committee that the African Grand Prix should be held this month.
Mr. Coulibaly has eagerly stressed the point that this will be the first-ever instance of this Grand Prix hosted on African soil. Most typically, the Grand Prix is hosted in France. For F1 fans, bettors, and betting operators in Africa, this is a major coup.
The following is a breakdown of the attendees at the Abidjan meeting:
- President of the Africa Lottery Association, Mr. Dramane Coulibaly.
- CEO of PMU Mali.
- Advisor to the Director-General of the National Lottery of Burkina Faso, Mr. Séraphin Kiema.
- CEO of the Moroccan Games and Sports, Mr. Driss Hamdoune.
- Secretary-General of the Africa Lottery Association, Mr. Younes El Mechrafi.
- Special Adviser to the aforementioned CEO, Mr. Fasséry Doumbia.
Further Agenda Discussions
Besides the Grand Prix, discussions during the meeting also touched on other important housekeeping issues. These concerned the well-being of the Pan-African Association. Two key points were brought up in the meeting concerning membership dues and the election of vice-presidents. The latter point refers to the co-opting of four VPs whose job is to assist the President in his duties and to help broaden the ALA’s global interests.
Attendees for this meeting included:
- Managing Director of Congolese Management and Lottery (COGELO), Guy Roger Moigni.
- General Manager of PMU Mali, Fassery Doumbia.
- General Manager of Burkina Faso National Lottery (LONAB), Mr. Patindéba Naza.
- Managing Director of National Lottery of Niger (LONANI), Angoh Abdelkarim.
More Deals on the Table
Ivory Coast’s LONACI used its time in Abidjan to improve its relationship with the Magic System Group, its business partner. Mr. Coulibaly, LONACI’s Director-General, signed two agreements with the music group Magic System’s frontman, artist Traoré Salif (AKA “A’Salfo”).
One of these agreements involves both parties working together to construct an elementary school in Kouadio-Kouma, a rural village located over 3 kilometers from the nearest primary school. By building a school in Kouadio-Kouma, several generations of children will have easy access to quality education.
The latter agreement signed between LONACI and the Magic System Foundation regarded LONACI’s provision of technical and financial support to the producers behind the Anoumabo Urban Music Festival (FEMU 14). It is believed that Traoré Salif was very impressed by the outcomes of the agreements.
Mr. Dramane Coulibaly was in good spirits following the signing of the agreements too. He indicated that the Magic System Foundation shared the LONACI Foundation’s sentiments toward philanthropic pursuits that benefit the greater community.
