The Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026 (APD 2026) has been officially launched at the Global Africa Forum 2025 in New York, with a strong focus on empowering the drivers of Africa’s single market: small and medium enterprises (SMEs), women, and youth.
The launch, performed by Joyce Bawah Mogtari, Special Aide to the President of the Republic of Ghana, marked a defining moment in Africa’s journey towards inclusive economic transformation. APD 2026, which will be held in Accra next year, will run under the bold theme: “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate. Collaborate. Trade.”
Speaking at the launch, Mogtari underscored the importance of placing Africa’s entrepreneurs, women leaders, and young innovators at the centre of continental integration.
“Africa’s prosperity will be secured not just by governments and large corporations, but by our SMEs, our women, and our young people who innovate daily against the odds. The Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2026 will be a platform to empower them, connect them, and scale their ideas into continental opportunities,” she said.
Mogtari was supported by three trailblazing women: Amany Asfour – President, Africa Business Council, Nkiru Banlowu – Founder, The Africa Soft Power Project and Nana Adjoa Hackman – Director of Africa Prosperity Network, igniting a movement to place Africa’s women, SMEs and youth at the centre of the Single Market.
On her part, Amany Asfour – President, Africa Business Council, expressed her excitement about the theme of APD 2026, stating that “the focus on the constituency of SMEs, Women and Youth who make up the majority of Africa’s population is key to unlocking the true potential of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.
Building on the momentum of the Global Africa Forum, the Dialogues will convene heads of state, policymakers, global investors, and Global African leaders in Accra to shape practical strategies for making the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) work for ordinary Africans.
The focus will be on Unlocking finance for SMEs – creating innovative mechanisms to help small businesses expand into cross-border markets, Mainstreaming women’s leadership – ensuring women-owned enterprises and professionals are central to the AfCFTA value chains and Harnessing youth innovation – scaling the creativity and energy of Africa’s young entrepreneurs to drive industrialisation, technology, and green growth.
Organisers emphasised that APD 2026 will not be another “talk shop,” but a working platform where commitments translate into measurable investments, partnerships, and policies.
As the Global Africa Forum 2025 closed, the announcement of the Dialogues was described as a natural next step — transforming Africa’s vision for prosperity into inclusive action.
Africa Prosperity Dialogues will take place from 4–6 February 2026 at the Accra International Conference Centre, Ghana, under the theme: “Empowering SMEs, Women & Youth in Africa’s Single Market: Innovate, Collaborate, Trade.
