Attendees to the 12th edition of the Africa CEO Forum 2025 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast numbered included more than 10 heads of state and government, and executives from leading firms.
President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara has called for stronger intra-African trade and continued efforts to process raw materials locally.
Ouattara made the call at the 12th edition of the Africa CEO Forum 2025 in Abidjan.
“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,” he said.
He underscored the country’s strong macroeconomic performance driven by private-sector investment.
Speaking during the forum, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said his country was seeking 1.7 billion dollars in investments to build digital infrastructure and create youth employment.
Accordimg to him, the funding will support projects including constructing data centres and deploying high-speed internet, with a target of achieving 5G coverage across the West African nation by 2030.
Forum organisers stressed that improving public policy and economic governance is essential to unlocking Africa’s full potential.
The forum brought together more than 2,800 leaders from the public and private sectors across more than 90 countries.
DNE Africa, a partner of TV BRICS, reported that the 12th edition of the forum, focused on forging a new partnership between African governments and businesses to fast-track the continent’s economic transformation.
The central theme of the forum – “Can a New Deal Between State and Private Sector Deliver the Continent a Winning Hand?” – framed discussions around economic governance, industrial strategy, and the acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
