5th African World Business Congress (AWBC 2009) and 1st IGAD Investment Forum (IIF 2009), 3 – 5 March 2009, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
What is the African World Business Congress
The African World Business Congress has established itself as one of the key continental events, in Africa’s business calendar. Since 2004, the AWBC has been held annually in Dakar, Senegal (2004), Accra, Ghana (2005), Bamako, Mali ( 2006 and Arusha, Tanzania (2007) respectively. AWBC on average draws over 500 participants, from all corners of the African continent & worldwide.
AWBC is a unique African investment event, attracting a diverse range of delegates from the public & private sector, entrepreneurs & NGO’s; creating a melting pot of ideas & a cauldron of debate. AWBC has always been supported at the highest level with previous editions inaugurated by the Presidents of Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania and the Prime Minister of Mali.
Spotlight on Ethiopia: IGAD Investment Forum 2008
We are very pleased to announce that the 1st IGAD Investment Forum will be held concurrently with AWBC 2009 & both events will be hosted by the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The African Business Roundtable and the NEPAD Business Group have followed this formula in previous editions of AWBC with the aim that the host country will benefit by using the event as a platform to promote investment opportunities in their own country.
Ethiopia moves into its 3rd Millennium with a booming investment environment
- Ethiopia marked its third millennium on 12 September 2007 in the Gregorian calendar
- Ethiopia has witnessed an average of 11.9 % for the last five years, the highest growth rate among non oil economies in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Ethiopia is well placed to meet the Millennium Development Goals at the end of 2015
- Ethiopia has one of the largest potential consumer markets in African with a population of 77 million people
- The country’s climatic multiplicity, results in 18 different ecological zones allow for diverse agricultural activity
- Ethiopia is the only African nation never to be colonised in its entire 3000 year history and the country is the seat for the African Union
- Ethiopia is an emerging destination for investment with the existence of a one stop service for new investment approvals and range of incentives especially in certain sectors.
- In the financial sector, new banks are springing up at a rapid rate with a dozen commercial banks and twenty seven microfinance institutions now operating
- Infrastructure is constantly being improved to turn Ethiopia into an investment hub; the network of roads has increased from 18, 946 km in 1990 to 42,000 km presently. The telecommunications sector is booming with 2 million subscribers.