Africa Development Impact Forum (Event 1, ADIF 2026)

Excellencies, distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, all protocols duly observed. Good morning. Can you please tell the person next to you good morning? Let's be a bit cheerful in the room this morning. Thank you.

All right.

Okay, we're good?

Okay.

It is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Africa Development Impact Forum, ADEF.

Good morning.

This forum provides a platform for both dialogue and action aimed at closing the gap between policy design, implementation, and tangible impact. This will be done through collaboration, accountability, and results-driven engagement. This year's forum focuses on a critical theme: job creation. Can everybody say job creation?

Job creation.

Thank you.

As a development economist and planner, I recognize that while many African countries prioritize job creation in their national strategies, unemployment and underemployment remain persistent challenges across the continent. Over the next 2 days, we will bring together voices from across sectors to explore practical solutions and importantly, how we can move from policy to measurable impact. My name is Oyebanke Abiojimi. I am an Economic Affairs Officer with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and I'll be your moderator over the next 2 days. Given our tight and engaging program, I'll be guiding us closely to ensure we stay on time while allowing for meaningful exchanges. Before we proceed, allow me to briefly share a few housekeeping announcements. Wi-Fi is available via Unecca Guest, and the password will be displayed on the screen. Simultaneous interpretation is available. English is on channel 1 and French on channel 2. Please adjust your headsets to a comfortable volume for you. We have a prayer room available, and the ushers will show you to it if you need it. We also have a health booth available during the whole forum. and it is located below. For any questions or assistance, please feel free to approach the ushers at any time. Excellencies, distinguished guests, we will now proceed to the official opening of the forum, during which we will hear remarks from our esteemed speakers. I now have the pleasure of inviting Ms. Mona Idrissou, Head of Youth Employment and Skills at the African Center for Economic Transformation to deliver her remarks. Ms. Idrisu.

It's okay.

Is it okay now?

Okay, great.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, colleagues, and friends, good morning. On behalf of the African Center for Economic Transformation, ACET, it's a pleasure to join you at the inaugural African Development Impact Forum 2026. At ACET, our vision is of an economically transformed Africa driven by inclusive growth, competitiveness, and sustainable development. Our mission is to support African governments and institutions with evidence, policy solutions, and partnerships that accelerate economic transformation and improve livelihoods across the continent. Over the years, ACED has worked with governments regional institutions, development partners, and the private sector to address some of Africa's most pressing challenges, from industrialization and economic diversification to youth employment, skills development, and workforce readiness. Through this work, we have learned an important lesson: evidence alone does not create change. Evidence must be translated into policies, partnerships, and actions that are implementable, scalable, and impactful. This is precisely why ADEF is such an important initiative. At a time when Africa must create millions of quality jobs for its growing youth population, ADEF provides a unique platform to move beyond discussion and focus on implementation. It brings together policymakers, researchers, innovators, development partners, and the private sector to identify solutions, build partnerships, and chart practical pathways to delivery. ACET is proud to have partnered with UNECA throughout the ADEF process. Including contributing to the pre-forum webinar and thematic solutions session on skills, education, and workforce preparedness, as well as supporting the policy and strategy hackathon, which I'm keenly looking forward to. This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to ensuring that evidence informs policy and policy translates into tangible outcomes for young people across Africa. I'd like to commend UNECA for its leadership in creating a forum that places implementation at the heart of the development agenda. The true value of ADF lies not only in the conversations we will have over the next 2 days, but in what happens afterwards. As we look ahead, ACET is particularly excited about the implementation clock, which provides an important— which provides an opportunity to sustain momentum, track progress, strengthen accountability, and support the translation of commitments into measurable results. This long-term focus is exactly what is needed to ensure that promising ideas become real opportunities, jobs, and improved livelihoods. We look forward to productive discussions, strong partnerships, and most importantly, meaningful action. Thank you, and I wish you all a successful forum.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Idrisu. We will now move to our virtual participants to hear from Mr. Karim El Ainawi, Executive President of the Policy Center for the New South. Mr. El Ainawi, you have the floor.

Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here. I'd like, of course, to thank Mr. Gatete for his leadership and for inviting us.

Let me say a few words.

I direct the Policy Center for the New South. It's a Moroccan think tank, and we have a passion that we share with you all, particularly with this initiative, which is informed public policy through science. We are a group of economists and international innovation specialists, and we of course focus on Africa. But really what we do is how can science improve public policy. So we're one of the culprits putting more papers and publications on the market. So we're very glad to partner with this initiative where the implementation, execution being closer to the ground, Having influence on the fabric of public policy is the main objective. I don't see an opposition or an alternative on that. I think it's more complementary and to create a place, but someone has to take care of that. And we need to be very vigilant on how implementation, execution is being done, but that That said, I think science, you know, these are very applied sciences, of course, particularly economics, but still theories, modeling, the capacity to understand things broadly, the capacity to generalize, I think is essential. And I think the UNECA has a very special role to play with us Think Tank. So once again, I think the principle of having a platform, having a place where we discuss these things are essential. So I stand and my colleagues, and I think it was said previously, all the Think Tank community, we stand ready to contribute, to help and to bring our expertise as Moksha as we can. So once again, many thanks for involving us, and I wish I could have been with you, and I wish you a great conference and inshallah success for, for ADIF, for this initiative. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much, Mr. El Aynawi. It now gives me great pleasure to invite the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Mr. Clave Gatete, to deliver his remarks. Mr. Gatete, you have the floor.

Can you hear me now? Yes, thank you so much. moderator, my dear colleagues, Mona and my deputy, and friends, colleagues. I thank you very much for, by the way, hosting us in your own wonderful center. And of course, for Mona, we work together in the Africa Center for Economic Transformation. We are great partners. And together with, of course, the African Union and others. So it's always a great pleasure for us to be together at this moment in time talking about the employment. At this point, I'm delighted to welcome all of you to Addis Ababa for the inaugural Africa Development Impact Forum under the compelling theme, Best Practices and Innovative Solutions for Job Creation in Africa. I wish to start by expressing my sincere appreciation to all our partners, speakers, participants, and institutions whose commitment has made this forum possible. Your presence here today reflects a shared conviction that Africa's development challenges can be solved and that proven solutions can and must be implemented at the scale and speed that our people deserve. Excellencies, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, it is precisely this conviction that brings us together today. This forum, therefore, is not simply about identifying good ideas. It is about answering a more fundamental question: how do we move proven solutions from isolatory successes to continental-wide impact? That question has become particularly urgent because we meet at a time of profound global transformation. Across continents, countries are grappling with climate shocks, geopolitical fragmentation and conflicts, rising debt vulnerabilities, disruptions in global supply chains, and rapid technological change. Artificial intelligence is also reshaping industries, altering labor markets, and redefining competitiveness. In addition, official development assistance is declining and development financing can no longer be assumed to be available at the scale many countries relied upon in the past, even as demands on governments continue to rise. But Africa's future will increasingly depend on its ability to mobilize domestic resources, attract investment, build competitive industries, and create sustainable employment opportunities for its growing population. So against this evolving backdrop, where does Africa stand? Are we merely reacting to global change or are we positioning ourselves to reshape it? At a time when many regions are experiencing aging populations and shrinking workforces, Africa possesses one of the greatest strategic assets its people. More than 60% of Africans are under the age of 25, making Africa the youngest continent in the world. By 2035, Africa is expected to have the largest workforce globally, but this demographic advantage is not automatic. Every year, more than 15 million young Africans enter the labor market, in search of opportunity and a better future. According to the International Labour Organization, 53 million young people were not in employment, education, or training in 2023, and the vast majority of those who do find work remain concentrated in informal and low-productivity jobs. So yes, the challenge is significant, but so too is the opportunity. Indeed, if Africa's greatest challenge is jobs, then Africa's greatest opportunity also has to be jobs.

Why?

