Rwandan President Paul Kagame has been presented with a special prize of the Federation of West African Employers’ Organizations (FOPAO) for his leadership and the economic transformation of his country.
Kagame was the guest of honor at the 8th edition of CGECI Academy, an annual Economic Forum of the Ivorian Employers in Abidjan,on Monday.
“On behalf of all these African entrepreneurs, we are giving you this special award from the Federation of West African Employers’ Organizations for your leadership,” said Jean-Marie Ackah, the president of the Ivorian Employers at the opening ceremony.
Mr. Kagame received this special award from Jean Kacou Diagou, President of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Cote d’Ivoire (Cgeci, Ivorian Employers) and President of the Federation of Employers’ Organizations of West Africa (FWAEA).
President Kagame, who was leading a strong delegation, said he was pleased to be part of the economic forum, which brought together representatives of employers’ organizations from Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritius, Cape Verde, Morocco, Guinea and the Netherlands.
Speaking at a high-level panel while being flanked by Ivorian Vice President Daniel Kablan Duncan, Kagame challenged private sector actors not to be afraid to try something new.
For the Rwandan leader, Africans must believe in their potential and know that they are capable, like other industrialized countries, to be endowed with faculties to transform their environment and the continent.
Referring to his development vision for Rwanda, he noted that he initiated dialogue between the government and the private sector to brainstrom on challenges with a view to informing projects for the benefit of businesses and populations.
“We should stop the routine,” he emphasised, while urging African entrepreneurs to do different things in terms of know-how on the market, thus creating added value, as they have a major role to play in attracting capital.
Meanwhile the Ivorian Vice-President stressed that globalization must be seen as an opportunity with an innovative approach.
As a result, entrepreneurs should not be “afraid to venture to the regional and global markets.
Mr. Duncan said Cote d’Ivoire is planning to become an industrialized nation by 2040 at the latest through projects launched in the country.
He said his country has enjoyed sustained economic growth and has good prospects in 2019 and 2020.
President Paul Kagame visited Abidjan ten months ago in an official visit to the West African country.
His latest trip to the country came on the invivation of the General Confederation of Enterprises of Cote d’Ivoire (CGECI) to share his country’s development experience.
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