President Emmerson Mnangagwa will for the next two days market the country’s image and lure global investors at the 6th edition of the Africa CEOs Forum slated for this Monday and Tuesday in Abidjan, the capital city of Cote d’Ivoire.
The amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) that has come into the country since President Mnangagwa’s ascendency to power in November last year surpasses what the country got in the past five years, raising tremendous hope for the country’s economic re-emergence.
President Mnangagwa, who is accompanied by some cabinet ministers, CEOs of various parastatals, RBZ Governor Dr John Mangudya, Special Advisor to the President Dr Christopher Mutsvangwa and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Cde George Charamba, is expected to share his strategy for Zimbabwe’s economic transformation.
The annual forum will be attended by more than 1200 business leaders, policy makers, bankers and global investors.
The highlight of the two day conference is touted to be the exclusive inter-presidential panel where Cde Mnangagwa will get an opportunity to dialogue with the former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, whose country managed to emerge from a long period of economic isolation during his reign.
Nigeria offers a solid example on which to base discussions on strategic priorities that must be implemented to revive Zimbabwe’s economy and rebuild strong and reliable institutions.
Nigeria has also successfully ended international isolation with global investors now choosing the West African country as a destination of choice.
African Development Bank (ADB) President, Akinumwi Adesina, who held a meeting with President Mnangagwa at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland early this year, is also on the list of invited guests. I
In Davos, the ADB boss commended the Zimbabwean leader for his commitment to put Zimbabwe back on the road to sustainable and inclusive growth and the two discussed how the two sides can push forward on macro-economic stabilisation for Zimbabwe, an area that is also earmarked for further discussion.
At the CEO forum, a Zimbabwean government delegation will present the country’s economic revival strategy to the investor community.
The 2018 edition of the Africa CEOs Forum has been organised by Jeune Afrique Media Group, which publishes Jeune Afrique and the Africa Report, and a Swiss company called Rainbow Unlimited as well as the International Finance Corporation which is a subsidiary of the World Bank Group.
According to the conference organisers, President Mnangagwa and Liberia’s President George Weah will be the latest additions to the list of African heads of state who have attended previous editions of the forum.
President Mnangagwa was seen off at the Robert Mugabe International Airport by Vice President Kembo Mohadi, the Minister of State for Harare Province Cde Miriam Chikukwa, the Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Dr Misheck Sibanda, senior government officials and service chiefs, among others. zbc news
