Fellow Heads of State and Government
Chairperson of the African Union Commission
Captains of Industry and Business Leaders
Distinguished guests,

Good evening to you all.

I wish to welcome you all to this historic and important Fund Raising Gala Dinner this evening.

This event intends to provide an opportunity for the Heads of State and Government and our Captains of Industry from all over our beautiful continent, to interact and exchange views on how we can take our continent forward within the context of Agenda 2063.

The January Summit endorsed and approved the framework document on Agenda 2063, which is our shared vision of the Africa We Want, containing aspirations of our peoples and governments.

We therefore wish to reach out to our compatriots in the private sectors of our dynamic and vast continent.

We invite you to embrace our march towards greater growth and inclusivity in our economies.

On average Africa has experienced in the past decade steady economic growth as a bloc, a factor that has brought increased attention by other regions.

As we continue to grow our economies, we will together eradicate poverty and massively reduce unemployment.

As governments in our various countries, we are committed to continue creating enabling environments for our private sectors to operate and expand.

Our collective effort will also provide skills for Africa’s human resources, particularly the youth, and to equally expand the role of Women in our economic sectors.

In order to achieve the objectives and aspirations of Agenda 2063, all sectors of our societies, including business, need to play their for this vision to be realized.

Amongst you, are represented Africa’s finest and sharp business minds and drivers, leading Africa’s largest established conglomerates and corporations with impressive track records in your areas of business.

You also serve as incubators and role models for emerging entrepreneurs on our continent.

Africa’s business entities are making a mark globally in areas such as power and energy, telecommunications, infrastructure and construction, food and agro-processing, mining, banking and financial services, tourism and hospitality industry, and the services industry in general.

A number of the business leaders here with us tonight are even changing and transforming our financial markets. You are listing not only in the stock-exchanges of your own countries but also cross-listing in the exchanges of other fellow African countries, and beyond this continent.

This is one example of contributing to pan-Africanism and African renaissance.

Furthermore, as a rule rather than an exception, we look forward to the period when African companies control and own major stakes in reputable and large companies outside our continent.

This scenario will reflect a part of the Africa of the future. You and your companies are also pioneers and trailblazers in your sectors.

As a result, the business sector is a critical roleplayer in the story of the rising Africa.

In order to implement our plans and realise our aspirations, we need the required resources, particularly financial resources. The programmes of the African Union, under the stewardship of the AU Commission, need funding and technical expertise.

The ten year strategic implementation plan provides a framework for implementing Agenda 2063 in the first decades of its launch.

Indeed, our gathering here tonight, is an essential part of a committed African effort towards domestic resources mobilization.

Your Excellencies, fellow compatriots, sisters and brothers, I am certain that at the end of this great event tonight, amongst friends and committed Africans, we would have further consolidated our efforts in taking ownership of our destiny to build a better life for all our peoples.

We look forward to continue walking together on this journey towards a united, non-sexist, industrialised and prosperous Africa.

I Thank You.