The Prime Minister of Cameroon, Chief Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, along with his peers from Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, and Guinea-Conakry, has emphasised the need for stronger public-private partnerships to drive Africa’s development. During the 2025 Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, the Heads of Government reviewed the obstacles hindering such partnerships and proposed solutions to overcome them. This was done in line with the pan Africanist view to see more meaningful development that can propel the continent further.
The high-level panel discussion highlighted the importance of governments engaging more profoundly with the private sector to establish a common platform for mutual benefit. The Prime Ministers stressed the need for favourable and resilient policies to enable the private sector to harness its expertise and contribute to strategic management. “If the Government can increase its support to the private sector then it will be able to lift its head above the waters and participate in full flesh in the development of the African continent,” they noted in their report.
At the forum, the panellists also discussed the possibility of the African Development Bank adopting a model similar to the China Development Bank, which prioritises investment and creates an internal ecosystem to ease investors’ access to financing. They emphasised the need for access to financing to prioritise investments that boost development at the grassroots level.
The various experts and stakeholders noted that two-thirds of ministers surveyed globally predict that future governments will collaborate more closely with the private sector. However, despite legislation governing business-state partnerships in all African States, many private sector leaders remain dissatisfied with public policies. As such, much attention is now placed on putting in measures to see that all actors, especially those of the private sector actually get their place and feel that their input is much needed in the development model that aims to bring all actors and stakeholders on board.
The Africa CEO Forum provided a platform for business stakeholders to discuss the need for Africa to adopt policies that promote communal growth and bridge the gap of individualism. The forum aims to lay the foundations for a new deal for Africa, enabling governments to manoeuvre through development efforts in a rapidly changing world.