Because Africa possesses many of the ingredients required for the transformation we seek. It has abundant entrepreneurial talent, vast renewable energy resources, critical minerals essential to the global energy transition, rapidly expanding digital ecosystems, growing urban markets, and the immense opportunities presented by the Africa Continental Free Trade Area. With a market of 1.5 billion people and a combined GDP exceeding $3.4 trillion, the Africa Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to increase intra-Africa trade by as much as 45% by 2045, creating new opportunities for industrialization, regional value chains, and millions of jobs across the continent. The evidence therefore tells us that solutions exist, but the question is, why are proven solutions not being adopted more broadly? Why do successful pilot projects remain pilots? And why do excellent policy recommendations too often remain reports on the shelves? These questions lie in the heart of why we have convened here today. Excellencies, far from lacking ideas, Africa is brimming with innovation, entrepreneurship, and practical solutions. Across our continent, governments, universities, think tanks, entrepreneurs, development institutions, and the private sector are generating innovative solutions daily. From Morocco's emergence as a major automotive manufacturing hub, Rwanda's innovative-driven entrepreneurship ecosystem, Ethiopia's industrial and agro-industrial parks, Kenya's globally recognized digital economy, and Egypt's expanding manufacturing base. Examples of success already exist across Africa. So the challenge is not identifying what works, but ensuring that successful experiences are replicated, adapted, and expanded across the continent. This is precisely why the Africa Development Impact Forum was established. ADIF builds on ECA's longstanding efforts to connect ideas, research, policy, investment, and implementation. It complements platforms such as the Africa Business Forum, which has successfully brought together policymakers, investors, and development partners to advance practical solutions for sustainable development. Crucially, ADF addresses how to bridge the gap between evidence and implementation, and how to expand proven solutions that create jobs and improve lives. It is about identifying what works, understanding why it works, and mobilizing the partnerships, financing, and institutions needed to scale impact across the continent. Therefore, Excellencies, if Africa is to create jobs at the scale required, then we must build a complete enabling ecosystem for inclusive and job-rich growth. Allow me to highlight 5 priorities. First, we must invest in skills and capabilities that match the demands of a changing economy. Africa's young people are our greatest asset. As such, we must strengthen education systems, expand technical and vocational training, deepen digital competencies, and equip young people with the skills needed to thrive in both existing and emerging industries. Second, we must shift from supporting only startups to scaling enterprises. Africa does not simply need more businesses that survive. But businesses that grow, innovate, compete, and create jobs. This requires stronger public-private partnerships to expand access to finance, markets, technology, and business services to help promising enterprises flourish. Third, we must accelerate industrialization and value addition. Africa cannot create sufficient jobs for exporting by exporting raw commodities while importing finished products. Whether in agriculture, manufacturing, critical minerals, tourism, pharmaceuticals, logistics, digital services, or creative economy, greater value addition must become central to our development model. Fourth, we must leverage the Africa Continental Free Trade Area to develop regional value chains for industrialization and larger markets for African enterprises. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop competitive regional value chains in sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, automotive manufacturing, textiles, critical minerals, and digital services, attracting private sector investment, creating millions of jobs across borders, and enhancing Africa's economic resilience and competitiveness. Fifth, we must strengthen implementation capacity and accountability. This means policies must be anchored in delivery, institutions must be empowered to execute, and outcomes must be measured rigorously, because without effective implementation, even the best ideas will fail to produce results. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, over the next 2 days, this forum will move beyond dialogue to action. Through thematic discussions, innovation showcases, hackathons, and collaborative engagements, participants will test ideas, forge partnerships, and identify practical solutions capable of delivering measurable impact. The Africa Development Impact Forum is about building a model, a new model of development cooperation, one that connects evidence to policy, investment, enterprise growth, and job creation. The good news is that we have— we already have the ideas, the talent, the resources, a dynamic private sector, innovative entrepreneurs and investors who are increasingly demonstrating that African solutions can compete globally as well as the market to transform our economies. What we need now is just execution. Africa's future depends on the choices that we make here today. Together, we can use this forum as a turning point to create opportunities for our young people, transform our economies, and convert Africa's immense potential into shared prosperity. I wish you productive deliberations and every success. Thank you very much for your kind attention.

Thank you very much, Executive Secretary. Finally, we will hear a video message from Ms. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations.

Thank you.

We cannot hear.

Hello?

Technical team.

Evidence convening panel. Distinguished guests, it's a pleasure to join you. I thank the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa for convening the Africa Development Impact Forum and for its continued role as a trusted partner to African member states. Bringing together policy expertise, evidence, convening power, and a deep understanding of the continent's development priorities. Excellencies, this forum comes at a pivotal moment for Africa. Across the continent, there is no shortage of ideas, strategies, or evidence about what works. The challenge before us is implementation— how we move from policy design to delivery at scale with a sense of of urgency, from promising pilots to measurable impact, and from commitments made to results felt in the daily lives of people and communities. This is where our focus must be. Africa's development aspirations are clear. Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Pact for the Future provide a shared blueprint for inclusive growth, sustainable development, and dignity for all. But blueprints do not create jobs. Commitments do not build livelihoods. Strategies do not transform communities unless they're matched by delivery. This is especially urgent for Africa's young people. Our youth is our greatest asset, but realizing their promise means investing in sustainable, inclusive, and decent jobs— jobs that create livelihoods, expand opportunity, and enable young women and men to shape the future of their societies. It also means harnessing the power of digital transformation. Digital public infrastructure, innovation ecosystems, artificial intelligence, fintech, e-commerce, and skills for the future can help Africa expand its access to services, open new markets, increase productivity, and create new pathways to decent work. But technology must serve people. It must close divides, not deepen them. And it must be inclusive, accessible, and rooted in Africa's own priorities. Across Africa, successful models already exist— in agriculture, manufacturing, services, the digital economy, green jobs, creative industries, micro, small, and medium enterprises, and beyond. But too often, these models remain fragmented. Too often they're not replicated. And too often promising pilots do not become long-term transformation. The African Development Impact Forum can help to change that. It can help identify what works, mobilize genuine partnerships around scalable solutions, strengthen accountability, and support countries to move from pilots to policy from policy to implementation, and from implementation to impact in people's lives. To deliver this impact, we do need stronger coalitions around national priorities. Governments must lead with vision and commitment. The private sector must bring innovation, investment, and entrepreneurship. Development partners must align support behind national and regional priorities. Researchers and think tanks must help ensure that policy is grounded in evidence. And young innovators must be at the heart of designing the solutions that will shape their future. Excellencies, friends, the United Nations is committed to working with you. Through ECA, our Resident Coordinators and Country Teams, we will continue to support government in translating global, regional and national commitments into concrete action on the ground. Excellencies, friends, the success of this Forum will not be measured by the quality of the discussions alone. It will be measured by the partnerships that are formed, the solutions that are scaled, the accountability that is strengthened, and ultimately by the jobs, livelihoods, economic opportunities, and inclusive development delivered for our people. Let us move together from ideas to implementation, from dialogue to to delivery and from ambition to impact. Thank you, and I wish you fruitful discussions.

Excellencies, distinguished guests, with that, I am pleased to officially declare the African Development Impact Forum open. Now— Before we proceed, I would like us to reach a quick collective agreement, and I'll provide some context. Earlier this year, I visited Japan with my family, and I was struck by their strong culture of timekeeping. I was told that if your meeting is at 9 AM and you arrive at 9 AM, you are late. You are expected to arrive before. On one occasion, we were about 50 meters from the hotel bus, and I had 2 children, small children, and the bus pulled away. I thought to myself, where I come from, they might have kindly waited for us, you know, the African family, my brother, my sister. But while that would have been considerate, it would reduce the overall efficiency of the system. Colleagues, we have a very packed agenda over the next 2 days, so may I kindly ask that we all agree to adopt Japanese time for this forum? If you are in agreement, say aye.

Aye.

All right, so now this will require all of us— moderators, speakers, presenters, and participants. So with that agreement, we will proceed with strict Japanese-style timekeeping, not African time. Okay, d'accord, d'accord, d'accord.

All right.

So now we move on to the Youth Dialogue on the Global Financial Architecture. Moderating this session is the Vice President of the Pan African Youth Union, Ms. Pamela Audrey Dirum. Ms. Pamela, can you please come on the stage? To set the scene and dialogue with the youth is the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Mr. Clave Gatete. I would further like to invite the first group of youth participants to the platform. The first group of participants, can you please come on stage? Mr. Rom, can you please come on the platform as well to moderate this session for which you have 60 minutes, and the clock will be ticking. All right, Mr. Rom, you have the floor. The session will run for 60 minutes. Thank you.

Thank you.

Mesdames et messieurs, un proverbe africain dit, ladies and gentlemen, in Africa they say when the When the lion roars, then the hunters rejoice. Having organized the meeting by involving the youth is a good thing. Today, this reality continues. That's why the one who is not at the table of dialogue might find themselves at the menu of the decision-taking. Welcome here in the right place. Good morning, everyone. I have the great pleasure to invite you to this session on Dialogue of Youth on Global Financial Architecture. It's more than a technical discussion on the international financial mechanisms. It is an opportunity for the African youth to ensure that their voice is heard in a global inclusive and adaptable financial system with regard to our people, because behind the notion of debt, the cost of capital, climate financing, we have opportunities for our youth to create employment, to ensure resilience for our communities and ensure the future of our continent, the Africa that we want. The aim of our meeting today is to look at the challenges that we have and turn them into solutions and bring out ambitious recommendations held by the African youth to contribute to create the future Without further ado, I will give the floor to the Executive Secretary, Mr. Clever Gatete, for the introduction of this session. Mr. Clever Gatete, you have the floor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you very much, really, for this, from the moderator and for our team. And now that we are going to the Global Financial Architecture, I just wanted just to say that everybody here can testify that the world is changing before us. Things are changing in a very big way, in a way that we have never seen before. Actually is no longer working this— the way it was expected to work. And we've had many changes from the Financing for Development. It was realized in 2002 and now we've had 4 sessions of the conferences trying to explain what needs to change. Now, since the world has changed and we as ECA have been doing quite a lot in this area, And my deputy, Dr. Mosi, has been leading us in this area of the global financial architecture, so she's the one that is going to take us through what are these changes, what are the implications for Africa, what are the implications for the young people. So over to you, Dr. Mosi.

