Dr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI, Director General of CAFRAD

At the end of the High-Level Political Dialogue, the Director General of CAFRAD proposed to the participants the promotion of female entrepreneurship as a lever of economic transformation and diversification, a factor in the repositioning of Africa in global governance, as well as an excellent response to the marginalization of the continent.

On October 21 and 22, 2024, CAFRAD, represented by its Director General Dr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI and his assistant, took part in the preparatory work of the high-level Political Dialogue, organized in Rabat (Kingdom of Morocco), by the sub-regional Office in North Africa of the Economic Commission of the Nations for Africa (ECA), on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in North Africa. This important meeting aimed to formulate public policy recommendations to strengthen the resilience of SMEs, particularly those run by women in North Africa, in the face of climate shocks and other ongoing changes, as well as the implications of implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Dr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI, Director General of CAFRAD

The discussions during these two days focused on a range of subjects and themes related to economic diversification, economic inclusion, strengthening resilience, financing SMEs, harmonization of SME policies in North Africa and digital transformation, as well as innovation for SMEs.

This meeting was attended by representatives of the Ministries of Industry, Trade and Economy in North Africa, international development organizations, financial institutes, and managers of SMEs and businesses in North Africa, as well as international experts in financing policy and digital transformation.

Although SMEs are a vector of employment, innovation and growth, they remain faced with increasingly complex challenges, including access to financing, increased vulnerability to climate change, as well as restrictive regulatory and tax environments, hence the need to develop comprehensive policies capable of fostering the growth of sustainable SMEs, promoting digital transformation, strengthening sustainability , as well as the empowerment of women-led businesses and the development of digital and smart infrastructure.

The meeting was followed by a presentation of lessons learned and recommendations made during previous workshops organized in several countries for the benefit of SMEs led by women.

Dr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI, Director General of CAFRAD

The Director General of CAFRAD, Dr. Coffi Dieudonné ASSOUVI, highlighted the role of CAFRAD in supporting women entrepreneurs in terms of training and strengthening their technical capacities. Above all, he stated the factors likely to promote the transfer of good practices from one country to another, including the harmonization of standards, economic and trade agreements, such as that of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the promotion of benchmarking and the engagement of women in digital and ecological transformation. The strong idea of ​​the Director General of CAFRAD is to use female entrepreneurship as a driver to strengthen Africa’s position in governance at the continental and global level. CAFRAD is ready to play its part as vanguard, leader in this global transformation of Africa.