The Africa Prosperity Dialogs 2025, organized by the Africa Prosperity Network, is gearing up to tackle the continent’s most pressing economic challenges.
This year’s event, themed “Delivering Africa’s Single Market through Infrastructure: Invest. Connect. Integrate,” will focus on addressing the critical infrastructure bottleneck hindering efficient transport and logistics.
Mr. Rui Pedro Afonso Livramento, the Chief of Staff at the AfCFTA Secretariat says despite significant progress made by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) since its launch, infrastructure remains a major obstacle, with intra-African trade costs ranging from 30 to 40%.
To address this, the AfCFTA Secretariat is promoting the establishment of trade aggregators to integrate Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) into continental value chains, with Ghana, Egypt, Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa taking the lead.
The dialogues, scheduled to take place from January 30 to February 1, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre in Ghana, will bring together over 3,000 participants from 46 countries, including African heads of state, institutional heads, industry leaders, and entrepreneurs.
According to him, by emphasizing infrastructure development, investment, organization, enhanced connectivity, and digital innovation, the Africa Prosperity Dialogs 2025 aims to drive Africa’s economic transformation and advance the implementation of the AfCFTA.
Sidig Faroug El Toum, CEO of the APN Secretariat, praising the Ghanaian people for their leadership in pan-Africanism. Adding that, the event focuses on development and infrastructure across the continent, including Ghana.
He expressed hopes for significant agreements to be signed during the event, which would bring valuable resources to Ghana and other participating African countries.
“Our goal is to foster a more constructive conversation that drives policy changes. We also aim to recognize and applaud nations that have begun to adapt their policies to promote continental unity and cooperation.”
Stephanie Diatta, Chief of Partnerships and International Relations at the APN Secretariat said upcoming Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2025 will convene high-level discussions on the crucial role of infrastructure development in facilitating continental trade.
To her, the dialogues will feature fireside chats, addresses, and presentations by prominent personalities, providing valuable insights and expertise. Consistent with the Africa Prosperity Network’s approach, the dialogues will be divided into two pillars:
By adopting a comprehensive approach, the dialogues aim to address the complex, cross-sectoral challenges surrounding infrastructure development.
The event will bring together public and private sector leaders to bridge the gap between policy and implementation, tackling information asymmetries that often hinder effective collaboration.
Source: Bernard K Dadzie, Greater Accra Region
