President Kagame met with Amir Ben Yahmed, CEO of Jeune Afrique Media Group and co-organiser of the Africa CEO Forum 2025. Their discussions focused on the group's growing partnership with Rwanda and preparations for the next edition of the forum, set to be held in Kigali.
In a separate meeting, President Kagame held talks with Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The two explored avenues to deepen cooperation, particularly in widening access to finance as a driver of inclusive economic growth and private sector development in Rwanda.
President Kagame also met with Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa50, to discuss ongoing collaboration with Rwanda. The conversation touched on the mobilisation of private capital for infrastructure and development projects, a priority area in Rwanda's economic strategy.
On the sidelines of the forum, President Kagame also held bilateral discussions with President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania. The leaders discussed strengthening the growing ties between Rwanda and Mauritania, with a focus on mutually beneficial cooperation.
He also met with President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d'Ivoire, host of this year's Africa CEO Forum. The two Heads of State reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations across multiple sectors.
Founded in 2012, the Africa CEO Forum has become a premier platform for public-private dialogue and cross-border investment in Africa.
Speaking during a panel discussion at the forum alongside fellow Heads of State, President Kagame emphasised that recent policy decisions by U.S. President Donald Trump, including the cutting of aid, should serve as a wake-up call for African leaders to intensify efforts towards self-reliance.
'We should have been building momentum in terms of what we need to do to make Africa self-dependent and resilient, and how Africa works with other continents and countries,' said President Kagame, who was on a panel with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mohamed Ould Ghazouani of Mauritania.
'It is as well that President Trump decided to do what he did; if that was only to add to many other reminders that should wake us up as Africans to be able to do what we ought to do."
The annual forum, themed 'Africa in a Transactional World: Can a New Deal between State and Private Sector Deliver the Continent a Winning Hand?', has brought together over 2,000 business leaders, investors, and policymakers from across Africa and around the globe.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
