Achi Advocates for Inclusion as Economic Infrastructure

Achi delivered the keynote address at the 2026 Gender and Inclusion Summit (GS26) in Abuja, where he stressed that Africa should treat inclusion not merely as a social intervention but as critical economic infrastructure necessary for sustainable growth and shared prosperity. He warned that physical infrastructure alone, without corresponding opportunities, could exclude communities from economic growth.

Achi highlighted productive employment, enterprise development, and rising incomes as the continent's sustainable pathways out of poverty. He noted the importance of social protection for vulnerable populations and urged governments to foster conditions for private-sector investment and job creation.

Achi identified women and young people as crucial assets for Africa's economic transformation and drew from Côte d’Ivoire’s development experience to advocate for agricultural modernization, industrialization, and human capital development. He outlined four priorities for actionable inclusion: designing inclusion as a system, investing in future value, making inclusion a budget issue, and scaling measurable innovations.

Niyi Yusuf, Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group, emphasized the summit's goal to bridge policy commitments and outcomes for underserved communities.