African countries are progressively realizing that entrepreneurship - and systemic approaches to the formulation of related policies - are key to contributing to inclusive growth, sustainable development and the overall objectives of the African Union 2063 Agenda. In this context, policy makers in Africa aim to create enabling environments to foster entrepreneurship throughout the continent.
One of the most important roles that entrepreneurship plays in the economic, social and environmental transformation of Africa is in enabling people to seize income-generating opportunities and thus contributing to addressing issues such as unemployment and marginalization, particularly among youth, women and vulnerable groups.
This regional Forum is convened by UNCTAD to learn from successes, setbacks and best practices in implementing entrepreneurship policies in Africa, engaging existing partnerships at regional level (African Union, NEPAD, COMESA, EAC).
It will also be an opportunity to replicate and build on the success of UNCTAD's EPF initiatives in Cameroun, The Gambia and Tanzania. Based on these experiences, the regional Forum will forge a way ahead to improve the regional and continental landscape for entrepreneurship.
Expected Outcome:
The main expected outcomes of the regional workshop are:
Sharing experiences and views, learning from best practices and formulating avenues for strengthened cooperation at the regional and continental level
Enhancing the current role of the African Union and NEPAD on entrepreneurship promotion and SMEs development in the continent
Participants are also expected to:
Learn about technical aspects of developing and implementing national entrepreneurship policies based on UNCTAD's "Entrepreneurship Policy Framework"(EPF) methodology and existing good practices in Africa, including how to integrate entrepreneurship in the broader sustainable development agenda (SDGs)
Get a good understanding of the complexity in designing and implementing entrepreneurship policies, and their role in regional and national specific contexts
Acquire knowledge of possible strategies, best practices and examples of entrepreneurship policy and programmes in Africa
