“Global economic storms will continue to test African institutions, but they can never erode the fundamental wealth and resilience of Africa’s people. With the strong partnership among our institutions, let us continue to combine our efforts and move forward together with urgency, clarity and determination to build the resilient and prosperous Africa we deserve—because that is the Africa the world needs,” Raymond Gilpin said on Sunday in Abidjan.

Gilpin, Chief Economist and Head of the Strategy, Analysis and Research Team at the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 2026 African Economic Conference (AEC), held from 10 to 12 July at the headquarters of the African Development Bank Group in Abidjan under the theme: “Strengthening Africa’s Geopolitical Agency and Trade Resilience in a Multipolar World.” The event was jointly organized by the African Development Bank Group, UNDP, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Over three days, leading economists, researchers, policymakers and experts from regional and international development institutions engaged in candid discussions, exchanged perspectives and formulated practical recommendations for the continent’s future.

Highlighting key conclusions expected to shape future research and partnerships across Africa, Ida McDonnell, Senior Policy Advisor on Development Policy, Finance and Performance at the OECD, stressed the need for more integrated approaches to policymaking.

“Our analytical frameworks must now adapt to the reality and uncertainty in which we live. Trade, debt, investment, fiscal policy, climate action and development finance are becoming increasingly interconnected. Yet we often continue to analyze them separately. The complexity of today’s policy challenges calls for more integrated analysis that reflects the real choices policymakers face. Data matters—and we all agree on that. It matters even more when it is shared to support better decision-making.”

Marie-Laure Akin Olugbade, Senior Vice President of the African Development Bank Group, representing the President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, officially closed the conference. She commended participants for the rich and productive exchanges, which generated valuable insights into the challenges, opportunities and policy actions required to strengthen Africa’s geopolitical agency and trade resilience in an increasingly multipolar world and rapidly changing global economy.

“I am confident that policymakers and development partners will draw on these discussions to guide their future actions. The exchanges we have had provide an essential foundation for the policies and partnerships needed to strengthen Africa’s geopolitical agency and enhance its trade resilience,” Ms. Akin Olugbade said.

For Ahunna Eziakonwa, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, while the conference may have come to an end, its momentum must continue.

“The lasting impact of these past days will be determined by what we do next: remove barriers to trade, invest in African enterprise and innovation, strengthen regional value chains, and equip our young people to compete in a changing global economy. In a multipolar world, Africa’s greatest leverage will not come from choosing sides, but from building its own economic strength”, she concluded.

The 2026 African Economic Conference also hosted the annual meeting of the Global Network of Chief Economists of Development and Financing Institutions. The event was further marked by the launch of the African Chief Economists Network (ACE Network)