Speech by His Excellency Alassane Ouattara, President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, at the Opening Ceremony of the 12th Africa CEO Forum

Your Excellency Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda;

Your Excellency Mr. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa;
Your Excellency Mr. Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani, President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania;
Your Excellency Mr. Bassirou Diomaye Faye, President of the Republic of Senegal;
Mr. Vice President of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire;
Mr. Prime Minister, Head of Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire;
Honourable Prime Ministers, Heads of Government of the sister Republics of Cameroon, Guinea, and Tanzania;
Honourable Ministers representing the Heads of State and Government of the Republics of Angola, Morocco, and Nigeria;
Ladies and Gentlemen, Presidents of Institutions;
Mr. Director-General of the International Finance Corporation (IFC);
Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers;
Mr. President of the Africa CEO Forum;
Madam Vice-President of the Jeune Afrique Group;
Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Ladies and Gentlemen, Representatives of International Organizations;
Ladies and Gentlemen, Elected Officials;
Dear Participants;
Honourable Guests;
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you once again to Abidjan for the 12th edition of the Africa CEO Forum. To all of you, I extend a warm welcome to Ivorian soil. "Akwaba in Côte d'Ivoire!"

I would like to especially acknowledge the distinguished presence of my brothers and peers, Their Excellencies Paul Kagame, Cyril Ramaphosa, Mohamed Cheikh El Ghazouani, and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who have traveled to Abidjan to participate in this important event.

I also recognize the presence of the Prime Ministers and Heads of Government of the sister Republics of Cameroon, Guinea, and Tanzania, as well as the Representatives of the Heads of State and Government of Angola, Morocco, and Nigeria.

Excellencies, Honourable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

After the 2024 edition held in Kigali under the auspices of my brother, President Paul Kagame, Côte d'Ivoire is particularly pleased to host, for the fifth time, this prestigious platform dedicated to dialogue between the public and private sectors in Africa.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers of this Forum: the Jeune Afrique Media Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

I commend the joint organizing teams of Jeune Afrique and Côte d'Ivoire, led by Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé, for their efforts in ensuring the successful organization of this major event for the African private sector.

I also salute all participants in this important gathering, public decision-makers, CEOs, and media representatives from across the continent and beyond, who have come to engage in discussions on the major challenges of the moment.

Excellencies, Honourable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

The world is undergoing profound upheavals and major changes in geopolitical, economic, financial, environmental, and international trade spheres; leading to an unprecedented accumulation of risks, uncertainties, and short- to medium-term volatility that impact our economic systems and the well-being of our populations. Trade tensions are escalating, supply chains remain under pressure, and prospects for a "return to normal" face numerous challenges.

Africa, for its part, is bearing the full brunt of these crises. Access to financing is severely reduced, many countries are plagued by insecurity under the constant threat of terrorist groups, while others are sinking into political instability, further exacerbating the suffering of populations.

Despite this uncertain global context, Côte d'Ivoire demonstrates resilience and continues on a path of strong and sustained growth, recorded at 6% in 2024 and projected at 6.5% for 2025. Inflation is under control and is expected to stabilize around 3% in 2025, well below the regional average.

Our resilience is reinforced by the diversification of our economy, driven by the dynamism of the agricultural, energy, and extractive sectors, as well as by the consolidation of public and private investments.

Our macroeconomic framework is solid, and significant investments have been made in recent years. Côte d'Ivoire will continue to ensure the solidity of its macroeconomic framework to foster the continued development of the private sector at a sustained pace.

Excellencies, Honourable Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

To increase the share of African economies in global value-added creation, we must work towards strengthening intra-African trade through continued efforts to transform our products and raw materials. The theme chosen for this edition, "Africa in a Transactional World: Can a New State-Private Sector Pact Offer Our Continent a Winning Hand?" perfectly aligns with this reflection.

It invites all African decision-makers to rethink the frameworks of action between the public and private sectors to build a strategic partnership capable of anticipating and responding to global changes.

It is this shared will that we must affirm today with clarity, to build a new balance based on reciprocal commitments, a shared vision of development, and strengthened trust. The structural transformation of our economies must be based on concrete priorities: possessing competitive human capital, ensuring our food and energy sovereignty, industrializing our value chains, accelerating the development of renewable energies, and mastering digital technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Africa has immense potential in this area, with its youth who are truly passionate about new technologies, and we must do everything to encourage them to invest more in this sector.

We must also preserve our environment, invest massively in economic infrastructures, and succeed, finally, in our economic integration through the effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

I hope that this significant gathering in Abidjan will be a moment of truth and commitment, bringing together public and private decision-makers to jointly design concrete, ambitious, and adapted solutions to our realities, with a view to fostering the emergence of the next generation of African champions.

It is with this note of hope that I declare the 12th edition of the Africa CEO Forum officially open.

Thank you