An African Business Forum is being held on the sidelines of the 38th Ordinary Session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This event is in its 8th edition.
The African Business Forum is focused on the theme "From Potential to Prosperity: Activating Africa’s Regional Value Chains." This event builds on the work of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), regional economic communities, and government initiatives aimed at identifying bankable projects across the continent that promote investment, job creation, and wealth generation in Africa.
The ECA, in collaboration with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), is organizing the event.
Participants will include government representatives, private sector leaders, development partners, national and international investors, financial institutions, and civil society members, according to the Ethiopian News Agency.
According to the ECA, Africa’s regional value chains provide a strategic entry point for investors to participate in the continent’s accelerated industrialization and secure a place in a rapidly expanding market.
The forum allows participants to explore investment opportunities in regional value chains and special economic zones in Africa, facilitating a shared understanding of the current demand and supply of financing.
The main objectives of the forum are:
The forum is expected to lead to the creation of an information exchange platform between traditional and non-traditional financiers, to determine whether there is a consensus on the need for a digital platform that could be useful for investors, governments, and financial stakeholders in monitoring current trends and opportunities regarding Africa’s regional value chains and special economic zones.
