Abubakar Hashim

Africa’s leading captains of industry, with top political leaders, will meet for a 2 day Africa CEO forum, commencing today, 12 May, to 13 May, 2025.

The strategic meeting today will attract some 2,000 delegates from 73 countries.

Africa’s CEO is the largest annual gathering of private sector players, co-organised by Jeune Afrique Media Group and the International Finance Corporation IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank.

Africa CEO Forum is a strategic platform for dialogue between the public and private sectors.

Virtually all Presidents from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas and leading global captains of industry will attend, underscoring the enormous weight and significance of today’s gathering.

The theme of today’s gathering is “ Fix Africa: It’s time to strike a new deal with African Private Sector, calls for an urgent and compelling need to fast track Africa’s economic transformation, amid current global geo political tensions, dislocation of world supply value chains, and inward looking steps by advanced countries like US, in terms of economic nationalism.

Today’s event will commence with a speech by Ivory Coast’s President, Alassane Quatara. It will be followed with a speech by CEO, Jeune Afrique Media Group, Amir Ben Yahmed and MD, IFC, Makhtar Diop.

Day two session will be panel discussions on critical issues like industrialisation, tax reforms, artificial intelligence and regional economic integration.

Key private sector CEOs like Aliko Dangote of Dangote Group, Christel Heydemann of Orange Group, Aigbide AIG-Imoukhede of Access Holdings, and many others.

The panel discussion will focus, among others, burning issues affecting Africa’s economic emancipation and industrialisation. Also, candidates for the replacement of AfDB Akinwunmi Adesina as President of AfDB will be discussed.

*Abubakar Hashim is our West Africa Bureau Chief