It was in the Rwandan capital, in front of an audience of around 2,500 business leaders, investors and decision-makers from the continent and around the world, that Minister Ibrahim Kalil Konaté spoke. The theme of this edition “The Scale Imperative: Why Africa must embrace shared ownership” provided an ideal framework for Côte d'Ivoire to present its economic roadmap. Thus, during the panel dedicated to the Ivorian destination, the Minister of Industry gave an offensive and structured speech. He recalled that the PND remains “the compass” of government action, insisting on the fact that the State's priority projects are clearly listed there. “The PND is the base. The priority projects of the State of Côte d'Ivoire are listed there,” he declared, emphasizing the readability of the investment framework offered to economic partners. is part of a broader approach to economic diplomacy led by Abidjan. The minister is part of the delegation led by Prime Minister Robert Beugré Mambé, who represents the President of the Republic at this high-level summit. Since his appointment in January 2025, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Crafts has increased initiatives to strengthen the country's industrial attractiveness, including a mission to inspect strategic infrastructure in Morocco, in Casablanca and Tangier, in early May 2026, where he visited benchmark industrial and logistics complexes. With a vision articulated around industrial development, the promotion of SMEs and international openness, the Minister intends to make Côte d'Ivoire an essential manufacturing hub in West Africa. This is why the Africa CEO Forum represents a forum where the signals sent to investors have a direct impact on capital flows to the continent.

Note that the Ivorian participation in the 2026 edition of the Africa CEO Forum confirms that Côte d'Ivoire does not only intend to witness the rise of Africa's industrial and economic power. The country intends to be one of the driving forces, with the objective of positioning itself as an industrial hub in West Africa.