Annual Africa Global Business Forum focuses on future growth

Several African nations' government and business leaders gathered in Dubai for the third annual Africa Global Business Forum (AGBF-2015) to address the continent’s economic climate and growth prospects, as well as examine the future of Africa-Gulf relations.

Coordinated by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, this year’s theme was "New Drivers – New Partners," in reference to the key influences driving Africa’s direction over the next five years, including potential growth sources and the impact of product and service prices on the economy.

Meeting participants came away with new perspectives on the development hurdles currently facing Africa, recognizing that despite its relatively minor global place in the gross-domestic-product hierarchy, the continent is at a critical crossroads for influencing positive change.

To that end, participants generally acknowledged the need for strong leadership to support policies that drive private sector growth, along with a sharper focus on education and health matters to ensure a healthy and informed population.

Concrete progress over the last decade informed the optimistic outlook that leaders took away from the forum, specifically the establishment of the Programme for Infrastructure Development for Africa (PIDA) in 2010.