President Bola Tinubu is expected to join global leaders, policymakers and investors at the Africa CEO Forum 2026, scheduled to hold in Kigali, Rwanda, from May 14 to 15, 2026.
The forum will bring together more than 2,000 chief executives, investors, heads of state and public decision-makers from over 75 countries, focusing on strategies to strengthen Africa’s economic integration and competitiveness.
Organisers said the 2026 edition will centre on the theme, “The Scale Imperative: Why Africa Must Embrace Shared Ownership.”
According to the organisers, the event will emphasise stronger collaboration between governments and the private sector to drive sustainable growth across the continent.
They noted that Africa must commit capital, share risk and build transnational African ownership in order to secure long-term prosperity.
The organisers stressed that the core message of the forum is “scale or fail,” highlighting the urgency for African economies to expand cooperation and build larger, globally competitive enterprises.
President Tinubu is expected among the prominent public figures attending the event, alongside Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
A strong Nigerian private sector delegation is also expected to participate in the forum.
The delegation includes prominent business leaders such as Aliko Dangote, Wale Tinubu, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Adesuwa Ladoja, Rachel More-Oshodi, Zouera Youssoufou, Karim Noujaim, Dany Abboud, Ayo Otuyalo, and Chukwuerika Achum.
Organised by Jeune Afrique Media Group and co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the forum comes at a time of global economic realignment, marked by shifting capital flows and increasing competition among emerging economies.
The organisers explained that discussions during the forum will focus on three key strategic priorities aimed at strengthening Africa’s economic capacity.
The first area is shared equity, which aims to unlock cross-border investments and build multinational African companies through pooled institutional capital.
The second focus is shared infrastructure, which seeks to promote regional projects capable of integrating value chains and strengthening connectivity across African markets.
The third area involves shared frameworks, aimed at harmonising regulations and standards to improve investor confidence and enable the free movement of capital, goods and services across the continent.
Africa must rethink economic model — organisers
Speaking ahead of the event, Amir Ben Yahmed, President of the Africa CEO Forum, said African economies must rethink their development models to compete in a world increasingly defined by scale.
“If Africa wants to compete in a world defined by scale, it must move beyond economic patriotism and embrace a new model: African capital investing together,” he said.
“Shared ownership, cross-border partnerships and continental ambition will define the economic future of Africa and the next generation of African champions.”
Also speaking, Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the IFC, said Africa already possesses the resources required to drive economic growth but must deploy them more effectively.
“Africa has the capital and the opportunity to grow and create quality jobs. What matters now is putting that capital to work at scale,” he said.
“That means building trust, sharing risk, and investing across borders. The Africa CEO Forum brings leaders together to connect policy and private investment, and to help shape Africa’s next phase of growth.”
The forum is expected to build on the momentum generated by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as participants explore concrete commitments to deepen economic integration across the continent.
