Cardoso, Okonjo-Iweala headline 7th Africa emerging markets forum in Abuja

Olayemi Cardoso, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, World Trade Organisation (WTO), will headline this week’s 7th Africa Emerging Markets Forum in Abuja, where policymakers and economists are expected to examine how African economies can navigate mounting geopolitical and economic risks.

The two-day forum, scheduled for July 29 and 30 at the CBN headquarters, comes as governments across Africa grapple with slowing global growth, trade fragmentation, persistent inflationary pressures and tighter financial conditions that have complicated economic reform efforts.

Hosted by the CBN in partnership with the Emerging Markets Forum and the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, the gathering will bring together central bank governors, finance ministers, development partners, business leaders and academics to discuss policy options for strengthening resilience across emerging markets.

The event’s centrepiece will be a fireside dialogue between Cardoso and Okonjo-Iweala under the theme, “Building Resilience Amidst Geoeconomic Uncertainties”. The discussion is expected to focus on how African economies can sustain economic reforms, deepen regional integration and position themselves for long-term growth amid an increasingly fragmented global economy.

The Forum reflects growing concern among policymakers over the impact of rising trade tensions, geopolitical rivalries and shifting global capital flows on developing economies, particularly those pursuing fiscal and monetary reforms while seeking to attract foreign investment.

Nigeria has embarked on a series of economic reforms over the past three years, including measures to stabilise the foreign exchange market, curb inflation and restore investor confidence. Similar reform efforts across several African economies have unfolded against a backdrop of elevated borrowing costs, volatile commodity prices and weaker external demand.

The Conference will also feature keynote addresses by Taiwo Oyedele, finance minister and coordinating minister of the economy, and Kingsley Udeh, minister of science, technology and innovation, highlighting the role of coordinated fiscal, monetary and innovation policies in driving sustainable economic growth.

Other participants include Indermit Gill, the World Bank Group’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics; Harinder Kohli, founding director and chief executive of the Emerging Markets Forum; and Adamu Ahmed, Ahmadu Bello University Vice-Chancellor, alongside senior policymakers, development partners and private-sector executives from across Africa and beyond.

Discussions over the two days will cover macroeconomic stability, regional economic integration, cross-border payment systems, financial technology, infrastructure financing, foreign direct investment, technology transfer and artificial intelligence. Participants are also expected to examine food price volatility, inflation and the transmission of monetary policy in fragile and post-crisis economies.

According to the CBN, the forum is intended to provide a platform for practical policy dialogue on challenges confronting emerging markets while identifying solutions that can be adapted to the specific needs of individual countries.

“The Forum aims to foster open dialogue on issues of strategic importance to emerging markets and developing economies while identifying practical policy solutions that can be adapted to the unique circumstances of individual countries,” the CBN said in a statement released Sunday.

The apex bank added that the event underscores its commitment and that of its partners to strengthening regional cooperation, advancing evidence-based policymaking and promoting innovative solutions to support sustainable and inclusive economic growth across Africa.