3000 delegates, 7 African Heads of State to participate in APD 2025

The Africa Prosperity Network (APN) has confirmed that over 3,000 delegates from more than 46 countries worldwide will converge at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) for the 2025 edition of the African Prosperity Dialogues (APD), scheduled to take place from Thursday, 30 January 2025 to Saturday, 1 February 2025.

This landmark gathering will feature seven confirmed African Heads of State, reinforcing the event’s significance as a premier platform for advancing Africa’s economic integration and prosperity agenda.

This announcement was made during the APN and the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) hybrid press conference for the 2025 APD, held at the AfCFTA conference room, Accra, on Monday, 27 January 2025.

The APD 2025, hosted by the Africa Prosperity Network (APN), in collaboration with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, this year’s conference will centre on the theme: “Delivering the African Single Market Through Infrastructure: Invest, Connect, Integrate.”

The dialogues aim to galvanise public and private-sector stakeholders to accelerate infrastructure investments and integration, critical to realising Africa’s vision of a single, interconnected continental market.

Magnitude and Key Partnerships

In his welcome address, SidigFarougEltoum, Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) Secretariat emphasised the event’s magnitude.

“This year’s dialogues will be unprecedented in scope, with participation from diverse global players and leadership.

“Having over 3,000 delegates and seven Heads of State join us in Accra highlights the immense interest in advancing Africa’s economic prospects through strategic infrastructure investments,” he stated.

Mr ElToum extended gratitude to APN partners for their role in the success of the APD. “We thank the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat for walking with us on this journey towards prosperity.

“We treasure the partnerships we have established with numerous actors. We also deeply appreciate the Ghanaian people for their warm hospitality, which has been instrumental in hosting this event successfully,” he stated.

Lauding the media’s pivotal role in advancing the goals of the African Prosperity Dialogues (APD), Mr Eltoum said: “We treasure and value our partnership with the media, and we sincerely thank them for their contributions [which] have materialised into a clearer and more influential role in shaping the dialogue itself, and we look forward to strengthening this collaboration”

Infrastructure

Chief of Staff at the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, Mr Rui Pedro Afonso Livramento, underscored the critical role of infrastructure in achieving the vision of a fully integrated African single market.

He reaffirmed the Secretariat’s commitment to fostering collaborations to address infrastructure deficits that continue to impede intra-African trade.

“The AfCFTA has made significant strides since its inception, including establishing a solid institutional framework and recording growth in trade under the Guided Trade Initiative,” he said.

“However, infrastructure remains a critical bottleneck. Inefficient transport and logistics add 30 to 40 per cent to intra-African trade costs, particularly affecting small and medium enterprises (SMEs).”

Progress and Collaboration

Mr Livramento highlighted that to address these challenges the AfCFTA Secretariat has championed the establishment of trade aggregators to integrate SMEs into continental value chains.

He commended countries such as China, Egypt, Kenya, and South Africa for leading efforts in this regard. He called for stronger partnerships among governments, private-sector actors, and development partners to create an enabling environment for infrastructure development.

He said the theme: “Delivering African Single Market Through Infrastructure: Invest, Connect, Integrate” by the 2025 African Prosperity Dialogues aims to underscore the importance of infrastructure development in realising the continent’s ambitious economic goals.

“This theme emphasises the crucial role of infrastructure in enabling the free movement of products, services, and investments across borders,” Mr Livramento said.

“Infrastructure modernisation, enhanced connectivity, and digital innovation will be fundamental to unlocking the transformative potential of the AfCFTA.”

He expressed optimism that the 2025 edition of the APD would generate valuable insights and build momentum to accelerate the AfCFTA’s implementation.

High-powered delegations

Stephanie Diatta, Chief of Partnerships and International Relations at the APN Secretariat outlined plans for the upcoming African Prosperity Dialogues (APD) 2025.

She said that the event will bring together representatives from 46 countries, with seven heads of state already confirming their attendance.

She emphasised that this diverse and influential assembly will focus on strategic solutions aimed at transforming Africa’s borders into bridges of economic integration and opportunity.

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