Choiseul Africa Summit I Abidjan 2025

A high-level gathering aligned with regional priorities 

The Choiseul Africa Summit was held for the third consecutive year in Abidjan, in partnership with the CGECI. This 2025 edition brought together over 200 African economic leaders around a critical theme: industrialisation in West Africa. 

While the topic has featured among regional development priorities since the early 2000s, it is now regaining momentum, driven by renewed political will and increasingly structured private strategies. 

Advancing a shared transformation agenda  

On 3 July, public decision-makers, experts, and business leaders gathered to assess progress and chart a path forward. There was broad consensus on the urgency of building resilient industrial models capable of strengthening economic sovereignty across the region, while responding to growing needs for infrastructure, jobs, and local value creation. 

Financing, structuring, accelerating  

In a context of global competition, West African economies are striving to enhance local value chains and better leverage their comparative advantages. 

Discussions highlighted key levers to activate: diversifying sources of capital through local financial markets, reinforcing public-private partnerships, and engaging the skills and resources of the diaspora. These are essential tools to foster the emergence of stronger, more innovative industrial ecosystems rooted in local realities. 

Towards competitive regional ecosystems  

By placing industrialisation at the heart of the agenda, this Summit brought to light several fundamental questions: 

• How can regional complementarities be harnessed to develop competitive industrial ecosystems? 

• What long-term financial instruments are needed to sustain investment? 

• What role should public institutions play in supporting this transformation? 

These questions will continue to shape the region’s economic priorities in the years ahead, as industrialisation becomes a core driver of shared and inclusive growth.