President Kagame calls for African self-reliance at Africa CEO Forum 2025
Date: 2025-05-12
Rwandan President Paul Kagame delivered a powerful message on African self-determination during his address at the Africa CEO Forum 2025, urging the continent to chart its own course rather than react to external pressures.
Speaking to
business and political leaders at the high-profile forum, President Kagame
emphasized the need for proactive collaboration both within Africa and with
strategic global partners. "We can't keep depending on what others are
saying or doing about us," he stated. "We need to be working
with each other and other countries on the global stage that offer what we
need, and offer what they need."
The Rwandan
leader cautioned against reactive policymaking, stressing that Africa must
build its own momentum toward self-sufficiency. "It isn't like we
should just wake up one morning and because of what somebody has done that
affects us, we should react," Kagame said. "We should have
been building up the momentum in terms of what we need to do to make Africa
self-dependent and resilient."
President
Kagame's remarks underscored the forum's broader theme of fostering a new
public-private partnership model to drive African economic transformation. His
call for strategic autonomy resonated with attendees, coming at a time when
African nations are working to strengthen implementation of the African
Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and reduce reliance on external
actors.
"As
Africa, we have to be able to define which direction we want to take," Kagame concluded, framing this as essential for the continent's
long-term prosperity and global positioning. The speech reinforced Rwanda's
reputation as a leading voice for African agency in international affairs and
economic development.
The two-day
forum, attended by several African heads of state and over 3,000 business
leaders, continues to explore concrete strategies for building competitive
African industries and strengthening intra-continental trade relationships.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
