Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: Website:

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1 AFRICAN UNION UNION AFRICAINE UNIÃO AFRICANA Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA P. O. Box 3243 Telephone: Website: Fax: AfCFTA Business Forum Leveraging the Power of Business to Drive Africa s Integration 20 th March 2018 Kigali Convention Centre, Rwanda Wrap Up Session and Closure Amb. Albert M. Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry, African Union Commission (AUC)

2 1 Programme Time Agenda Item The AfCFTA Business Breakfast Panel Discussion: From Made in Africa to Made for Africa: How can the AfCFTA drive tailored solutions to develop Africa? Kris Senanu, Managing Director, Enterprise, Telkom Kenya Jean-Louis Billon, Chairman, SIFCA Group Samba Bathily, CEO, ADS Group Moderator: Michael Kottoh, Chief Strategist, AfroChampions Initiative Competitiveness of logistics systems (roads, rail, sea, and air): Made in Arica industrial revolution should be driven by a competitive logistics network which eases connectivity to markets. Coherence between trade facilitation and investment facilitation: After the launch of the AfCFTA, Member States have to streamline NTMs and NTBs to facilitate movement of goods. This also includes dealing with rent-seeking border officials and transport costs, in order to improve the experiences of regional integration in Africa. Innovative financing solutions: Africa has registered significant progress with respect to mobile money, financial services, and small business technological innovation. There is no doubt that E-commerce is a driver of trade and industrial development Keynote Address: H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda & Chairperson of the African Union Opening Plenary: The opportunities of one market for Africa H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda & Chairperson of the African Union H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Niger & Champion of the AfCFTA Process H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman, Econet Wireless Group

3 2 Special Intervention: Akinwumi Adesina, President of Africa Development Bank (AfDB) Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary General, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Moderator: Mark Eddo, Former BBC Presenter & CEO, Mark Eddo Media Africa, Nigeria The AfCFTA represents an opportunity to launch a different type of integration after 55 years of Political Union. For this to be effective, we need juridical and legal security, national administrations should meet expectation and appropriation by the beneficiaries should be an utmost priority. We are taking the right direction. We need to raise our ambition, ratify and reform. The numbers don t lie, it is us to blame if we cannot change the numbers. We have to stop enjoying problems while we have answers to our problems Change is coming to Africa but slowly, we need to go fast. H.E. Paul Kagame Sensitization is key and it should not be only from top but also from bottom as well. H.E Issoufou Mahamadou, President of Niger and Leader of AfCFTA. For AfCFTA to be successful we need to Establish necessary conducive environment at national level, establish economic governance at national level and be ready for integration. H.E Moussa Faki Mahamat, AUC Chairperson It is equally important to give the private sector the tool to expand and move fast and efficient implementation as well as the effective use of the AfCFTA country business index Plenary I - Leveraging the Power of Business to Drive Africa s Integration H.E. Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe Donald Kaberuka, African Union High Representative for the Peace Fund Ali Mufuruki, Chairman & CEO, Infotech Investment Group, Tanzania Tonye Cole, Co-founder and Group Executive Director, Sahara Group, Nigeria Miriem Bensalah-Chaqroun, President, General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, Morocco Followed by Q&A from the audience Moderator: Julie Gichuru, Entrepreneur & Media Personality, Kenya