Thank you, E.S., and good morning to everyone. distinguished guests, and most importantly, the youth that are joining us today. When most people speak about global financial architecture, you know, particularly the public or the youth, their eyes tend to glaze over. It may sound distant, technical, tends to be discussed by economists and policymakers and ministers, international institutions that may be sometimes, you know, removed from everyday life. Yet the truth is that this global financial architecture is ultimately not about money. It's about the opportunity that it gets. Who gets heard? Who gets to shape the future? It influences whether a young entrepreneur can access capital and grow a business. It influences whether a young graduate can find meaningful employment. whether government can actually invest in education, technology, healthcare, and infrastructure, and whether Africa has a meaningful voice in shaping the rules that affect its development. This is why this conversation actually matters, because Africa stands at a defining moment.

Thank you.

We are the youngest continent in the world. By 2050, 1 in every 4 people on the planet will be African. This demographic transformation should be one of the greatest economic opportunities for the 21st century. But the opportunity is not automatic. It requires investment. It requires jobs. It requires infrastructure. It requires innovation. And it requires affordable finance. And this is precisely where the current global financial architecture is falling short. Today, the global economy is operating in an environment of slower growth, heightened uncertainty, geopolitical fragmentation, and significantly higher cost of capital. For Africa, these global challenges are further compounded by longstanding structural inequalities in the international financial system. Despite our immense potential, Africa accounts for less than 3% of global trade. At the same time, the continent faces an annual financing gap estimated at nearly $1 trillion to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and respond effectively to climate change. Many African countries are confronting severe debt pressures. Over the past decade, public debt levels have risen sharply, and today more than 25 African countries are either in debt distress or at high risk of it. But debt is not merely a fiscal issue. It's actually a development issue. When countries spend more servicing their debt than investing in education, healthcare, or the future of their youth, something is fundamentally wrong with the system. In 2025, African countries were expected to make more than $100 billion in public debt repayments. Many countries now spent more on servicing debt than on critical social sectors, whether health or education. And across the continent, debt service absorbs a substantial share of government revenues that could otherwise be actually invested in development. The youth did not create these challenges, but the youth often bear the greatest consequences of them. It means fewer jobs, less investments, reduced opportunities, and slower growth toward the future that Africa deserves. That's why reforming the global financial architecture is not a technical exercise. It's a development imperative. It's a matter of fairness, and ultimately, it's a matter of intergenerational justice. That's why really we wanted to have this discussion today. In response, the Economic Commission for Africa, together with our member states, the African Union, and other partners, have been advancing an ambitious agenda for reform, including through the Africa High-Level Working Group on Global Financial Architecture, which ECA serves as a secretariat. Let me highlight 4 priorities. First, we need a system, a debt system that works better for development. When countries face debt crises, solutions should be timely, transparent, and effective. Debt restructuring processes should help countries return to growth and development more quickly rather than trapping them in prolonged uncertainty. Africa recently adopted a robust common African position on debt, which is an important step in ensuring a stronger and more unified voice on this global debate and in shaping these reforms. Second, we must lower the cost of capital. Africa is often perceived as riskier than it actually is. As a result, African countries and businesses frequently pay significantly more to borrow than their peer countries do. This is not simply a financing problem. It's a jobs problem. It's, you know, entrepreneurship problem. It's an innovation problem, and it's a development problem. Correcting these distortions actually, you know, by improving risk assessments, strengthening data systems, and mobilizing greater investments are essential if Africa is to unlock its economic potential. Third, climate finance must work for Africa. Young Africans contribute the least to global emissions, yet often face some of the most severe consequences of the climate change. Climate finance must therefore support adaptation, resilience, and green industrialization. It must help countries build stronger economies, create new industries, and generate opportunities for future generations. Africans should not simply export raw materials. For green transition, Africa must participate fully in building the industries and value chains of the future. And fourth, Africa must retain more of its own resources. Every year, the continent loses enormous resources through illicit financial flows, tax avoidance, corruption, and other forms of financial leakages. Every dollar lost is a dollar that cannot be invested in schools, hospitals, infrastructure, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This is why strengthening international tax cooperation remains so important, and it's also why Africa's engagement and leadership in the negotiations toward a UN framework convention on international tax cooperation represents a historic opportunity to build a fairer and more inclusive international tax system. Dear youth, the rules governing the global economy are not fixed. They are created by people, and what people created, people can reform. The question is not whether these issues affect your future, they actually do. The question is whether young generation will have a voice in shaping the decisions that determine that future. Too often, discussions about debt, climate finance, taxation, development finance take place without active participation of those who will live longest with the I'm often reminded by my own children. So they must— that must change because you are not merely stakeholders in Africa's future, you're the authors of it. So you're, you know, the entrepreneurs that will be creating businesses, innovators developing solutions, researchers generating knowledge, advocates shaping public finance, and leaders transforming communities. The future of Africa will not be determined only in ministries, boardrooms, or international institutions. It will also be determined by young Africans who are prepared to challenge old assumptions, propose new ideas, and demand a fairer place in the global system. Your generation has an opportunity not only to participate in reforming the global system, but also to redefine it and to advocate for Africa's voice for these reforms. So today I encourage you to be bold, challenge conventional thinking, ask difficult questions, bring forward innovative solutions, and help shape a vision of global financial system that works not only for the few, but it works for all, because the future of Africa should not be decided for young people. It must be decided with them, and it should be shaped with them. I look forward to hearing your ideas, your perspective, and your vision for the Africa you want to build. Thank you.

Thank you so much for shedding light on this As you said, today's Africa, tomorrow's Africa will be built for the youth by the youth.

Thank you.

So without any further delay, let us go into the first discussion session, interactive discussion with our panelists, the panelists seated here before you. There are 3 themes: climate finance and Resilience. This will be dealt with by Madame Aficia Legrisi. My apologies if I don't pronounce your name very well. You will be the one to start and you'll talk to us about climate finance and resiliency. Please, I'm afraid we don't have that much time. I really count on you to ensure that you Make a concise presentation so that everybody will be able to participate. Thank you.

Bonjour, merci.

Je vais commencer.

Good morning. I'm going to start this topic, climate finance and resilience, with a very brutal fact. The reality is that African countries are facing. The type of climate crisis which they did not create. And the funding they receive often comes in the shape of loans which further worsens the debt burden. It's not an issue of global resources. The problem is more one of governance. Who is deciding and what conditions are the decisions made? What are the local contributors actually doing? We can't just talk about a technical transfer from the north to the south. We have to think more in terms of leveraging finance, governance so that local actors can pilot their own transition. Africa does not need to be a subsidiary to anybody's tutelage. We need financial support, support that builds up our confidence. We need to adapt to climate change and the rules must be such that our resilience does not mean we are penalized. We need viability rules for the type of debt that means investing in resilience and we need Soft concessional financing. I think that we are inheriting the consequences of the technological transformation. That is true. Nevertheless, we can contribute solutions— green entrepreneurship, innovative funding, citizen involvement— and we have to have backers present where we are acting. Talk has been made of African financial architecture, but this cannot be disconnected from the terrain. We have to have civil society, especially young African experts, truly involved in building this.

Thank you. Merci beaucoup, Madame.

Thank you so much for sticking to the time. Now we should give the floor to Mr. Majuri. This is Madame Majuri. My apologies, Madame Majuri Mungu. Thank you.

Thank you for giving me the floor. I'm going to continue along the same lines as my colleague. When we talk about climate finance in Africa, what we tend to be talking about is a problem of volume, but empirical reality is such that it's not a matter of volume. Beyond that, there is efficiency. This is just as important. We're only mobilizing 3.6% of global financial flows to climate finance, and this barely meets one quarter of our needs. And even when such funding is available, what we find is that there's a problem of the true impact of this funding on resiliency, which is an impact that is often restricted. It's all very well to talk in theory, but in principle we are investing— we say we must invest in resilience, and in so doing resilience improves. But in practice It's a very fragile link. Challenges abound. Dependency on loans affecting debt sustainability at the national level and the results of these types of investment are often partial. We don't often achieve sustainable results. We cannot sustain. Sustainably transform our economies, and the institutional constraints are such that we're restricting the scope of the investments in climate finance. It's not a matter just of increasing financial flows. We have to guarantee transformation into tangible results. So I have a question, my dear colleagues. Beyond talking about mobilizing financing? How can the ECA ensure the real impact on resiliency in our countries? Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Madame Mashogi. So without further delay, let me give the floor to Tefira Tau. Mr. Tefira Tau.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to participate as a panelist in this year's dialogue. My reflection focuses on climate finance and resilience in Africa. Africa contributes very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is among the regions most affected by climate change. For Africa, climate change is not a future challenge. It is already affecting lives, livelihoods, food security, infrastructure, and generally economic stability. So my first point is climate finance for Africa is the issue of justice. It is not charity. It is an investment in a shared and better future. Therefore, those with greater historical responsibility and stronger financial capacity should provide fair support to countries most affected by climate change. Second, climate finance for low-income countries should be affordable and shouldn't increase the debt burdens. Greater focus should be placed on grants and concessional loans. My third point, adaptation should be Africa's immediate priority. While mitigation remains important, adaptation is more urgent because the continent is experiencing the adverse impacts of climate change. Fourth, the youth must be a center of climate action. They should involve in policymaking, implementation, innovation, and leadership. And finally, climate finance should be aligned with national priorities. It should not be donor-driven projects. So national initiatives like Green Legacy in Ethiopia and similar efforts across Africa must get greater support. And my question to the Deputy Executive Secretary is, how can climate finance and global financial architecture reform resolutions be turned into concrete actions for Africa? Thank you very much.

