Dossier

The ECA Conference of Ministers, is one of the premier forums on the continent for dialogue and exchange of views among African ministers on issues pertinent to the development agenda of Africa.

Three years into President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s tenure as incumbent Nigerian president and on the eve of a historic state visit to the UK – the first by a Nigerian leader in almost four decades – we examine the significance of the visit, the opportunities in terms of trade and diplomacy and what it signposts for Nigeria/UK relations.

This African Business Women in Leadership 2026 special profiles 20 women leaders – among them founders, CEOs, innovators, entrepreneurs and change-makers – who have risen to senior roles business and governance.

In doing so, they have reshaped the narrative around women’s leadership across the continent and the wider African diaspora.

The theme ‘the spirit of dialogue’ for this year’s World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, reflects the increasing polarisation of the world and the dangerous erosion of the truth.

At a pivotal moment in its history, the Democratic Republic of the Congo arrives in Davos with a clear message: peace and security as the foundation for development; dialogue as a tool for rebuilding trust; and partnership as the pathway to shared prosperity.