Over 2,800 political and business leaders from across 90 countries have gathered in Abidjan for the 2025 Africa CEO Forum to discuss strategies for accelerating investment reforms, deepening the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) implementation and aligning policy to unlock the private sector potential of the continent.
Co-hosted by Jeune Afrique Media Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the 12th edition of the premier business summit of the May 12-13 Forum opens under the theme: “Can a New Deal Between State and Private Sector Deliver the Continent a Winning Hand?”
The Forum comes at a time when African economies are grappling with rising debt servicing costs, slowing donor inflows and a shifting global trade environment.
It is against this backdrop that continent leaders are pressing for more coordinated policy frameworks to reduce investment risk, improve governance to drive regional integration.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara underscored the urgency of leveraging trade through the AfCFTA, calling for continued efforts in raw material processing and regulatory harmonisation.
““The world is undergoing profound upheavals and major shifts in the geopolitical, economic, and financial spheres. Despite this uncertain context, Côte d’Ivoire is showing strong, sustained growth thanks to a sound macro‑economic framework underpinned by significant private‑sector investment.”
“We must now work to strengthen intra‑African trade by continuing our efforts to process our raw materials and by accelerating the implementation of the AfCFTA. I hope that this edition of the Africa CEO Forum will be a moment of truth and commitment, enabling us to design concrete and ambitious solutions together.”,” he said.
Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation. (IFC) Makhtar Diop urged greater mobilisation for private capital to tackle job creation and infrastructure gaps.
“Africa’s potential is immense, as is its diversity. Yet it remains largely untapped; from natural resources to infrastructure, from technology to human capital. To realize this potential, we must mobilize private capital towards a competitive and productive Africa that can create massive jobs and inspire the rest of the world. It is in order to achieve this objective and meet the aspirations of young people that we urgently need a new deal between companies and public decision-makers,” he said.
This agenda this year centers on three pillars: improving governance and transparency, aligning industrial and regulatory policy with business realities, and fast-tracking AfCFTA to create a unified market that lowers operational costs and nurtures regional champions.
Amir Ben Yahmed, CEO of Jeune Afrique Media Group, said:
“After two decades of growth, Africa is once again facing challenges we thought were behind us, especially the ballooning debt crisis. Of course, global conditions have deteriorated sharply, but we believe the core issue lies in the quality of public policy and economic governance in our countries. With this ‘New Deal’, we want to bring this issue back to the forefront. Africa must develop its capacity to engage with the private sector and empower it to drive growth. This is essential for regaining a favorable position in the new international environment.”
Among key participants are more than 900 CEOs, top institutional investors, and over 10 heads of state and government, including the presidents of South Africa, Senegal, Rwanda, Mauritania, and the prime ministers of Guinea, Tanzania and Cameroon.
On Tuesday May 13, a landmark policy debate between candidates vying to lead the African Development Bank (AfDB) is scheduled as a headline event to shape the economic direction of the continent.
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Nii Larte Lartey writing from the 2025 Africa CEO Forum, Abidjan – Côte d’Ivoire. Email: [email protected]