Regional Agenda World Economic Forum on Africa

The 26th World Economic Forum on Africa, held in Kigali, Rwanda, focused on 'Connecting Africa’s Resources through Digital Transformation.' The event emphasized the role of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in overcoming economic pressures, such as low commodity prices and energy deficits, to achieve inclusive growth. Key initiatives highlighted include 'Internet for All,' the Sustainable Development Investment Partnership (SDIP) Africa Hub, and the Grow Africa partnership. The report argues that for digital transformation to succeed, Africa must prioritize universal electrification, reform education systems to emphasize STEM, and strengthen governance to attract international investment and reduce risk perceptions.

• The 'Internet for All' initiative aims to accelerate internet access and adoption through public-private collaboration, with its first partnership programme targeting 75 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Uganda.
• The Sustainable Development Investment Partnership (SDIP) Africa Hub, co-hosted by the World Economic Forum and the OECD, intends to use blended finance to target $100 billion in investments by 2020 for African infrastructure and development projects.
• The Grow Africa partnership has implemented $2.3 billion in private-sector investments out of $10 billion committed, benefiting 10 million smallholder farmers and creating 88,000 jobs since 2012.
• Energy supply is identified as the continent's highest priority, as digital transformation and poverty alleviation are impossible without electricity; currently, over half of Africa's population lacks access to electrical power.
• To address energy deficits, the African Development Bank (AfDB) plans to spend $12.5 billion over five years on its 'New Deal in Electricity' to achieve universal energy access by 2025.
• African manufacturing remains low compared to global peers, with GDP shares of 9% in Nigeria, 12% in Kenya, and 8% in Zambia, compared to 30% in China.
• There is a critical need to reform African education systems, moving away from liberal arts toward science and mathematics (STEM) to produce the researchers and scientists necessary for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
• Healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa faces a severe professional shortage, possessing only 3% of the world's medical professionals despite bearing 25% of the global disease burden.

APA

World Economic Forum (2016). Regional Agenda World Economic Forum on Africa. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AF16_Report_.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Regional Agenda World Economic Forum on Africa. 2016. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AF16_Report_.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Regional Agenda World Economic Forum on Africa |date=2016 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AF16_Report_.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2016regional, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Regional Agenda World Economic Forum on Africa}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2016}, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AF16_Report_.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }