More than $2 billion in investment deals and over $1billion in IFC financing commitments were recorded at the just-concluded Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, organisers said. The two-day summit held from May 14 to 15 brought together more than 2,800 business leaders, policymakers, investors, and development partners from across Africa and beyond for high-level discussions on trade, industrialisation, infrastructure, energy, and private-sector growth. ALSO READ: What economists say about impact of Africa CEO Forum The forum also unveiled a €300 million financing facility described by organisers as a world-first initiative aimed at accelerating industrial investment and economic transformation across African markets. Key discussion focused on infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, financial services, and digital transformation as well as trade and regional integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The forum also placed strong emphasis on unlocking long-term financing, improving the investment climate, and scaling industrialisation to support job creation and economic growth across African markets. One of the continent’s largest private-sector gatherings, the Africa CEO Forum has over the years positioned itself as a key platform where governments and investors engage directly to unlock financing for development projects and strengthen public–private partnerships. ALSO READ: What to know about the Africa CEO Forum The forum is jointly convened by Jeune Afrique Media Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), bringing together senior executives, heads of state, and institutional investors to accelerate investment flows into priority sectors across the continent. The scale of the commitments announced during the summit reinforced the growing importance of the Africa CEO Forum as a leading platform for shaping business dialogue and translating policy discussions into investment pipelines across Africa.
