President Akufo-Addo in a panel discussion during the forum
PRESIDENT AKUFO-Addo has said Africa needs to build the capacity of its workforce, especially in the agriculture sector, to remain self-sufficient in order to withstand the shock of global crisis.
“We have been concentrating on the fundamentals, and the fundamentals are about strengthening our capacity to do things ourselves with our industry, in our agriculture, as well as of course the all-important development of our human capital. At least, it is the combination of these various developments that have made it possible to be where we are today,” President Akufo-Addo said at the Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan on Monday.
According to him, in order to build a strong human capital and the various economies on the continent, African governments must collaborate with the private sector.
President Akufo-Addo said the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) should help make collaboration between the private sector and states easier.
Using Ghana as a test case, the President said, “the regional and continental cooperation we are building is going to be a very decisive factor in making it possible that these developments we are seeking within the territories of private and public sectors with linkage to our education system. We will do so by ensuring that regional and continental dimensions of what we are doing are brought to the table.”
The Africa CEO Forum is an annual gathering of decision-makers from the largest African companies, as well as international investors, multinational executives, heads of state, ministers, and representatives of the main financial institutions operating on the continent.
This year’s summit also featured the President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara, Nigeria’s Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.
In his welcome address, President Alassane Ouattara stated that, the current world economic crisis must become a moment of structural transformation on the continent.
According to the Ivorian President, the convergence of various crises, present the continent with a unique opportunity to make the structural changes needed to transform our economies.
“Africa is at an inflection point, this crisis must become a moment of structural transformation,” he stated.
This year’s forum happened in-person for the first time since 2019, and more than 1,000 business and government leaders attended.