Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The Eighth Africa Business Forum, meeting 17 February 2025, promoted dialogue between governments, investors, service providers, project promotors and other stakeholders. Participants discussed challenges, opportunities, and actions to accelerate the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want.
The eighth edition of the Africa Business Forum was held in Addis Ababa on the margins of the thirty-eighth ordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union under the theme: FROM POTENTIAL TO PROSPERITY: Activating Africa’s Regional Value Chains. The Forum focused on three regional value chains: agro-industrial, livestock and pharmaceuticals, and the challenges and opportunities for their enhanced activation and development.
The Office of the UNECA Executive Secretary convened the Forum, in close collaboration with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA). It brought together Government representatives, private sector investors, financiers, representatives of women’s business groups, youth groups, civil society organizations and regional economic communities and other stakeholders – providing a key platform for information sharing, and deliberations on challenges and opportunities for deepened regional collaboration towards the goal of activating regional value chains.
The Forum attracted high-level representation in the different segments that included a Presidential Dialogue, with Heads of State from Botswana and Ghana, and the Gabon Deputy Prime Minister delivering remarks alongside the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Secretariat. Mr. Claver Gatete, the Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa and UN Under-Secretary General, H.E. Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson, African Union Commission and, H.E. President Taye Atsekselassie, President of Ethiopia delivered the Forum’s opening remarks. The Forum’s keynote speech was delivered by Mr. Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO, Africa Finance Corporation. The UNECA Executive Secretary and Under Secretary General, Mr. Clave Gatete, in his opening remarks, highlighted the need for more collaboration among African countries and the reduction of trade barriers and associated costs.
Dima Al-Khatib, Director of United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, was one of the high-level speakers invited to deliver remarks on the importance of South-South and triangular cooperation for the development and activation of the regional value chains in Africa.
“With a combined GDP of more than $2 trillion, expected growth of more than 3.5% in 2025, and an opportunity to shape the global agenda through South Africa’s G-20 presidency, Africa has unprecedented opportunities for development,” said the Director. “In the spirit of solidarity, collaboration and shared purpose among developing nations, South-South cooperation stands as a powerful development cooperation modality and catalyst for progress for Africa and the rest of the Global South.”
The Director noted that more than half of the Sustainable Development Goals relate to the areas of the Forum’s discussion focus: agro-industrial, livestock, and pharmaceutical regional value chains – highlighting the need for accelerated, intensified and collaborative efforts.
Noting Africa’s low participation in global and regional value chains—where only 14% of exports are value-added and 88% of inputs are imported, the Director remarked that this presents a compelling opportunity to leverage South-South cooperation tools and resources to transform these dynamics. Through Intra-African and cross-regional South-South cooperation – within the AfCFTA framework – countries can effectively foster regional production networks and leverage comparative advantages.
The United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation, within its mandate of promoting South-South cooperation, and in support of African Member States, works closely with regional commissions including UNECA, United Nations Development Coordination Offices, Resident Coordinators, the UN Secretary-General’s Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, and the African Union Commission and its agencies, to enhance awareness and increase capacity to harness South-South cooperation.
Additionally, catalytic funding from South-South and triangular cooperation trust funds managed by UNOSSC is helping turn national priorities into reality. About 37 percent of all the Trust Funds’ allocations have been towards support for African countries. This includes the UNOSSC-WFP China Africa Rice Value Chain Development pilot initiative that has strengthened the local rice value chain in West African countries through mutual learning and technology transfer for post-harvest loss management.
The Director highlighted UNOSSC’s commitment to supporting Africa’s regional value chain development efforts within the AfCFTA framework by facilitating partnerships, building capacities, and working with Member States, and other stakeholders to harness the full potential of South-South and triangular cooperation.
The Forum’s discussions in the various segments included sharing of good practices relating to regional value chains at sub-national levels with representatives from local governments in Kenya and Nigeria sharing their experiences. Deliberations took place on strategies for bridging the financing gap and the role of multilateral partners in this, regional harmonization of standards, and how technology is transforming Special Economic Zones in Africa with examples such as Ghana’s experiences with the Ghana-Trade and Investment Gateway Project.
A key outcome of the Forum was the Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ECA and the AfCFTA Secretariat to strengthen joint efforts to advance AfCFTA implementation and foster economic integration across Africa.
More details at: https://www.uneca.org/eca-events/africa-business-forum-2025
