9TH ACP SUMMIT OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT

The 9th Summit of ACP Heads of State in Nairobi focuses on the theme “A transformed ACP : Committed to Multilateralism”.

The president of State House Kenya is taking this opportunity to highlight a few priorities :
• The number 1 resource available to ACP countries is people! “Growing people” though capacity building must be at the heart of any strategy.
• Industrialisation of agriculture to open new markets, integration of small farmers into national and regional markets, adding value at source — are the main ways to ensure inclusive growth.
• Supporting entrepreneurship and growth of MSMEs, accounting for 80% of the jobs in Kenya. Business skills training, market access and access to finance, especially for youth and women.
• Need to improve the regulatory and institutional frameworks to promote MSMEs and enable them to grow into larger companies. Increasing competitiveness through transparency.
• Frameworks to facilitate innovation and technology uptake. Young people are ready for the digital revolution. We need tech startups and technological hubs. Tech and finance are linking up to offer new solutions.
• Private sector-led industrialisation and the critical role of MSMEs in supporting an enabling environment through public-private partnerships.
• Need to diversify products and services, including creative and cultural industries (the orange economy).
He adds: “we need to look at each other’s economies and trade among one another”.