For the third time since its inception in 2012, the Africa CEO Forum will hold its annual conference gathering hundreds of business leaders and decision makers from across the continent. In the three years of its existence, it has become the foremost meeting for African CEOs, bankers and investors. This third edition is scheduled to hold in Geneva, Switzerland from Monday, 16th March to Tuesday, 17th March, 2015 and assemble some 500 CEOs from over 30 countries.
Themed “Africa’s New Economic Environment,” similar to the theme of the just concluded World Economic Forum, the conference offers a unique platform for facilitating thought-provoking and forward-thinking discussions, as well as unique opportunities for business development, strategy refinement and improving the overall competitiveness of African businesses.
Geneva is a prime location for an event of this sort as it is positioned right in the heart of Europe. Also, it serves as a base location for the headquarters of many international organizations, including the United Nations Organization, the World Trade Organization, the International Organization of Employers and the International Labour Organization.
The most anticipated discussion at the forum is expected to be Africa’s new economic environment shaped by falling commodity prices, health crises, security threats, and downward growth forecasts from international agencies like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). Therefore, the meeting will most likely focus on the development priorities of African businesses. Experts and delegates will be expected to share their thoughts on the continent’s likely growth trajectory for the next 5-10 years. Participants will also be interested in understanding what new opportunities may emerge from falling mineral prices and how they may be leveraged.
A second plenary session, according to the forum’s website, is expected to focus on the keys to improve the continent’s business conditions that are essential for fostering private sector development. 36 African countries which fall within the bottom 50 on World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index will be compared with emerging countries like Georgia which has seen a 100 point improvement over the past 8 years. The underlying objective will be to explore the possibility of improving the regulatory environment and boosting attractiveness within a short time frame.
Lastly, a third session themed “Urban Explosion: Turning Challenges into Opportunities For Africa’s Private Sector” will hold in order to explore emerging areas in the real estate, financial services, networks and transport sectors as more African cities hit and pass the one million inhabitants milestone.
A number of prominent business leaders have confirmed their attendance including Daniel Duncan, Ivorian Prime Minister, Adewale Tinubu, CEO of Oando; Carlos Lopes, Executive Secretary of the UNECA, Oba Otudeko, Chairman of the Honeywell Group, numerous African finance ministers and a host of other decision makers.
By Emmanuel Iruobe
