Events
Africa Economic Symposium (AES) – 4th Edition: Turning Transitions into Growth
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Since its inception, the Africa Economic Symposium (AES) has steadily grown into a valued platform for continental economic dialogue, where global perspectives meet African realities and where rigorous analysis informs policy. Now in its 4th edition, the Symposium has more than doubled its reach, expanding its scope and impact by bringing together over 200 prominent economists, policymakers, and academics from 40 nationalities across Africa and beyond. This growth reflects a shared commitment to deepening understanding of the macroeconomic and structural forces shaping Africa’s development trajectory.
The PCNS Annual Report on the African Economy
The symposium is anchored by the launch of the PCNS Annual Report on the African Economy. Authored by more than 30 African and international experts, this flagship report provides evidence-based analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral trends, regional integration dynamics and policy choices defining Africa's development path. During AES, a dedicated session will present the latest findings of the seventh edition of the report and put them to the test in conversation with all participants.
Theme of the Year
For its 4th edition, the Policy Center convenes AES under the theme "Turning Transitions into Growth." This year’s agenda addresses the limits of the current African growth model as the continent faces simultaneous shifts in climate, technology, and demography. Policy choices will determine whether these transitions support higher productivity and resilience or exacerbate social and economic vulnerabilities.
The Symposium will connect the short term to the long term by linking macroeconomic stability with deep structural transformation. On the macroeconomic front, discussions will focus on managing price, exchange rate, and interest rate spillovers, strengthening fiscal frameworks for natural resource management, and advancing a renewed narrative on African sovereign debt. On the structural front, the Symposium will examine how Africa can turn its natural resource abundance from a constraint into an opportunity, navigate the climate and energy transition for resilient growth, drive growth dynamics through technology-led structural transformation, and recalibrate social policies to guarantee inclusive growth, all while critically addressing the financing architectures required to underpin these transformative pathways to growth.
A Special Highlight: The World Cup Economy
In light of Morocco's upcoming role as co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, AES will also feature a special session on World Cup economic management. Drawing on lessons from previous international experiences, this session aims to identify strategies that transform world-class events into lasting economic and social benefits.
AGENDA
Monday, July 13th, 2026 | |
| 14h00 – 14h30 | Registration & Welcome Coffee |
| 14h30 – 14h45 | AES Mobile Application Presentation Sabrine Emran, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South |
| 14h45 – 15h00 | Introductory Remarks Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President, Policy Center for the New South |
| 15h00 – 15h15 | Keynote Addresses Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the AfCFTA, African Union |
| 15h15 – 16h15 | Presentation of the PCNS Annual Report on the African Economy Moderator: Larabi Jaïdi, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: (TBD) |
| 16h15 – 16h30 | Coffee Break |
I. Macroeconomic Policy Challenges | |
| 16h30 – 17h45 | Plenary Session 1: Managing Price, FX, and Rate Spillovers for Growth and Resilience Moderator: Oumayma Bourhriba, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Chukwuka Onyekwena, Executive Director, Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa Hassan Hachimi Alaoui, Professor, Ibn Zohr University Kingsley Moghalu, President, Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation Pierre Nguimkeu, Director of the Africa Growth Initiative in the Global Economy and Development program, Brookings |
| 17h45 – 18h00 | Coffee Break |
| 18h00 – 19h15 | Parallel Session 1: Fiscal Policy Design for Natural Resource Management Moderator: Fahd Azaroual, Economist, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Alban Ahouré, Acting Director of the Economic Policy Analysis Unit, Ivorian Center for Economic and Social Research Hinh T. Dinh, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South Kazi Sohag, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Management at Saint Petersburg University |
| Parallel Session 2: Debt Composition, Domestic Capital Markets, and Fiscal Sustainability in Africa Moderator: Badr Mandri, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Christoph Weiss, Principal Advisor at the Economics Department, European Investment Bank Disney Leite Ramos, Director, The São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment Unit Masood Ahmed, President Emeritus, Center for Global Development Roméo Boyé, Head of the Macroeconomics and Modelling Research Unit, Ivorian Center for Economic and Social Research | |
Tuesday, July 14th, 2026 | |
II. The Structural Agenda: Climate, Digital, and Social Transitions | |
| 09h00 – 09h30 | Welcome Coffee |
| 09h30 – 10h45 | Parallel Session 3: Africa Facing the Abundance of its Natural Resources Moderator: Boutaina Lmasrar, Junior Economist, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Cyril Nhlanhla Mbatha, Director of the Institute of Social and Economic Research, Rhodes University David Luke, Professor and director of Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, The London School of Economics and Political Science Debisi Araba, Managing Director, AKADEMIYA2063 Olawale Ogunkola, Professor, University of Ibadan |
| Parallel Session 4: Climate and Energy Transition for Resilient Growth Moderator: Rim Berahab, Principal Economist, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Abbi M. Kedir, Director of Research, African Economic Research Consortium Ahmadou Aly Mbaye, Affiliate Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University Ghassane Benmir, Professor, IE University Hans Peter Lankes, Managing Director and Deputy Chief Executive, ODI Igor A. Makarov, Head of the School of World Economy, Director of the Institute for the Economics of Natural Resources and Climate Change, HSE University | |
| 10h45 – 11h00 | Coffee Break |
| 11h00 – 12h15 | Plenary Session 2: Technology-Led Structural Transformation and Growth Dynamics Moderator: Saloi El Yamani, Economist, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Arkebe Oqubay Metiku, British Academy Global Professor, SOAS University of London Mamadou Biteye, Executive Secretary, African Capacity Building Foundation Lindsay Whitfield, Professor, Copenhagen Business School Paul Wachana, Chairperson, Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis |
| 12h15 – 13h45 | Lunch Break |
| 13h45 – 15h00 | Plenary Session 3: Leaving No One Behind: Social Policies for Inclusive Growth Moderator: Hamza Saoudi, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Adeline Nembot, Head of Gender, Women's Empowerment, and the Care Economy Economic Affairs Division, Nkafu Policy Institute Dorothée Boccanfuso, Full Professor, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University Francois Bourguignon, Emeritus Professor, Paris School of Economics Gero Carletto, Interim Director of the Institute for Economic Development, World Bank Group |
| 15h00 – 15h15 | Coffee Break |
| 15h15 – 16h30 | Plenary Session 4: Financing Transitions for Sustainable Growth Moderator: Sabrine Emran, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Federico Bonaglia, Deputy Director, OECD Development Centre Mahmoud Mohieldin, Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, United Nations Masood Ahmed, President Emeritus, Center for Global Development Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi, President and CEO, African Centre for Economic Transformation |
| 16h30 – 17h30 | Special Focus Session: Managing the World Cup Economy Moderator: Abdelaaziz Ait Ali, Head of Research in Economics, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: Aomar Ibourk, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South Mahmoud Arbouch, Senior Economist, Policy Center for the New South Aidyn Bibolov, Senior Economist, International Monetary Fund |
| 17h30 – 17h45 | Closing Remarks Karim El Aynaoui, Executive President, Policy Center for the New South |
