● Programme
Two days. Two complementary experiences.
Investment Forum and exhibition
A day dedicated to high-level discussions and business opportunities.
- Opening ceremony
- High-level opening address
- Strategic panels
- Investment dialogues
- Investor / buyer meetings
- Sector exhibition
- B2B / B2G meetings
- Discussion and networking time
GDIZ Investment and Sourcing Discovery Tour
A day in the field to see industrialisation in action.
- Introduction to GDIZ
- Tour of the infrastructure
- Visit to industrial units
- Discovering value chains
- Products made in Benin
- Meetings with operators
- Discussion and networking time
● Forum agenda
21 October at Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel, 22 October at Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone.
- Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel
Arrival, registration of participants and welcome coffee
Opening ceremony
Photo session with co-conveners and sponsors
Press conference and interviews
Panel session 1: Building Africa’s next generation of industrial hubs through the Afreximbank Industrial Parks and Export Processing Zones Initiative
Business roundtable: Connecting African cotton, investors and global buyers
The Roundtable will bring together investors, manufacturers and buyers to explore commercial opportunities across Africa’s cotton and textile value chain. Drawing on the C4+ countries and GDIZ, the roundtable will also examine what attracts manufacturing investment and what producers must deliver to secure buyer orders, from competitive pricing and reliable capacity to quality, traceability and timely delivery. Discussions will identify opportunities for investment, sourcing and business partnerships that connect African cotton to global markets.
Lunch break
Introduction to the Africa Buyers Programme (ABP)
- Presentation 1: From Factory to Market: Leveraging the African Buyers Programme to Accelerate Industrialisation and Investment in Africa’s Special Economic Zones.
- Presentation 2: Buyer Success Stories: Transforming Supply Chains through the Africa Buyers Programme.
- Presentation 3: Leveraging the Africa Trade and Distribution Company (ATDC) and Afreximbank Financial Solutions to Support Industrial Growth and Buyer Expansion.
Panel session 2: Leveraging ATDCs to enhance Africa’s supply chains for an integrated logistics for industrial parks and SEZs
Closing ceremony
Announcement of next steps and closing remarks
B2B and B2G meetings
Deal making, alongside the sessions.
- Room Donga / Alibori
- Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone (GDIZ)
GDIZ Investment and Sourcing Discovery Tour
Explore production, meet partners, advance business
Format: guided industrial visits followed by targeted matchmaking.
Participants: investors, manufacturers, buyers and GDIZ tenant companies.
Transfer from Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel to GDIZ
Refreshments
Welcome remarks and safety briefing
Guided industrial tour
- Guided tour of industrial zone infrastructure
- Visit to logistics, warehousing and distribution facilities
- Live demonstrations of manufacturing operations
Health break and informal networking
Investment and sourcing consultations
Pre-arranged 20-minute meetings for:
- Investors to meet GDIZ’s investment team to discuss available premises, costs, utilities and establishment timelines.
- Buyers to meet manufacturers to discuss product specifications, quotations, order quantities, samples and delivery terms.
Return transfer to Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel
End of programme
Don’t just attend. Meet the right people.
Meetings take place throughout 21 October, alongside the sessions, and continue on 22 October at GDIZ in the form of pre-arranged consultations.
Good to know before you come
The two venues
Day 1 at Sofitel Cotonou Marina Hotel. Day 2 at Glo-Djigbé Industrial Zone, about an hour’s drive from Cotonou.
Transfer on 22 October
Group departure from the Sofitel at 08:00 and return at around 16:00. Please plan your meetings accordingly.
Safety briefing
Mandatory before visiting the industrial zone. Please wear closed, comfortable shoes.
Build your programme
Tell us which sessions interest you when you register: the Forum team will arrange your meetings based on your profile and objectives.
● Forum themes
Key themes
Funding industrialisation
Mobilising the capital needed for African industrial development.
Value addition & manufacturing
Processing more African raw materials into competitive, higher-value products.
Special Economic Zones
Turning SEZs into platforms for investment, production and exports.
Trade & regional integration
Connecting African productive capacity to regional and international markets.
Investment & partnerships
Fostering joint ventures, financing, and industrial and commercial partnerships.
Sustainable industrialisation
Building competitive, responsible industrial ecosystems that create jobs.
Ready to turn a meeting into an opportunity?
Join the investors, manufacturers, buyers, financial institutions and decision-makers gathered in Cotonou to accelerate the next generation of industrial investment in Africa.