PARTICIPATION IN THE REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES IN DJIBOUTI

The African Economic Zones Association (AEZO) actively participated in the Regional Conference on Special Economic Zones (SEZs), held in Djibouti on April 21–22 and organized in partnership with the AfCFTA Secretariat, under the High Patronage of Djibouti’s Prime Minister, Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed.

Bringing together public and private stakeholders, the conference aimed to strengthen the role of SEZs in African economic integration. AEZO led several key panels, including on logistics connectivity and emerging industries, facilitating structured exchanges between governments, experts, and investors.

At the same time, AEZO made strategic recommendations in three areas:

1. Enhancing port infrastructure as a driver of regional development
2. Accelerating customs and logistics digitization procedures
3. Strengthening regional cooperation through integrated economic corridors

The association also highlighted that only 38% of African SEZs are fully operational, calling for their development to be better aligned with the AfCFTA’s ambitions for employment, industrialization, and regional value chains.