UNIDO Champions Quality Infrastructure and Women-Led Industrialization at African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee (STC) Meetings in Abidjan
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, July 2026 – The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has reinforced its commitment to accelerating Africa's industrial transformation by calling for greater investment in Quality Infrastructure (QI) and women-led enterprises during the Joint Ninth Session of the African Union Specialized Technical Committee (STC) Meetings on Finance, Monetary Affairs, Economic Planning and Integration and the Fifth Session of the STC on Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, held in Abidjan from 20 to 24 July 2026 under the theme “Financing Africa’s Industrialisation for Sustainable Development”.
As a strategic partner of the African Union Commission (AUC), UNIDO played a prominent role in high-level discussions shaping the future of Africa's industrial development agenda. Led by Fatou Haidara, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations, the UNIDO delegation highlighted the urgent need to translate industrial ambitions into bankable investments, stronger QI systems and productive capacities and increased participation of women-led enterprises in regional and global value chains.
A key highlight of UNIDO's engagement was the organization of flagship side events that brought together policymakers, development finance institutions, private sector representatives and entrepreneurs to address critical drivers of Africa's competitiveness under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
UNIDO's Division of MSME Competitiveness, Quality and Job Creation convened, in partnership with the AUC, two strategic side events. The first event, 'Facilitating Trade and Industrialization in Africa through Advancing and Financing the Africa Quality Policy,' placed quality infrastructure at the centre of Africa's industrialization agenda.
During the event, UNIDO announced the forthcoming publication of its report, 'Financing Quality Infrastructure and Access to Finance for MSMEs in the Africa-Caribbean-Pacific Region,' which will provide new insights into addressing constraints facing manufacturers and exporters.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Fatou Haidara said financing industrialization is not simply about mobilizing more capital. It is about directing capital towards productive sectors—manufacturing, agro-industry, pharmaceuticals, green industries, critical minerals beneficiation, digital innovation and SMEs.
Managing Director Haidara: “We must also address the investment-readiness gap. Across Africa, significant industrial opportunities coexist with a shortage of well-prepared and bankable projects. Capital cannot finance projects that have not been adequately identified, prepared, structured and de-risked. Africa therefore needs a stronger industrial investment ecosystem capable of systematically transforming industrial opportunities into investment-ready projects and connecting them with development finance institutions and private investors. We must move beyond financing isolated projects towards financing integrated industrial ecosystems.”
The second side event, 'Women Industrial Champions: Driving Africa's Industrial Transformation,' co-organized with the AUC and African Women in Processing (AWIP), brought together policymakers, development finance partners such as the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), women's business associations and private sector stakeholders such as the Africa Business Council (AfBC). The event showcased the growing influence of women entrepreneurs as drivers of industrial growth, innovation and job creation across the continent and underscored UNIDO’s role in strengthening and promoting women - led cluster development in Africa.
Ron Osman Omar, Director of Industry, Minerals, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, AUC noted that Africa’s industrial transformation cannot be fully realized without the meaningful participation and leadership of women. She said, “Women entrepreneurs are already creating jobs, adding value to African resources and connecting local production to regional and global markets. Our task is to ensure that they have the finance, quality infrastructure, skills and market opportunities they need to scale. Through stronger partnerships, we can create an enabling environment in which women are not only participants in industrialization, but recognized champions of Africa’s productive transformation.”
Together, the side-events highlighted a powerful dual agenda for Africa's industrial future: strengthening the systems that enable trade and competitiveness while empowering the people, particularly women entrepreneurs, who turn opportunities into economic growth and jobs.
In addition to the side-events, UNIDO held a partner consultation with the AUC and the Pan-African Quality Infrastructure (PAQI) Institutions. Discussions focused on strengthening strategic cooperation to accelerate the implementation of the Africa Quality Policy through flagship projects such as the EU-funded ACP QI Programme and the EUR 200 million Africa Trade Competitiveness & Market Access Programme (ATCMA) jointly implemented by UNIDO and ITC and mobilize support for QI development across the continent. The partners underscored the importance of coordinated action to enhance standards, conformity assessment, accreditation and metrology systems, recognizing their critical role in facilitating trade, supporting industrial competitiveness and unlocking the full potential of the AfCFTA.
The discussions in Abidjan reaffirmed that Africa’s industrial transformation requires both strong enabling systems and greater support for the enterprises driving production, innovation and job creation. Key outcomes included a shared emphasis on mobilizing sustainable financing for quality infrastructure, strengthening implementation of the African Quality Policy, improving MSMEs’ access to certification and markets, and creating more supportive ecosystems for women-led enterprises.
Building on these discussions, UNIDO, the AUC and partners will continue to advance collaboration around quality infrastructure financing, MSME competitiveness and women’s participation in industrial value chains, with a focus on translating policy commitments into practical interventions, investments and opportunities that contribute to inclusive and sustainable industrial development across Africa.
For more information
Contact: Mr. Bernard Bau & Ms. Ebe Muschialli
Email address: B.BAU [at] unido.org; E.MUSCHIALLI [at] unido.org
