His Majesty, the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, is set to deliver the keynote address at the 2026 African Development Conference (ADC), scheduled for April 17–18 at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School.

Organised by the Harvard African Law Association, the conference will bring together global leaders, policymakers and scholars under the theme, “Reclaiming Africa’s Agency in a New Global Order.”

The monarch’s selection underscores the growing global recognition of traditional African leadership in shaping governance and development discourse. Ogiame Atuwatse III is expected to speak on “A New Era of Leadership in Africa: Value, Institutions, and Influence,” focusing on how the continent can strengthen institutional frameworks to enhance its global standing.

As leader of the Itsekiri people, the Olu of Warri has consistently advocated strong institutions, cultural preservation and a forward-looking leadership model aligned with Africa’s evolving role on the world stage.

Other prominent participants at the conference include Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization; Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank Group; Ameenah Gurib-Fakim; Serge Ekue of the West African Development Bank; and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Finance, Taiwo Oyedele.

The two-day hybrid conference will feature policy labs and roundtables designed to move beyond rhetoric and produce actionable frameworks for advancing Africa’s agency in global affairs.

For the Warri Kingdom, the keynote appearance is seen as a reaffirmation of the enduring relevance of traditional leadership in Africa’s development trajectory.