Merci, merci à vous, merci infiniment.

Thank you, thank you so much. Thank you to all the participants who have contributed on this panel. I think for questions you'll answer later, won't you? Or should I give it to you now? Should I give you the floor now?

Passer à la deuxième session des séries de questions.

We'll go to the second set of questions. Issues for discussion: cost of capital, perception of risk, and investment promotion. Mr. Kwasi Kadi is going to speak to this. This is Kwasi Kadi Akisi Irene.

Hello.

Bonjour à tous. Good morning, everybody. I'm going to speak to reducing the cost of capital and the erroneous perception of risk in Africa and mobilizing investments in productive sectors that create jobs and bring about structured transformation. The former president of the African Development Bank, before the 28th Annual Conference on Global Economic Analysis, said Africa pays 3 to 5 times more for its capital than the rest of the world. This is not a fatality. It's the fact— the result of opaque financial rules penalizing African countries and restricted access to global capital markets. As a result, viable products do not see the light of day. SMEs that could recruit— they could hire thousands of youth don't have an opportunity to do so. And yet there are solutions, notably transformation of the way we perceive risk as African countries, putting in place instruments like blended finance, like guaranteed collateral. Like the use of domestic resources. So capital mobilization should not be a wall that cannot be climbed over. It should permit access for youth. So I have a question. How in Africa can we activate the most urgent levers so that youth, young African entrepreneurs can actually benefit? From such capital? How can they use it to contribute to the employment for youth? Thank you.

Merci, Monsieur Abdufal.

Thank you, Monsieur Abdufal. Thank you, thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, on court derrière le temps.

Merci.

D'accord, je vais emprunter le pas à mon Thank you.

I shall try not to be too lengthy. We have a fundamental fact in front of us— adaptation. There's a high dependency on the future in relation— when compared to the present, and this sheds light on the problem we're facing here today. The cost of capital in Africa makes states pay much more to finance the present than it should for the future. This is a measurable economic fact and we can do something about it. Sub-Saharan Africa borrows at 3 to 4 times more rates than comparative economies elsewhere and this is because of structural dysfunctioning Economic transformation and links with climate change and intergenerational advancement depend on these rankings and on the way international finance rates our economies. We're not asking for indulgence. No, ladies and gentlemen, we call for rigorous analysis. We ask that Africa uses levers to bring about its own financial transformation. So I have a question for the Deputy Executive Secretary. How can Africa demonstrate its financial sovereignty by affecting global markets? How does the ECA intend to put in place independent financial mechanisms for assessing sovereign risk in Africa?

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

The last point is action, advocacy, and international cooperation in Africa. Mr. Evans?

Okay, thank you very much. So I'm going to speak about Africa's agency, advocacy, role in international cooperation. Africa must not enter in international cooperation as a petitioner, but as a partner, an agenda setter, and a rule shaper. Yet the current system still works against the continent. Africa faces a financing gap of about $1 trillion each year to meet the SDGs and the climate needs. It pays a high cost of capital, carries a rising debt pressures and remains underrepresented where key global financial decisions are made. Too often, Africa pays more, receives less, and is heard too late. That is why Africa's agency matters. Agency means moving from being spoken for to helping shape the rules, and from fragmented voices to common African positions on debt, climate finance, credit ratings, and It also means strong advocacy. These issues cannot stay in technical rooms. Young people must help turn them into clear public messages that citizens, investors, and policymakers can understand. And international cooperation must be based on partnership, not dependency. Africa should deepen South-South alliances. and work with reform-minded partners to secure fairer debt solutions, affordable long-term finance, and climate finance at scale. The future of global finance should not be written for Africa. Africa must help write the rules. And the question to DESR, Madam DESR, what one practical step can African governments and youth take now to turn common positions in the bargaining power. Thank you.

Merci beaucoup.

Vous les avez suivis.

Thank you very much. So you've gone through very important points, and I think we've all taken good note of these critical points. Thank you to the speakers. Now, the time constraints are such that we're going to now move to the next Set of speakers. Maybe questions will come afterwards, if you don't mind.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Le public.

I think the participants in the hall. I have prepared questions and would like to ask them. Let me ask the next set of panelists to come up, please.

Thank you.

I'd like to thank the panelists who have come to sit up on the podium. Together, we're going to discuss Illicit financial flows. Madame Estelle Désirée Monnison. She will speak first to the points about visibility and debt management. Madame Essel, are you there? Are you there with us, please?

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for having given me the floor. May I say good morning?

We will carry out an analysis from a global perspective when Debt is viable. It's viable when the country is ready to pay back, especially for public services, without faltering. According to the IMF, measuring the ratio of debt servicing with regard to income, it's at 3% of GDP. Now, when you look at Africa, The average debt in Africa is from 55% of GDP in 2015 to 65% today, according to the IMF. The countries borrow less from the World Bank and more from the market, between 8% and 10% through bonds. So what's happening at the— Global level, there's a need to strengthen budgetary reconciliation and develop markets, financial markets at the regional level through regional so that we can borrow locally. And thirdly, we should set up mechanisms of faster restructuring compared to the current situation. So. By way of conclusion, the viability of debt is not judged on a country-by-country basis, but it's based on regional tools. So the question that I would like to pose to the DES, how do we ensure that development policies take on board the interests of the global trend today? Thank you.

Merci, Madame.

Many thanks, Madame Esther. So let's now move to Mr. Monjesha. He's going to speak on visibility and debt management autonomy. advocacy and international cooperation in Africa. So he's not there, so let's move to Deborah. Deborah Mbaye is going to speak on the same theme.

Thank you very much for giving me the floor. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished invited guests, Dear youth, concerning the perspective of the youth on action and advocacy as well as international cooperation in Africa, we need to note that in an increasingly fragmented world where we have a new financial architecture, a new global financial architecture, and when we look at the challenges that African countries face, notably the high cost of capital, the smaller space, budgetary space for most of them, and many other challenges. Africa must, first of all, build its action capacity through the fast-tracking of the implementation of reforms because it's not just about designing new reforms. Gone are the days when we had to restructure reforms, but we need to speed up and fast-track reforms and policies which have already been designed for over 50 years now for our countries. So we need to build this fast-tracking and implement reforms to build the capacity of African countries to mobilize resources and attract financing at a high level and foster development of financial institutions at the regional level. Secondly, Africa must build its advocacy around the issue of the role and the place that these financial institutions and regional institutions must have in the new global financial architecture. And finally, Africa must build its intra-regional cooperation between countries before talking about occupying an influential position in the decision-making spheres of the world. Strengthened cooperation between African countries by adopting a common position, by speaking the same voice, it would be difficult for countries to say that they would influence and contribute their voice in the global decision-making spheres. Now, given that, my question is the following: what contribution would the ECA undertake to strengthen strengthen the positions of financial institutions, regional African financial institutions, within the new financial— the new global financial architecture? In the same perspective, how would the ECA use the youth or involve the youth in achieving that mission? Because the youth represent over 60% of the African population. Thank you.

Thank you very much, the different speakers that have taken the floor. Now, before giving the floor to Madame Agathe Ngani— I hope I've pronounced your name well— so probably we would like to open the floor to the public for a few minutes. especially to deal with this financial matter, resilience risks, and promoting investment action advocacy, as well as international African cooperation. I think you have followed the intervention of Madam Afiza, Madam Majorie Tefera. Of course, yes. And, uh, Kerui, I hope I pronounce your name well. So they have spoken on that theme. We will start with them. We will give the floor to the public. We have 10 minutes for this session of taking the floor by the public. We shall take 3 minutes before giving back the floor to the— to Madam Agati. Yes. Behind, over there. Your name, please. Initials. Director of— yes, we will take 5 people before you start speaking.

