President Kagame attends Africa CEO Forum in Côte d’Ivoire, Calls for stronger Public-Private Partnerships

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where he is attending the Africa CEO Forum — a major continental gathering that brings together leaders from both public and private sectors to shape Africa’s economic future.

The two-day event has convened over 2,000 participants, including African Heads of State, CEOs, global investors, banking executives, and policymakers from across Africa and around the world.

President Kagame joined fellow leaders, including Côte d’Ivoire’s Alassane Ouattara, Senegal’s Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Mauritania’s Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, and South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, for the forum’s official opening ceremony.

This year’s theme — “Africa in a World of Competing Interests: Can a New Social Contract Between States and the Private Sector Deliver Inclusive Growth?” — highlights the growing need for productive cooperation between governments and private enterprise to achieve transformative development on the continent.

In a high-level panel featuring African Heads of State, President Kagame emphasized that Africa must stop waiting for external solutions and instead invest in cultivating its own leadership and vision.

“We cannot rely on others to define or deliver our future. Africa must prepare bold, competent leaders who are ready to lead amidst global shifts,” President Kagame stated.

He noted that the world is undergoing rapid political and economic changes that require a rethinking of development models — not based on handouts, but on real partnerships driven by strategic investments and shared interests.

Organizers of the forum announced that the next edition of the Africa CEO Forum will be held in Kigali, Rwanda in 2025 — a clear endorsement of Rwanda’s growing reputation as a hub for business, innovation, and good governance.

With its investor-friendly environment, progressive infrastructure, and a government focused on private sector-led growth, Rwanda is positioned as an ideal host for continental conversations about Africa’s economic future.

This year’s discussions focus on Africa’s role in a world increasingly shaped by transactional diplomacy, where global relations are often guided by immediate interests. Leaders are exploring how Africa can shift from being reactive to being proactive and strategic, creating its own space in global governance and economic systems.

The Africa CEO Forum continues to be a key platform for highlighting Africa’s leadership potential, its vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, and the importance of rewriting the social contract between governments and businesses to enable sustained, inclusive, and self-driven development.