Kigali, Rwanda
The Africa CEO Forum 2026 closed in Kigali on Friday with a strong call for African businesses, governments and investors to pool capital, build regional champions and deepen economic integration across the continent.
The two-day summit brought together more than 2,800 public and private sector leaders from more than 77 countries, according to the forum’s closing statement. Held under the theme “Scale or Fail: Why Africa Must Embrace Shared Ownership,” the event focused on how African economies can overcome fragmented markets and position themselves as a more competitive force in global value chains.
Organizers said nearly USD 2 billion in agreements, partnerships and memoranda of understanding were signed during the forum by institutions including the Rwanda Development Board, Equity Bank, Visa, Spiro, UNICEF, Access Bank, BOAD and several others. The International Finance Corporation said it committed more than USD 1 billion through operations and partnerships targeting infrastructure, energy, finance, agriculture, industry and digital development.
“This Forum confirms that Africa’s moment has come,” IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop said in Kigali, adding that the key challenge for the continent is to turn “energy into industries, industries into jobs, and investments into tangible improvements in people’s lives”.
Forum leaders said the discussions centered on three main priorities: shared equity to increase cross-border investment, shared infrastructure to link markets and regional value chains, and shared frameworks to support the free movement of capital, goods, services and talent. Jeune Afrique Media Group CEO and Africa CEO Forum President Amir Ben Yahmed said Africa must move beyond national champions and build “continental players” capable of competing globally.
The forum also hosted the inaugural Africa NextGen Economist Prize, awarded to Senegalese economist Abdoulaye Ndiaye for research on public finance, development economics and political economy. Organizers said the prize was created by Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report in partnership with the African Development Bank.
Founded in 2012, the Africa CEO Forum describes itself as a leading platform for executives, investors, heads of state, ministers and financial institutions active on the continent. Its annual summit is co-organized by Jeune Afrique Media Group and IFC, a member of the World Bank Group.