Director of the COFIN Agency. It's a Pan-African agency for financial and economic performance. It's interesting to listen to the perspectives of the young people Through this special— Mr. Gaddafi and Madam Morsi, I'd like to try to understand the situation of Africa during the forum that was organized in Nairobi. We talked about Africa developed by ADB, and I imagine it was done in collaboration with the UNECA. So all the questions raised by the young people find a solution through UNAFTA, which is the instrument developed by the African Development Bank. I thank you.

Merci à vous.

Thank you very much. I think— so if the questions are addressed to the speakers, of course the speakers are around and they will take the floor afterwards to try to answer. answer the questions. The Executive Secretary also will be ready to answer some of those questions. Yes, on that side, please take the floor.

Thank you so much. First of all, I would like to thank everyone for such insightful session. Thank you for bringing hope and reminding us that transformation is still possible. At the end of the day, hope is what we kept African young people believing in change that can happen. However, hope must be matched with action and access. For decades, global financial institutions have spoken a lot of reformation, yet many African countries continue to face unsustainable debt burden, high borrowing costs, and limited access to development finance. As a young African, we are repeatedly told that we are the future of the continent. My question is, what is the fate of African youth if the country continues to inherit growing debate while having little access to affordable capital investment and economic opportunity? If development finance is intended to improve lives, why do so many African young entrepreneurs, innovators, and community leaders struggle to access it directly? Where is the finance ultimately going if it is not reachable for the people expected to drive African transformation? At the end of the day, it is African youth who will inherit the consequence of today's financial crisis?

Kindly, could you kindly be brief, please?

Are we building the continent for opportunity or are we simply passing a debate from one generation to next while denying young people access to resources needed to create opportunity? Thank you so much.

Thank you. In the middle. You have a minute, please.

Good morning, everyone. I'm happy for the insightful opening session and also the first sections of the panel.

My name is Melaku.

I'm a founder and executive director for the Model Africa Union in Ethiopia, but my question is directed to the presenters and also the ECA team as well. So it's very simple.

What is the role— what would—

what is the role of the African youth in advancing the African common position on climate change and all negotiations?

Thank you.

Merci.

I thank you. The last one there. Well, thank you. I think our panelists have listened to the questions. Given the time constraint, they will start responding. So those that have answers can raise their hands to be able to react to the questions. Otherwise, the executive secretary is around. He can also chip in.

We Now, concerning the question where goes the financing that is borrowed, now, this financing which is borrowed, the money that's borrowed is used in certain projects. But in reality, some countries use that funding for paying salaries instead of investing in the projects which are going to bring in profits later. That's why we notice that— we see that the outcomes from financing are quite distorted. Thank you.

Thank you for the answer. Let me give the floor to Madam Agani, I hope I have pronounced your name well. Can you now take over?

I'd introduce myself. I'm the Vice Chair of the Pan-African Union for Youth and Coordinator of the FEARFAM Network for the Development of Africa. I'm responsible for the Central African region. Thank you.

Madam Agati, you have the floor.

Thank you for giving me the floor. So I'd like to speak on the theme of the illicit financial flows. Now, the illicit financial flows are about $80 million that goes out of Africa according to the ECA data. $80 million. This is the amount that we see almost every year. Thank you. For development. So this is not just statistics. This is reflected in schools which are not built, health centers which are not built, and infrastructure that doesn't reach its completion, and employment which is dodgy as far as youth are concerned. We have abundant natural resources on the continent, but the paradox is that while the continent wants to mobilize more resources to finance its development, a share of that goes into illicit financial flows. In 2026, we had a dialogue and we want to reflect on a fundamental matter. How do we move from— how do we make sure that we walk the talk so that we can use the leverage of this financing to ensure sustainable development? Now, the question to you, Madam Yes, the ECA as well as other organizations think that the needs for financing to fast-track development of the continent are about $1.3 billion, yet Africa loses $8 billion through this IFF. Now, within the framework of the Global Financial Agenda, don't you think that the main issue here or matter or question is to mobilize financial resources? On the other hand, ensuring dynamics like governance, strengthening capacity, institutional capacity building, as well as the inclusion of the youth, which is a determining factor to transform these resources of financial flow towards the development of our continent. Thank you.

Okay.

Thank you very much. Without further ado, let me give the floor to the Executive Secretary so that he can give us some feedback with regard to the questions raised.

Thank you very much. I think because it was moderated by the Deputy Secretary, Executive Secretary, I think you can go first, uh, yes, and then I come back later.

Thank you.

Thank you. I'd like to just start by saying that I'm really thrilled and really energized by the, you know, the level of engagement, you know, insightful remarks and questions. And I think in the future we'll need to perhaps make more room Thank you for these discussions. Many questions have been asked. Let me start by how do I see the role of the youth in this agenda, because it's really about, you know, we talked about why it matters, we talked about why you should care, and we need to talk about what does it mean for you, what is your role going forward. Thank you. Forward. I see that as, you know, the, you know, carrying and amplifying Africa's voice beyond just, you know, the official policymakers, ministries. You're, you know, the heart of the continent, you know, the present and the future. So your engagement, awareness, and advocacy for this agenda will determine what happens next. So you need to be engaged at a national level, at a regional level, and at a global level on this. It's not just, you know, the job of the governments. It's not just the jobs of international institutions. It's your future. You need to own it. You need to advance it. And you need to support support progress toward it. And that comes through, you know, all the, you know, voices, also your role in linking with the communities, African communities and African public, to understand the importance of this agenda, to make it really beyond kind of like, you know, the Ivory Tower discussions. It's the discussions of your future, so it needs to be discussed at public forums, understood, and then advocated in different forums. Also connecting with youth in other regions that, you know, influence these decisions, be it, you know, with youth outside the continent, and understanding and explaining how this affects and what is required is key, because at the end, we need, you know, accountability on this agenda globally, accountability at a national level, at a regional level, but also globally. So your voice is critical. We would like you to be not just, you know, observers, but we'd like you to be part of the force, you know, advancing this. So having, you know, having said that, there are, you know, a number of questions that have been asked. Let me just maybe put them in, you know, a few buckets. One of them is the issue of the role of the continent and how it has been changing. I believe we have made significant progress from moving to be just observers, rule-takers, to actually coming to be part of the rule-making. And this is really illustrated actually by the fact that the African Union now has a seat in the G20. So before, we used to just be a rule-taker. Taker. Now we have a voice at the table to actually shape what comes out. We need to utilize this. We need to engage and to support, as all of us are, and ECA is a strategic partner of the African Union in their participation for the G20. We need to stand behind that to advance and push for the type of reforms that Africa needs. We have also other progress that have been made that is quite substantial. We have things that is now institutionalized. So, for example, in the G20 processes now, under the leadership of South Africa under their G20 presidency, there was institutionalizing of the G20 Africa Engagement Framework, which means that there is a way by which this will remain on the agenda to monitor commitments that are made and progress also that is made by the continent. So it's a way to keep accountability of both sides that did not exist before. And it's very important because with all what many of you have mentioned, the global changes, the fragmentation, a lot of things are changing. So having something that provides some stability and a mechanism that is institutionalized give us continuity, which is very important, and it's important to highlight that this was really done under the leadership of, you know, an African country, South Africa, heading G20 presidency. Same thing we've seen. We've seen the African leadership, for example, with the UN International Tax Cooperation. It was thanks to the African negotiators that led this process, and now that is working. So Africa has really— I see Africa as taking the lead rather than being a bystander, and that's what we would like you at your level to do the same, similar to what has been done institutionally by, you know, within these frameworks, to take the lead for this agenda to advance globally as well and continentally. There were also issues that were raised on issues of risk premium and what it means. Of course, there is a lot of work that has been done that shows that Africa bears an unfair risk premium relative to countries that have, you know, similar fundamentals. It's a perception issue, which means that there are, you know, 2 elements. One is by the rating agencies and how consistent the ratings are, but also by us, meaning that we need to make sure that the data is available so that we are judged based objectively and not, you know, by subjective assessments. So that part means accountability, means data being released, which as part of the, you know, the African public, you have a role in calling for accountability for these data to be better released so that assessment can be challenged. We have been doing a lot of work supporting the first, you know, the African rating agency to, you know, become a reality. This is a positive step, but we have to also, you know, manage expectations that this helps in having a baseline, but this is not a silver bullet point. We need to still work with existing and other rating agencies to make sure that it's done better, that we have, you know, data, reliable data that we can use to challenge assessments, and that we also are communicating better about, you know, the stories, the reforms, the progress that African countries are making. I think there was also questions regarding climate and resilience. ECA has been doing also a lot of work on that area, being through studies, trying to change narratives, But evidence shows that actually investing in resilience can save— $1 invested in resilience can save $10 to $14 in future losses. So we need to think of resilience as an investment. We need to also, you know, make sure that the type, the quantity, and the quality of climate finance that's flowing is appropriate. Thank you. You know, it needs to be more toward adaptation because this is what our country is going through. And what we have seen is that most of the finance does not go to that. So we need to reform that. We need to reform also the cost of that financing because, you know, the continent contributes very little, less than 4% of global emissions. Yet it bears the brunt of the damages. These are some of the things that we have to pursue. ECA, for example, has been supporting, and particularly for Uganda, to change the narrative of investment and resilience, to showcase how investment and resilience can change future reduce risk but also increase growth potential. So we have been working on a number of areas, including that. We've been supporting African negotiators, and I think the African youth, part of what they can help with is to advance and advocate for African common positions across the board, whether global financial architecture, whether climate issues, really be the face and voice of it at different levels. There were also the issue of how can we turn the common positions into bargaining powers. We can do that through actually advancing it in, you know, and using opportunities. So So, for example, using whether it's G20, G7, the Finance for Development, which actually the resolution for it, the declaration included the will, the African position integrated into it. So using these various processes to advance and then to find champions, countries, you know, whether it's G7, G20, that can actually support this and champion along with our countries so that we can get results. I think I will defer the rest of the difficult questions to the U.S. Thank you very much for your engagement and—

That was a good answer.

