By Senior Editor,China Africa News
Kigali,May 17 2026 — The 2026 Africa CEO Forum concluded in Kigali on Thursday with African leaders and international business executives calling for faster economic integration, stronger African-owned corporations, and large-scale investment capable of transforming the continent’s economies.
Held under the theme “The Scale Imperative: Why Africa Must Embrace Shared Ownership,” the summit focused on economic integration, regional investment, and building larger African-owned companies”
It brought together more than 2,000 participants from over 75 countries, including heads of state, CEOs, investors, and policymakers. Discussions throughout the two-day forum focused on how Africa can compete more effectively in a rapidly changing global economy. A central message from the forum was that Africa’s economic ambitions will remain limited unless countries move beyond fragmented national markets and begin building stronger regional industries and cross-border business partnerships.
Opening the summit, President Paul Kagame said Africa must become more decisive in shaping its own economic future instead of depending heavily on external systems and approvals.”Africa must stop waiting for permission,” Kagame said.
Kagame noted that while Africa possesses strategic minerals, growing markets, and one of the world’s youngest populations, the continent still struggles to convert those advantages into real economic influence because industries, financing systems, and supply chains remain weakly connected across borders.
The discussions in Kigali also reflected growing concern among African business leaders about rising global competition, shifting trade alliances, and declining dependence on traditional aid models. Many speakers argued that African countries must increasingly rely on regional cooperation, industrialization, and private-sector expansion to secure long-term growth.
Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), said Africa already has significant financial resources and business opportunities, but lacks the scale needed to drive major transformation. Africa has the capital and the opportunity to grow and create quality jobs. What matters now is putting that capital to work at scale,” Diop said.
Several speakers emphasized the importance of implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) more aggressively, arguing that a larger and more integrated market would allow African companies to expand production, attract investment, and compete internationally. Jean-Guy Afrika, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board, said Africa’s economic future depends on cooperation between governments, investors, and regional institutions.
The forum also attracted several African heads of state, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside executives from global finance, technology, manufacturing, and logistics companies.
By the close of the summit, participants broadly agreed that Africa’s next stage of growth will depend less on raw resource exports and more on building larger African companies, integrated regional markets, and stronger investment partnerships capable of supporting industrial development across the continent.
