Roundtable 3 — From Energy Access to Export Competitiveness: Insights from the 2026 Africa Export Competitiveness Report

An interactive policy roundtable examining the key findings of the 2026 Africa Export Competitiveness Report, focusing on how reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy can enhance industrial competitiveness, value addition, and export diversification, and how energy reforms support AfCFTA implementation and integration into regional and global value chains. Hosted by ACBF, the Institute for Competitiveness (India), Shift Impact Africa and the Institute for Competitiveness Africa.

Moderated by Mrs. Tiekie Barnard (Shift Impact Africa), with keynote presenter Dr. Amit Kapoor (Institute for Competitiveness, India) and discussants Mrs. Aida Ngom (AfDB), Mrs. Kanayo Awani (Afreximbank), Dr. Gibson Chigumira (ZEPARI), Ms. Aissatou Diallo (EIF, WTO) and Dr. Mufor Atanga (Centre for African Governance Transformation).

Objective: discuss the Report's findings and examine how energy can strengthen industrial productivity, value addition and export competitiveness, aligning energy reforms with trade, industrialization, and regional integration. Expected outcomes: shared understanding of how energy access drives export competitiveness; priority reforms integrating energy, trade, industrialization and investment; recommendations feeding the Report's dissemination and the Cotonou Action Agenda.