Yeah, engagement and enthusiasm, and we look forward to continuing the conversation. Yes. Thank you very much.

We have come to the end of this specific session.

Yes, thank you very much, really. Really, when I heard the discussions here, I remembered when I was the Minister of Finance and we were always talking among ourselves as ministers and other high-level people, but one day we started testing what we are doing in terms of budget with the civil society, and we had a session for the youth. Oh my God. After that session, we realized we were doing things wrong because there is information that was out there that the young people have that we didn't have, and yet we are the ones determining their future. And I think from what they are discussing here, it really gives us an impression that we need to empower the youth, because at the end of the day, when we travel, we go and meet governments. That means ministers, senior officials. From there, we go and meet in our conference rooms. They are the same people that we are talking to. But without the youth, whose future is at stake, if we don't empower you— it's not just involving you. Involving you is not enough, but also we need to empower you.

Thank you.

you. On all the issues that we've been talking about here, whether it is the risks that we are talking about, starting from the state, we go and meet with them and they say, you need to be credit— you need to have a good credit rating. We need to empower you. There is a perception of risk which is bringing a high cost. And we are doing so much as ECA together with member countries, but without you, we can't reach far because you are the beneficiaries. You are the ones who are supposed to be actually giving even ideas into how we are doing to de-risk our African continent. So it starts at the country level, at the regional level, and also at the continental level. How are you participating in shaping the decisions that we are talking about? When we sit in New York or in Washington, Are you part of it? Because just to give you an example, when we— after the COVID when the IMF triggered the resources that are supposed to support the world of $650 billion, Africa as a whole continent, they only got $34 billion. They did not make a mistake. It's because our shareholding is just equivalent to one country, Germany. Thank you. And if you want to change that element of the shareholding alone, your voice becomes very important. But also the way we work from the country level to the continental level in terms of domestic resource mobilization, which you have never done— we are the lowest ever, you know, at 16%, and we need to go way up. But because we are looking for money from outside, we are not doing much at home. You have a big influence. In terms of climate, you are the one who has a big influence, but you need our support to tell you what are the financial products that can help the young people. If you are talking about blue bonds, green bonds, sustainability-linked bonds, are you aware of that? How do they work? How do you access them? How does it help which area. And there are many other areas. I don't want to take much of your time, but what I think now from the questions they have asked, you have to participate in all areas. Our job is to empower you. Our job is to provide you with all the information, and we have to find a mechanism under which to empower you because you have the ideas. You are the ones who are going to do the business. You are the ones who are going to be in government. You are the ones who are going to be in different organizations. But we need to empower you. And to empower you, first and foremost, is to give information. I had someone asking about NAFAD, the New African Financial Architecture for Development, that is led by the African Development Bank. The reason is that the money from outside was actually now becoming difficult. The aid is declining significantly. It's no longer there. The concessional resources, which is very cheap, is no longer— is declining significantly, given our needs of our own economies. And then the debt levels are very high, and the structuring of it— the people who used to help are also getting difficulties, and we need to look at it differently. But on the other hand, Africa has been growing. The pensions have been growing, the sovereign wealth funds have been growing, and other resources have been growing. But where are they invested? Outside. When I was the Governor of the Central Bank, I told my colleagues, I used to keep my reserves in Citibank, also in the RAM program of the World Bank mainly. That was 70%. In the country, I was only keeping less than 10% because you had to keep it in a AAA rating. Okay, African Development Bank is a AAA rating. Why can't we bring all these resources that we have in all our countries back to Africa through a AAA rating like ADB and then use it to lend ourselves, so that this time the risk is minimized because it is a AAA rating and you can leverage more resources from the private sector? And that's why the NAFAD is trying to do, to see how do we actually use our own resources Now, to this time leverage more of that, you can leverage 3 times, 4 times of the private sector resources, and then the money would be available and the price would be cheaper, because this time it's our bank. And so there are so many possibilities, but what I see here is that our role as ECA is how do we find a mechanism working with you to provide you as much information and to get you involved at all levels? When you are talking about Africa, when you are talking in New York, when you are talking in Washington, when you are talking at other capitals, to make sure that you have not only a voice but you are influencing. You give ideas, but you give ideas when you are well informed, and we are ready, ready to assist you in this process, whether we are talking about job creation, whether we are talking about technology, climate, finance, and so many other areas. I think we need to get you involved and we need to get you— to give you all the information that is necessary. But I thank the moderator for the job well done. I thank the young people here. I've been told that some of them have been— have a background with ECA, and I think we need to keep all of you. Even those that have not been here, from today you are baptized. You are now part of the ECA. I think together we can really make a big difference to our continent. Thank you very much.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Deputy Executive Secretary. Dear participants, this brings us to the end of this Extremely enriching session. There are several key messages. First of all, we need to have architecture for more transparent, equitable debt system that is adapted to African realities. Secondly, we must reduce the cost of capital. Thirdly, there's stimulus for economic transformation on our continent, and we have. To have climate financing that improves on resilience. We have to combat illicit financial flows which prevents Africa from getting the resources that are essential for Africa's development. Finally, there's a central role that youth play as actors of development, making proposals for global reform. The various contributions that we have heard today show that African youth do not just wish to be consulted. They want to actively contribute to defining solutions. Thank you. And I would also like to warmly thank all the speakers, everybody who has participated, and all our partners present here. Thank you. ECA, thank you, everybody.

A big thank you to the Executive Secretary and the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, our excellent moderator, Ms. Derome, and all our youth for their insightful interventions. There's much more to be said, and I encourage you to please reach out and engage with the leadership and newly baptized ECA staff during the breaks. Please give them another round of applause. There will be a group photo of the panel, and the protocol staff will accompany you to where that will be taken. Distinguished guests, we now have a 30-minute break for 2 purposes. First, we invite you to visit the Knowledge Fair. It is a fair which showcases how bold ideas are translated into real, measurable impact through the collective efforts of diverse stakeholders, from leading think tanks to the United Nations Development System to dynamic youth enterprises. Booth leaders are kindly requested to proceed to their respective stands. This will be followed by a health and coffee break. Both the knowledge fair and the coffee break are located on the floor below. Ushers will be available to guide you to the place. We will reconvene promptly in 30 minutes at 11:35 AM, keeping to our Japanese standard of punctuality. Thank you. We will see you then. Thank you so much.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises, but too often impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation.

The implementation gap, where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partner Partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum Stocktake webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the Knowledge Fair tells the story of the journey from ideas to action and to impact. Africa needs 15 million jobs every year, not pilots, not papers, proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions.

We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair exhibition area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap, where evidence is delayed from reaching those who need it most.

and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge—

a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum—

a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum TalkTech webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the Knowledge Fair tells the story of the journey from ideas to action and to impact.

Africa needs 15 million jobs every year—

not pilots, not papers, proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions. We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair exhibition area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap, where evidence is delayed and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum StockTech webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up.

At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the knowledge fair tells the story of the journey from ideas to action and to impact.

Africa needs 15 million jobs every year, not pilots, not papers, proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions.

We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair Exhibition Area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap. Where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge that connects evidence to impact.

bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum Stocktake webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the knowledge fair tells the story of the journey from ideas to action and to impact. Africa needs 15 million jobs every year, not pilots, not papers, proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions. We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair exhibition area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future. Africa has no shortage of resources. There's no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap. Where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum StockTech webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

This session are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up.

At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the Knowledge Fair tells the story of the journey, from ideas to action, and to Africa needs 15 million jobs every year—

not pilots, not papers, proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions.

We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair exhibition area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, No shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap. Where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge—

a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum Stocktake webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment, development across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the Knowledge Fair tells the story of the journey, from ideas to action, and to impact.

Africa needs 15 million jobs every year.

Not pilots, not papers— proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions.

We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair exhibition area where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap, where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum Stocktake webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the Knowledge Fair tells the story of the journey, from ideas to action, and to impact.

Africa needs 15 million jobs every year.

