Africa CEO Forum opens in Abidjan focusing on public-private ‘new deal'
ABIDJAN – The 2025 Africa CEO Forum (ACF) opened in Abidjan on Monday, focusing on forging a new 'public-private deal' to reshape the continent's prospects, bringing together over 2,000 leaders from more than 90 countries.
Hosted by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, the 12th edition, co-organised by Jeune Afrique Media Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), aims to find solutions as Africa navigates external shocks like declining aid and high debt costs, alongside opportunities for South-South cooperation. Ouattara's presence is closely watched less than six months before Côte d'Ivoire's presidential election.
In his opening address, President Ouattara declared: '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.'
The two-day forum, held at the Sofitel Abidjan Hôtel Ivoire, gathers public and private decision-makers with the objective of building a new pact to fast-track the continent's economic transformation. It highlights economic governance as essential for attracting investment and building trust.
Discussions are structured around three key priorities: strengthening economic governance to improve public policy efficiency and enable a more strategic government approach; optimising public policy by aligning regulations with the needs of African businesses; and accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to build a continental market and foster African champions.
High-level participation includes Heads of State Alassane Ouattara (Côte d'Ivoire), Bassirou Diomaye Faye (Senegal), Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (Mauritania), and Paul Kagame (Rwanda). Also attending are Prime Ministers Robert Beugré Mambé (Côte d'Ivoire), Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa (Tanzania), Amadou Oury Bah (Guinea), and Joseph Dion Ngute (Cameroon).
More than 900 CEOs are among the participants. Leading figures from the private and financial sectors include Christel Heydemann (Orange), Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede (Access Holdings), Samaila Zubairu (AFC), Soren Toft (MSC), Françoise Lombard (Proparco), Aïda Diarra (Visa), Serge Ekué (BOAD), Thierry Hebraud (MCB), Philippe Labonne (AGL), Christian Stammkoetter (Danone), Fatoumata Sanogo (Petroci), and Afrobeats superstar Davido.
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… we believe the core issue lies in the quality of public policy and economic governance… Africa must develop its capacity to engage with the private sector and empower it to drive growth.'
Makhtar Diop, Managing Director at IFC, stated: 'Africa's potential is immense… Yet it remains largely untapped… To realize this potential, we must mobilize private capital towards a competitive and productive Africa… we urgently need a new deal between companies and public decision-makers'.
A key event will be the public debate between candidates for the presidency of the African Development Bank (AfDB), moderated by Nicholas Norbrook, editor-in-chief of The Africa Report. Some leaders, including South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa, Mauritania's Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and Senegal's Bassirou Diomaye Faye, are attending partly to support candidates in this election, scheduled for late May. Rwanda's Paul Kagame is seen as cultivating support amid ongoing tensions between his country and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
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