Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, and Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, will headline the seventh Africa Emerging Markets Forum scheduled to be held at the CBN headquarters in Abuja on 29 and 30 July 2026.
The event, organised by the CBN in partnership with the Emerging Markets Forum and the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, will bring together central bank governors, finance ministers, policymakers, development partners, private sector executives and economists to discuss strategies for navigating global economic uncertainties.
With the theme, ‘Building Resilience Amidst Geoeconomic Uncertainties,’ the forum will feature a fireside conversation between Cardoso and Okonjo-Iweala on strengthening Africa’s economic resilience, sustaining reforms, expanding regional integration and driving long-term growth in an increasingly fragmented global economy.
The programme will also include keynote addresses by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Kingsley Udeh. Their presentations are expected to focus on the role of coordinated fiscal, monetary and innovation policies in supporting Africa’s economic transformation.
Other speakers expected at the forum include World Bank Group Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics, Indermit Gill; Emerging Markets Forum Founder and Chief Executive, Harinder Kohli; and Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, alongside senior government officials, academics, business leaders and development experts.
Participants will deliberate on key issues shaping emerging markets, including macroeconomic stability, regional integration, cross-border payment systems, financial technology, infrastructure financing, foreign direct investment, technology transfer, artificial intelligence, food inflation and the effectiveness of monetary policy in fragile and post-crisis economies.
According to the organisers, the forum is designed to encourage policy dialogue on challenges facing emerging and developing economies while identifying practical solutions tailored to the needs of African countries. They added that the event reflects the commitment of the CBN and its partners to promoting evidence-based policymaking, regional cooperation and sustainable economic growth across the continent.
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