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African Union to Host High-Level Private Sector Forum on Agenda 2063 Implementation
Addis Ababa, February 11, 2026 — The African Union Commission is set to convene a High-Level Africa Private Sector Forum on February 13 at its headquarters in Addis Ababa, on the margins of the 2026 African Union Summit. The gathering will bring together Heads of State, chief executives, institutional investors, and policymakers to examine how the private sector can accelerate delivery of Agenda 2063.
Held under the theme “The Role of the Private Sector in Realizing Africa’s Agenda 2063,” the four-hour forum will focus on aligning political leadership and private capital to advance industrialization, regional integration, and sustainable growth across the continent.
Agenda 2063, the African Union’s long-term development framework, identifies the private sector, including small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, as central to achieving inclusive prosperity and people-driven development. While Africa holds vast natural resources, a young population, and expanding markets, much of its raw material output is still exported without processing, limiting job creation and industrial expansion.
Organizers say the forum will concentrate on practical investment pipelines and reform priorities rather than general dialogue. Key sectors expected to feature prominently include mineral value addition, agro-processing, textiles and garments, renewable energy, and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The program will include an opening session led by African Union and business representatives, followed by a presidential dialogue between Heads of State and corporate leaders focused on competitiveness and regulatory reform. Sector-based engagements, investment showcases, and curated business-to-government and business-to-business meetings are also planned to facilitate concrete partnerships.
Among those invited to participate is Gizeshwork Tessema, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GIZE PLC and a logistics and supply chain expert. In a statement, she confirmed receiving an invitation from the African Union to attend the High-Level Africa Private Sector Forum and Presidential Dialogue.
She said the platform would bring together African and global business leaders alongside policymakers to advance Africa’s industrial transformation. Tessema noted that she looks forward to contributing to discussions on strengthening African value chains, mobilizing long-term investment, and scaling Made-in-Africa products that meet global standards. She described these areas as critical to delivering Agenda 2063 and maximizing opportunities under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Tessema also expressed appreciation to the African Union Commission for convening what she described as an important platform for meaningful public-private collaboration.
Participants in the forum are expected to include African Heads of State and Government, ministers responsible for finance, industry, trade, energy, health, and mining, as well as chief executives, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, regional economic communities, business associations, youth-led startups, women entrepreneurs, diaspora investors, and global partners.
The African Union Commission has indicated that the forum aims to generate high-level policy and investment commitments, strengthen investor confidence in Africa as an industrial destination, and lay the groundwork for sustained dialogue between political leaders and the private sector.
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