Tinubu Storms Kigali for High-Stakes Africa CEO Forum

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday arrived in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, ahead of the 13th edition of the prestigious Africa CEO Forum scheduled to commence on Thursday.

The Nigerian leader touched down at the Presidential Wing of the Kigali International Airport, where he was warmly received by top government officials from both Nigeria and Rwanda. Among those present to welcome the President were Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, and Rwanda’s Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda.

Also on hand to receive President Tinubu were the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; Nigeria’s Chargé d’Affaires in Rwanda, Ambassador Ibrahim Zanna; as well as the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Chief Sunday Dare.

President Tinubu’s visit to Kigali comes as African leaders, investors, policymakers, and captains of industry gather for one of the continent’s most influential economic and business meetings. The Africa CEO Forum, founded in 2012 by Jeune Afrique Media and co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), has grown into the largest annual platform for dialogue between Africa’s private and public sectors.

Over the years, the forum has served as a strategic meeting point for discussions on economic growth, regional integration, industrial development, infrastructure financing, and policies aimed at strengthening Africa’s competitiveness in the global economy. The gathering is expected to attract thousands of participants, including chief executives, international investors, development finance institutions, and government representatives from across the continent and beyond.

The theme for this year’s edition, “The Scale Imperative: Why Africa Must Embrace Shared Ownership,” will focus on the need for stronger regional collaboration, cross-border partnerships, and collective economic strategies to accelerate sustainable growth across Africa.

At the summit, President Tinubu is expected to deliver a keynote address titled “Holding the Line: Nigeria’s Reform Bet in a Fractured World.” During the session, the Nigerian leader will highlight the impact of his administration’s ongoing economic reforms and explain the government’s commitment to stabilising the economy despite global economic uncertainties and domestic challenges.

The President is also expected to showcase Nigeria’s economic potential and outline opportunities for investment in critical sectors such as energy, infrastructure, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, and the digital economy. His participation is seen as part of broader efforts by the Federal Government to attract foreign direct investment and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s economic outlook.

In addition to his public engagements at the forum, President Tinubu is expected to hold a series of high-level bilateral meetings with African heads of state, global business executives, international development partners, and major investors. The discussions are likely to centre on trade expansion, regional economic cooperation, investment partnerships, and strategies for enhancing Africa’s role in global markets.

The President is also expected to use the occasion to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to African unity and regional integration, while pushing for stronger partnerships capable of driving private sector-led growth and sustainable development across the continent.

Analysts believe Tinubu’s participation at the forum underscores Nigeria’s determination to remain at the forefront of economic and political conversations shaping Africa’s future, especially at a time when many African nations are seeking innovative solutions to economic pressures, unemployment, inflation, and global market disruptions.