Four-day gathering to bring together leading voices around knowledge, leadership, innovation, culture and human development
The Global Knowledge Festival will hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, from September 17 to 20, 2026, bringing together leading voices from across Nigeria, Africa, and beyond for four days of conversations, learning, connection and engagement.
Convened by Amb. Mfon Ekpo, CEO of The Discovery Centre, the festival is an evolution of The Blueprint of How, a platform that has, over the years, created spaces for conversations around leadership, personal development, entrepreneurship, knowledge and impact.
The 2026 edition marks a new chapter, with the festival bringing together individuals and institutions across different sectors for a broader conversation around knowledge, leadership, policy, culture, innovation and human development.
AFRICA’S FIRST GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE CENTRE
A defining highlight of the festival will be the commissioning of the Global Knowledge Centre, described by the organisers as the first of its kind in Africa.
The Centre will provide a permanent home for the vision behind the Global Knowledge movement, creating a platform for continued learning, knowledge exchange, collaboration and leadership engagement beyond the festival.
According to Amb. Mfon Ekpo, the commissioning represents a significant transition for the movement.
“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,” she said.
The Centre is envisioned as more than a physical structure. It is intended to become a platform through which knowledge can be shared, ideas developed and meaningful connections created among people and institutions.
Its commissioning during the Global Knowledge Festival therefore represents one of the most significant milestones of the 2026 gathering.
A FESTIVAL BUILT AROUND KNOWLEDGE AND CONNECTION
The Global Knowledge Festival is designed to move beyond the traditional conference format, creating an experience that combines learning, leadership, culture, tourism, policy and meaningful human connection.
Participants will have opportunities to engage with diverse perspectives, exchange ideas and explore issues that are shaping the future of individuals, organisations and societies.
The festival also reflects the organisers’ belief that knowledge becomes most valuable when it moves beyond conversation into clarity, decision-making and action.
The 2026 gathering will consequently provide a platform for people from different backgrounds and sectors to meet, learn from one another and explore opportunities for collaboration.
For Amb. Mfon Ekpo, the festival and the Centre are connected by a simple objective: to create spaces where knowledge can have lasting impact.
The Global Knowledge Festival will therefore be both a celebration of ideas and the beginning of a new chapter.
From September 17 to 20, 2026, Uyo will host the festival and the commissioning of Africa’s first Global Knowledge Centre, giving the movement a permanent home for collaboration and lasting impact.
The Global Knowledge Festival 2026.
Four days. One global conversation. A legacy that continues.
Official Website: https://theglobalknowledgecentre.com/
Link to pictures: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1WbsnK4o-gFKSSbIeyOtb5BWwI2yz0ef6
Amb. Mfon Ekpo
Convener, The Global Knowledge Festival
CEO, The Discovery Centre
The Discovery Centre is an international training and development organization and social enterprise committed to advancing human potential, strengthening leadership, and equipping individuals and organizations to translate knowledge and ideas into meaningful impact.
Drawing on psychology, human-centred design thinking, and interdisciplinary approaches to learning, The Discovery Centre creates immersive programmes and experiences across personal transformation, education, leadership, organisational development, governance, women’s empowerment, and enterprise. Its work addresses global challenges in local contexts while developing the people and institutions capable of creating sustainable change.
Together, the Global Knowledge Festival and the Global Knowledge Centre reflect the continued evolution of The Discovery Centre: from helping individuals discover and develop their potential to creating the programmes, communities, convenings, and institutions through which knowledge can be translated into lasting impact.
