PAP President calls for tailored investment solutions for African small businesses

In recognition of his leadership in advancing African Union priorities, including Agenda 2063, the President of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), H.E. Chief Fortune Charumbira, was invited to deliver the keynote address at the Africa Strategic Investment Alliance (ASIA) High-Level Side Event during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA80) in New York.
Drawing from his multiple roles—as a traditional leader engaging daily with communities, a parliamentarian representing their voices, and the head of a continental parliament tasked with harmonizing laws and advancing integration—Chief Charumbira emphasized that investment solutions for MSMEs, youth, and women entrepreneurs must be grounded in Africa’s realities and tailored to their specific profiles. Such a customized approach, he noted, will accelerate digital and financial inclusion, foster job creation, and ensure that no country is left behind.
At the event, the PAP President was formally designated as a champion of the Africa Strategic Investment Alliance (ASIA), a pan-African platform designed to drive implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) across sectors such as agriculture, digital innovation, logistics, and green infrastructure.
The ASIA High-Level Side Event, convened by the AfCFTA Secretariat and AeTrade Group in collaboration with global partners, built on the momentum of the Third Africa Job Creation Forum (AJCF), held from 7–9 July 2025 at the Adwa Victory Conference Centre in Addis Ababa. The Adwa Declaration, which launched ASIA as a flagship initiative, reflects a broad-based conviction that the time has come for Africa to own and drive its investment and development agenda on both the continental and global stage.