Forum to help create an Africa people want

ADDIS ABABA: The AU on Saturday stressed the vital importance of enhancing the partnership between African policymakers and the private sector towards the realisation of the continent’s 50-year development Agenda 2063.

The 55-member pan-African bloc, calling on African policymakers and the private sector, also disclosed its plan to host the African Private Sector Forum in November, with an aim to further bolster co-operation towards the success of Agenda 2063.

“To enhance the interface and partnership between the AU, the policymakers and the private sector and drive the realisation of the aspirations of Africa’s development framework Agenda 2063, the AU Commission is convening the 11th African Private Sector Forum set to be hosted in Antananarivo, Madagascar, on the November 6 to 8,” said the AU on Saturday.

This year’s edition of the African Private Sector Forum is expected to attract at least 300 participants with private sector actors and investors coming from the five regions of the continent as well as investors from China, Turkey, the US and other regions, it was noted.

The high-level continental forum will be held under the theme of “Transforming African economies through private sector mobilisation and capitalisation of experiences from other regions of the world”.

The pan-African bloc organises the continental private sector forum to spur the critical role the private sector is expected to play in Africa’s transformation of economies and implementation of Agenda 2063, in particular, its contribution to poverty reduction through investment and employment creation, it was noted.

The African Private Sector Forum is also expected to host different side events covering topics including agribusiness, youth capacity development for entrepreneurs, mining, public-private partnerships, digitalisation, access to financing and investments, among other key topics. |