The African Development Bank, in collaboration with the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the UN Development Programme, is gearing up to host the 2023 African Economic Conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from November 16 to 18. This high-profile conference, to be held in a hybrid format at the UN Conference Centre, will bring together a diverse array of participants, including African ministers, UN partners, development experts, and private sector stakeholders.
The central theme of the conference revolves around the challenges and opportunities for advancing green and sustainable industrialization in Africa. This is of paramount importance, given the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, which underscored the vulnerabilities of African industries and their reliance on foreign manufacturers for essential goods, particularly medicines and medical supplies. It also highlighted the limited integration of African nations into global supply chains.
Key topics to be discussed at the conference include:
- Value Chain Integration: Exploring opportunities to integrate into global value chains, reducing dependency on foreign production.
- Green Business Financing: Strategies for funding environmentally sustainable businesses that contribute to Africa’s industrial growth.
- Public-Private Partnerships: Fostering collaborations between the public and private sectors to drive industrialization and economic development.
- Expanding Internal Markets: Strategies to enhance self-reliance by expanding domestic markets for essential goods and services.
The conference will also serve as a platform for young researchers to present solution-oriented research to policymakers. Since its inception in 2006, the African Economic Conference has played a vital role in facilitating expert dialogues and knowledge sharing on emerging economic issues in Africa. Previous meetings have emphasized the need to adapt international policies and build local capacity to better address Africa’s unique needs.
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With the 2023 theme, “Imperatives for Sustainable Industrial Development in Africa,” the conference will focus on strategies and actions to promote sustainable industrialization on the continent. This event promises to be a significant milestone in Africa’s journey toward economic self-reliance and resilience.
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