The Canary Islands and the CEOE urge Europe to develop a new investment and talent strategy with Africa

The headquarters of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) in Madrid was the venue for the seminar “Africa: Investment in Talent and Development”, an event that served to highlight the urgency of Europe establishing a stronger and more equitable relationship with the African continent. Organized by the CEOE (Spanish Economic and Monetary Union) with the support of the Canary Islands Government, the event brought together prominent figures from the institutional and business worlds, both from Spain and Africa.

The meeting, which acts as a prelude to the II Ibero-African Business Forum scheduled for November in Tenerife, focused on analyzing the African socioeconomic landscape and the enormous opportunities represented by its young talent. In this context, the President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, sent a strong message to Brussels, criticizing the lack of a long-term strategic vision. "Europe has not been able to define a migration policy or maintain a strategy of cooperation and development with the African continent over time.", Clavijo asserted.

Faced with this reality, the Canarian president positioned the archipelago as a key player in the equation. The Canary Islands, in his words, aspire to be a "A platform for opportunities and a launchpad for Spanish investments in the continent, and a point of return with new synergies."Far from paternalistic attitudes, Clavijo advocated for collaboration based on equality: “We share concerns, we share problems, and, of course, what we have is a level playing field.”, he insisted, stressing that it is a “Responsibility to serve as a bridge, a space for dialogue, exchange and mutual benefit”.

In this line, a future roadmap for the strategy was advanced Canary Islands-Africa which will focus on countries such as Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Cape Verde, Ghana and Ivory Coast, with a special emphasis on youth and employability.

For his part, the president of the CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, reaffirmed the commitment of Spanish business to the development of Africa. "At CEOE, we are convinced that Spanish companies can continue to contribute decisively to the modernization and improvement of African economies, thanks to the extensive international knowledge and experience they have acquired over the years in sectors considered of priority interest."he declared.

The seminar was attended by a significant institutional representation, including members of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Enterprise, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and the Senegalese Ministry of Vocational Training and Apprenticeship, as well as ambassadors from various African nations. All agreed on the importance of strengthening partnerships to jointly address the challenges of global economic transformation.