4 3 After the signing of the AfCFTA Agreement, governments must ratify it and follow their national constitutions to ensure that the Agreement is domesticated. Domestic laws must be able to accommodate implementation of the Agreement. Governments, Business and Civil Society must engage with each other in the implementation of the AfCFTA. Implementation of the AfCFTA will need the support of other services such as industrial development, education and skills training; infrastructure services in energy, communication networks such as rail, road, maritime. This support will enable the production and movement of goods across borders as countries trade Launch of the AfCFTA Country Index By David Luke, Coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Plenary II - Jobs, Youth and Women: What AfCFTA means for Africa s citizens H.E. Faure Gnassingbé, President of Togo Arancha Gonzalez, Executive Director, International Trade Centre (ITC), Switzerland Amb. Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry, African Union Commission (AUC) Tiguidanke Camara, Chairman and CEO, Tigui Mining Group and Camara Diamond & Gold Trading Network, Guinea Akon, Co-founder, Akon lighting Africa, Senegal Followed by Q&A with the audience Moderator: Novella Nikwigize, News Presenter, RTV, Rwanda Africa s asset is its people. 60% of the African population is young (under 40 years old), and 60% of African citizens are either unemployed or grossly underemployed. African must use its social capital to develop the continent using all its available tools including policies and regulatory frameworks. Gender inequality costs African countries USD 96 billion (6% of GDP) per year. Gender equality is not only the right thing for African countries but also the smart thing to do to ensure inclusiveness.

5 4 Women need to have access to business organization networks, access to capital and finance and access to trade information. Governments and private sector need to educate our youth and women; create conducive environment and opportunities for women; and provide proper information and access to policy makers and private sector AfCFTA Networking Lunch Plenary III: Technology, Innovation and Intra-Africa Trade H.E. Ali Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary General, UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Ashish Thakkar, Founder, Mara Group & Mara Foundation Jean Philbert Nsengimana, Special Advisor to Smart Africa Kabirou Mbodje, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Wari, Senegal Special Intervention: H.E. Daniel Kablan Duncan, Vice President, Republic of Cote D Ivoire Followed by Q&A with the audience Moderator: Julie Gichuru, Entrepreneur & Media Personality, Kenya Financial inclusion through mobile payments and mobile wallets that come to the market is key to moving the continent forward. Smart phone with quality control penetration will change how education and health care takes place. The private sector is ready and have open markets changes the whole ball game. There is therefore the need to encourage the governments not ready to sign the AfCFTA to do so and when it comes to implementation name and shame those who do not do so. The future of AfCFTA needs platforms. First, it is infrastructure, cross border flow of data has surpassed the flow of goods. Secondly content platforms to tell own story other. Thirdly financial platforms such as mobile wallets why not create a pan-african digital money. We need identity platform which are secure trade and trade facilitation which is secure. How does Africa catch up with technology and innovation? Need to build a trust economy. Which requires partnership between entrepreneurs and government. Need to create an African wallet for business. Africa needs to go through digital transformation and fast. The 7 key things are: connect, educate, demonstrate and promote, innovate, invest and regulate. Need mind set shift,

6 5 technology moves fast, regulators need to trust and regulate for speed and empowerment, instead of looking at themselves as referees Launch of the Intra-African Trade Fair Plenary IV : Financing intra-african trade H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya H.E. Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa Benedict Oramah, President & Chairman of the Board, African Export- Import Bank (Afreximbank) Akinwumi Adesina, President of Africa Development Bank (AfDB) Diane Karusisi, CEO, Bank of Kigali, Rwanda Special Intervention: James Mwangi, Group CEO Equity Bank Sheila Aggarwal-Khan, Director for the Policy and Programme Division, United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Followed by Q&A with the audience Moderator: Mark Eddo, Former BBC Presenter & CEO, Mark Eddo Media Africa, Nigeria Governments need to work on the harmonization of regulatory policies related to trade finance across African countries in order to make them more conducive to business and facilitate the development of innovative trade finance solutions. African Governments and continental and regional banks and financial institutions should start the dialogue on an African currency, in order to address the issue convertibility of the several African currencies that currently exist and are one of the biggest challenge African traders currently face. In the meantime, the Afreximbank should work with the African Development Bank, other regional and national banks to roll out its pan-african payment and settlement system and gradually extend to the entire continent. The need for continuous dialogue and engagement between the Private Sector and the Public Sector on trade finance issues through platforms like this first African Business Forum, which should be institutionalized.

7 Wrap Up Session and Closure Amb. Albert M. Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry, African Union Commission (AUC) 19:00-21:00 AfCFTA Cocktail Networking Reception hosted by Rwanda Private Sector Federation at the Kigali Cultural Village