Africa CEO Forum highlights the continent's growth prospects

The 4th edition of the Africa CEO Forum took off in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, under the theme “Succeeding in challenging times.”

Africanews’ correspondent in Ivory Coast Dominion Henry Ahyite was there to highlight the main takeaways from the meeting.

In his opening speech, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said Africa needs to build mutually beneficial partnerships between the private and public sector to foster inclusive economic growth.

For some participants, the current downturn in global commodity prices perhaps has a silver lining for Africa.

“I think its a good thing that the global prices of oil have declined. This will force African governments to exploit other areas that remain untapped to develop our economies,” said Bassam Loukil, Director General of Loukil Group.

On his part, Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum thanked the Ivorian government for hosting the delegation, and said African economies have demonstrated great resilience but still stressed the importance of adopting new strategies in order to stay relevant in the global economic landscape.

Key guests at the forum included Kenya’s Deputy President, William Ruto, Ivorian Prime Minister, Duncan Kablan and Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank.

Fostering integration and breaking down trade barriers was the common message relayed by panelists.

The 2-day forum which ends on Tuesday 22 March, is being held on African soil for the first time and has gathered captains of industry from across the continent.

Dominion Henry Ahyite