Not pilots, not papers— proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions.

We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair exhibition area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap— where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the PreForum StockTech webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the Knowledge Fair tells the story of the journey, from ideas to action, and to impact.

Million jobs every year—

not pilots, not papers— proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions.

We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair exhibition area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach.

Reach, and this is the implementation gap.

Where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge—

a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum Stocktake webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa. One mission across 3 stages.

Where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the Knowledge Fair tells the story of the journey from ideas to action and to impact.

Africa needs 15 million jobs every year, not pilots, not papers—

proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions. We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair exhibition area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap. Where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum Stocktake webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

One mission across 3 stages, where ideas compete before the forum Solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the knowledge fair tells the story of the journey from ideas to action and to impact. Africa needs 15 million jobs every year, not pilots, not papers, proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions.

We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair Exhibition Area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to a brighter future.

Whether you're on the panel, whether you're in the audience, you're asking a question, it's important to make yourself seen and heard as young people. Things like this cannot happen without your presence.

I'm a youth who is angry.

So there's been a great mention throughout the whole conference of young people being a growing population and how they're going to be so many, and it's kind of giving undertones of them being a burden, right? And also, a lot of times when they are mentioned, they are beneficiaries. We are not just beneficiaries, we are active partners who are involved in the iterative process step by step.

Places like this are very good for the youths because whatever decision is being made as of now, it gets to affect us. So I urge most of the youths out there to take part because whatever decision is made or policy is made is affecting us. So we need to be able to give out our voices.

The youth can not only be just here to be heard, but also how we can actually We actually collaborate with the youth to solve, like, many, many, many issues. But not only solve issues, but actually co-working with them on the ground.

You are running a race and you're running as fast as you can and as strong as you can, but the problem is you're running in the wrong direction because right at the start point it's a relay. You did not ask your teammate who's at the start point where they're gonna stop and where you're gonna pass them the baton. And you know who this teammate is? It's the young person. This is a relay. We are in this together.

With the rate of growth and the intellectual capacity of the youth, they might be seeing something that the elders are not seeing. Youth are very energetic and they're full of potential. They tend to lead some of the initiatives. With their energy, I'm sure there will be some positive changes.

If the priorities that are decided on in this conference, in this forum, do not take into consideration the experiences of young women, it will be very difficult to achieve some of the goals.

For a continent whose population is 70% are youth, and indeed of which 16% or more of those are youth with disabilities. It's imperative that youth, youth are here, they are participating, and their voice and their agency is well represented.

Youth need to be consulted in decision-making. We need action. We don't want things that to be said. We need action because what Africa wants is action.

We need to trust the youth today. We need actually to give them the space We need to see the change. We need to see what actually has been discussed here implemented.

You cannot influence what you don't understand. Incredible work is being done throughout the continent. Let's do this together. Whether you're on the panel, whether you're in the audience, you're asking a question, it's important to make yourself seen and heard as young people. Things like this cannot happen without your presence.

I'm a youth who is hungry to change Africa.

So there's been a great mention throughout the whole conference of young people being a growing population and how they're gonna be so many, and it's kind of giving undertones of them being a burden, right? And also, a lot of times when they are mentioned, they are beneficiaries. We are not just beneficiaries, we are active partners who are involved in the iterative process step by step.

Places like this are very good for the youths because whatever decision is being made as of now, it gets to affect us. So I urge most of the youth out there to take part because whatever decision is made or policy is made is affecting us. So we need to be able to give out our voices.

The youth can not only be just here to be heard, but also how we can actually collaborate with the youth to solve like many, many, many issues.

But not only solve issues, but actually co-working with

You are running a race and you're running as fast as you can and as strong as you can, but the problem is you're running in the wrong direction because right at the start point it's a relay. You did not ask your teammate who's at the start point where they're gonna stop and where you're gonna pass them the baton. And you know who this teammate is? It's the young person. This is a relay. We are in this together. We are in this together.

With the rate of growth and the intellectual capacity of the youth, they might be seeing something that the elders are not seeing. Youth are very energetic and they are full of potential. If they lead some of the initiatives with their energy, I'm sure there will be some positive changes.

If the priorities that are decided If the discussions that are being carried on in this conference, in this forum, do not take into consideration the experiences of young women, it will be very difficult to achieve some of the goals.

For a continent whose population is 70% are youth, and indeed of which 16% or more of those are youth with disabilities, it's imperative that youth, youth are here, they are participating, and their voice and their agency is well represented.

Youth need to be consulted in decision-making. We need action. We don't want things that to be said. We need action because what Africa wants is action.

We need to trust the youth today. We need actually to give them the space. We need to see the change. We need to see what actually has been discussed here implemented.

You cannot influence what you don't understand. Incredible work is being done throughout the continent. Let's do this together. Whether you're on the panel, whether you're in the audience, you're asking a question, it's important to know make yourself seen and heard as young people. Things like this cannot happen without your presence.

I'm a youth who is angry to change Africa.

So there's been a great mention throughout the whole conference of young people being a growing population and how they're going to be so many, and it's kind of giving undertones of them being a burden, right? And also a lot of times when they are mentioned, they are beneficiaries. We are not We are active partners who are involved in the iterative process step by step.

Places like this are very good for the youths because whatever decision is being made as of now, it gets to affect us. So I urge most of the youths out there to take part because whatever decision is made or policy is made is affecting us. So we need to be able to give out our voices.

not only be just here to be heard, but also how we can actually collaborate with the youth to solve, like, many, many, many issues. But not only solve issues, but actually co-working with them on the ground.

You are running a race and you're running as fast as you can and as strong as you can, but the problem is you're running in the wrong direction. Because right at the start point, it's a relay. You do not ask your teammate who's at the start point where they're gonna stop and where you're gonna pass them the baton. And you know who this teammate is? It's the young person. This is a relay. We are in this together.

With the rate of growth and the intellectual capacity of the youth, they might be seeing something that the elders are not seeing. Youth are very energetic and they are full of potential. If they lead some of the initiatives with their energy, I'm sure there will be some positive changes.

If the priorities that are decided on in this conference, in this forum, do not take into consideration the experiences of young women, it will be very difficult to achieve some of the goals.

For a continent whose population is 70% are youth, and indeed of which 16% or more of those are youth with disabilities, it's imperative that youth, youth are here, they are participating, and their voice and their agency is well represented.

Youth need to be consulted in decision-making. We need action. We don't want things that to be said. We need action. because what Africa wants is action.

We need to trust the youth today. We need actually to give them the space. We need to see the change. We need to see what actually has been discussed here implemented.

You cannot influence what you don't understand. Incredible work is being done throughout the continent. Let's do this together. Whether you're on the panel, whether you're in the audience, you're asking a question, it's important to make yourself seen and heard as young people. Things like this cannot happen without your presence.

I'm a youth who is angry to change Africa.

So there's been a great mention throughout the whole conference of young people. people being a growing population and how they're going to be so many, and it's kind of giving undertones of them being a burden, right? And also, a lot of times when they are mentioned, they are beneficiaries. We are not just beneficiaries, we are active partners who are involved in the iterative process step by step.

Places like this are very good for the youths because whatever decision is being made as of now, it gets to affect us. So I urge most of the youths out there to take part because whatever decision is made or policy is made is affecting us. So we need to be able to give out our voices.

The youth can not only be just here to be heard, but also how we can actually collaborate with the youth to solve like many, many, many issues. But not only solve issues, but actually co-working with them on the ground.

You are running a race and you're running as fast as you can and as strong as you can, but the problem is you're running in the wrong direction because right at the start point it's a relay. You did not ask your teammate who's at the start point where they're gonna stop and where you're gonna pass them the baton. And you know who this teammate is? This is the young person. This is a relay. We are in this together.

With the rate of growth and the intellectual capacity of the youth, they might be seeing something that the elders are not seeing. Youth are very energetic and they are full of potential.

If they lead some of the initiatives with their energy, I'm sure

If the priorities that are decided on in this conference, in this forum, do not take into consideration the experiences of young women, it will be very difficult to achieve some of the goals.

For a continent whose population is 70% are youth, and indeed of which 16% or more of those are youth with disabilities, it's imperative that we take into consideration that youth, youth are here, they are participating, and their voice and their agency is well represented.

Youth need to be consulted in decision-making. We need action. We don't want things that to be said. We need action because what Africa wants is action.

We need to trust the youth today. We need actually to give them the space. We need to see the change. We need to see what actually have been discussed here implemented.

You cannot influence what you don't understand. Incredible work is being done throughout the continent. Let's do this together. Whether you're on the panel Whether you're in the audience, you're asking a question, it's important to make yourself seen and heard as young people. Things like this cannot happen without your presence.

I'm a youth who is angry to change Africa.

So there's been a great mention throughout the whole conference of young people being a growing population and how they're gonna be so many, and it's kind of giving undertones of them being a burden, right? And also A lot of times when they are mentioned, they are beneficiaries. We are not just beneficiaries, we are active partners who are involved in the iterative process step by step.

