This archive report was first published on 17 July 2019.
On Wednesday, President Uhuru Kenyatta officially opened the 21st COMESA International Trade Fair and High-Level Business Summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
The President emphasized the importance of promoting seamless continental integration to boost prosperity and create jobs for the continent's youth.
With about 60% of Africa's population under 25 years, President Kenyatta noted that all efforts to increase intra-Africa trade must also seek to generate decent and well-paying jobs for the millions of educated, talented, and energetic young people on the continent.
He called for more efforts to diversify and add value to raw materials produced in Africa instead of the continent being a source of raw products for the rest of the world.
President Kenyatta also underscored the progress Kenya has made in reducing the cost of doing business and improving the overall investment environment.
He encouraged more companies to invest in Kenya's wide range of lucrative investment opportunities that exist across various segments of the economy, including infrastructure development, agri-business, manufacturing, and financial services.
President Kenyatta emphasized the importance of digitizing African economies, saying it will improve transparency and accountability.
He also launched the COMESA Source 21 handbook, a guide on doing business in the bloc that contains critical information on business opportunities in the region.