Places like this are very good for the youths because whatever decision is being made as of now, it gets to affect us. So I urge most of the youths out there to take part because whatever decision is made or policy is made is affecting us. So we need To be able to give out our voices.

The youth can not only be just here to be heard, but also how we can actually collaborate with the youth to solve, like, many, many, many issues. But not only solve issues, but actually co-working with them on the ground.

You are running a race and you're running as fast as you can and as strong as you can. But the problem is you're running in the wrong direction because right at the start point, it's a relay. You did not ask your teammate who's at the start point where they're gonna stop and where you're gonna pass them the baton. And you know who this teammate is? It's the young person. This is a relay. We are in this together.

With the rate of growth and the intellectual capacity of the youth, they might be seeing something Youth are very energetic and they are full of potential. If they lead some of the initiatives with their energy, I'm sure there will be some positive changes.

If the priorities that are decided on in this conference, in this forum, do not take into consideration the experiences of young women, For a continent whose population is 70% are youth, and indeed of which 16% or more of those are youth with disabilities, it's imperative that youth, youth are here, they are participating, and their voice and their agency is well represented.

Youth need to be consulted in decision-making. We need to be able to We need action. We don't want things that to be said. We need action because what Africa wants is action.

We need to trust the youth today. We need actually to give them the space. We need to see the change. We need to see what actually has been discussed here implemented.

You cannot influence what you don't understand. Incredible work is being done throughout the continent. Let's do this together. Whether you're on the panel, whether you're in the audience, you're asking a question, it's important to make yourself seen and heard as young people. Things like this cannot happen without your presence.

I'm a youth who is angry.

So there's been a great mention throughout the whole conference of young people being a growing population and how they're gonna be so many, and it's kind of giving undertones of them being a burden, right? And also, a lot of times when they're mentioned, they are beneficiaries. We are not just beneficiaries, we are active partners who are involved in the iterative process step by step.

Places like this are very good for the youths because whatever decision is being made as of now, it gets to affect us. So I urge most of the youths out there to take part because whatever decision is made or policy is made is affecting us. So we need to be able to give out our voices.

The youth can not only be just here to be heard, but also how we can actually We actually collaborate with the youth to solve, like, many, many, many issues. But not only solve issues, but actually co-working with them on the ground.

You are running a race and you're running as fast as you can and as strong as you can, but the problem is you're running in the wrong direction because right at the start point it's a relay. You did not ask your teammate who's at the start point where they're gonna stop and where you're gonna pass them the baton. And you know who this teammate is? It's the young person. This is a relay. We are in this together.

With the rate of growth and the intellectual capacity of the youth, they might be seeing something that the elders are not seeing. Youth are very energetic and they're full of potential. They tend— they lead some of the initiatives. With their energy, I'm sure there will be some positive changes.

If the priorities that are decided on in this conference, in this forum, do not take into consideration the experiences of young women, it will be very difficult to achieve some of the goals.

For a continent whose population is 70% are youth, and indeed of which 16% or more of those are youth with disabilities. It's imperative that youth, youth are here, they are participating, and their voice and their agency is well represented.

Youth need to be consulted in decision-making. We need action. We don't want things that to be said. We need action because what Africa wants is action.

We need to trust the youth today. We need actually to give them the space We need to see the change. We need to see what actually has been discussed here implemented.

You cannot influence what you don't understand. Incredible work is being done throughout the continent. Let's do this together. Whether you're on the panel, whether you're in the audience, you're asking a question, it's important to make yourself seen and heard as young people.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises, but too often impact stays out of view.

Reach, and this is the implementation gap.

Where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months ICA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum StockTech webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa. One mission across 3 stages.

Where ideas compete before the forum, solutions will be discussed during the forum, and impact is tracked for scale-up. At the Africa Development Impact Forum, the Knowledge Fair tells the story of the journey from ideas to action and to impact.

Africa needs 15 million jobs every year, not pilots, not papers—

proven and scalable solutions.

During the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026, policymakers, the private sector, youth, and researchers gather to discuss durable solutions.

We invite you all to the Knowledge Fair Exhibition Area, where you will immerse yourself into a journey of success stories and scalable initiatives that are building a new Africa, the bridge to Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap. Where evidence is delayed, and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge—

a bridge from policy to practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum—

a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building Momentum through the pre-forum stocktake webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI, and jobs, youth entrepreneurship, and regional value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I kindly invite you to take your seats so we can begin the forum. Thank you. Mesdames et messieurs, je vous invite à prendre place afin If you have a friend, if you have a colleague who is not yet here, please give them a call and ask them to come back in so we can begin. Thank you.

Africa has no shortage of research, no shortage of policies, no shortage of promises. But too often, impact stays out of reach, and this is the implementation gap, where evidence is delayed and ideas fade before they are actioned and scaled up.

It's time to build a bridge, a bridge from policy to practice.

practice, from dialogue to delivery.

Introducing the Africa Development Impact Forum 2026.

Not just another forum, a fundamental break from business as usual. For months, ECA and partners have been building momentum through the pre-forum Stocktake webinar series, convening experts on green minerals, AI and jobs, youth entrepreneurship and regional chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

These sessions are shaping real solutions for youth employment across Africa.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I kindly invite you to take your seats so we can begin the forum. Thank you. Mesdames et messieurs, je vous invite à prendre place afin que nous puissions commencer le The Forum. Mercy. Distinguished guests, welcome back. We hope you enjoyed the knowledge fair and had engaging conversations over the coffee break. In light of current health considerations in the region, we kindly encourage you to use the hand sanitizers positioned throughout the hall. Thank you for your cooperation. We will now move to the Policy and Strategy Hackathon. This session will be moderated by Ms. Mona Idrissou, Head of Youth Employment and Skills at the African Center for Economic Transformation. Please give her a round of applause. I would also like to invite our distinguished, highly respected, and incorruptible panel of judges. Please give them a warm round of applause as I mention their names. Mr. Saeed Adejumobi, Director of Strategic Planning, Oversight, and Results Division at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Please stand for recognition. Ms. Aida Azmi, Joint Managing Director and Partner at Pedmondo Associates. Mr. Matthias Knab, Director of the Regional Service Center for Africa at the United Nations Development Program. Mr. Andrew Aliyu, Regional Economist at the Regional Office for Africa, International Labor Organization. Ms. Rita Bissonauth, Representative to Ethiopia and Director of the Liaison Office to the African Union and ECA, United Nations. Ms. Idrissou, you have the floor. This session will run for 90 minutes in Japanese style. Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm excited. Who else is? Who has been to a hackathon? Just by show of hands. Well, this session is where we do things a little bit different. We have here a panel of fantastic young innovators who have been tasked with just one question. They are here to hack the jobs challenge. How do we create quality jobs for young people? I'm always amazed when we do these policy hackathons, some of the amazing ideas that reminds us that some of the solutions we need on this continent, we have them. We have the human capital. We just need to ensure we continue creating platforms like this to make sure that young people are ahead, and not just ahead, but they themselves are part of the co-creation process for some of the solutions we need. So this is how this is going to go. I'm going to give each contestant here 5 minutes. It's an elevator pitch style, 5 minutes, and my esteemed panel of judges are going to have the difficult task of telling us who wins. But not today. Tomorrow is when we announce the ultimate winners. So after the first 3 pitches, I'll take questions from our judges very briefly and then move on to the next. So without wasting more time, Sadiki, are you ready? Are you ready? Okay, round of applause for Sadiki. They need the energy. Let's go. So Sadiki is from Rwanda, and he will be presenting on what he calls the Africa Works Platform. All right, your clock starts now.

Good morning, dear Excellencies. My name is Higwe Masadiki from Rwanda. I'm here to present the Africa Works platform. So through my background education in law and also with master's in AI, I have examined critical challenge in our communities. We've also— regarding today our statistics, over 60% youth in Africa are under 25 years, and also 19% are SMEs, a business. Also 17% are youth unemployed or underemployed. So Africa Work Platform is addressed to address those gaps with creating integrated system designed to connect youth to skills and entrepreneurship and also the enterprise at a very large scale. So as you see, there is about a challenge. And also in 2050, in 1 in 3, there will be an African. That is a big challenge, so we have to look on it. And also, a big challenge is an education which mismatch in the skills needed in the market. Also, with the SMEs challenge, there is 19% out of Africa critical challenge, and also poor connection of the investors and the lenders. So what is the root of those problems? First is a skills match, limited access to finance, poor institutional fragmented job, weak SME digitalization, high informal employment. And then we are bringing— we are bringing— sorry, we are just bringing a solution. Our solution is found in 4 pillars. The first one, skills development, AI-powered drop-in, entrepreneurial support, financial and market access. That is our solution. Everyone, they can see our solution, how it goes. And the second one, what makes us unique? We are just focused on the 4 things: youth, SMEs, government, and also investors.