October 26, 2026 - October 27, 2026
Palermo, Italy
Africa Growth and Opportunity: Research in Action Conference 2026
How can investment in skills be translated into jobs that drive growth at scale in Africa? The Africa Growth and Opportunity: Research in Action 2026 Conference (AGORA 26) will explore how better alignment between skills, workforce development, and entrepreneurship and firm demand can support Africa’s growth and job creation.
Co-hosted by the World Bank Group Institute for Economic Development with the Bank of Italy, Italy’s Ministry of Economy and Finance, and African partners, AGORA 26 will connect policymakers, researchers, and private sector leaders to turn ideas into action. The conference will bridge research, policy dialogue, and implementation, with a focus on translating growth strategies into jobs.
Building on the AGORA 2025 conference—which explored the foundational role of physical infrastructure and regulatory reforms in energy and agriculture—AGORA 2026 will focus on the next step: turning investments in skills into jobs and growth. As investment in energy, agribusiness, and value chains expands, the challenge is ensuring these translate into firm productivity and sustained employment.
Stay tuned for updates and follow the online conversation using #AGORA26.
AGORA 26 discussions will be structured around three central questions:
How can the supply of skills respond to demands from firms?
Firms see shortages in technical, digital, and managerial skills, while graduates lack matching competences required for roles. AGORA 26 will examine approaches that strengthen this alignment, including sector-linked training models (e.g. in energy and agri-business) and partnerships with industry.
How can countries expand job opportunity and productivity in energy and agribusiness?
Africa’s working-age population is projected to grow by over 450 million by 2040, making job creation and talent boosting a central development challenge. Energy, agrifood value chains, and related services are key sectors because of their high potential for job creation. The Global Skills Partnership also provides a framework for linking training, and domestic job creation, connecting African countries with partners such as Italy and others.
How will technological change reshape jobs and firms?
AI and data are changing production processes and skill requirements. These shifts can increase productivity while creating new divides between firms and workers that can adapt and those that cannot. AGORA 26 will explore how countries can build capabilities to respond to these changes.
Launched in 2025, AGORA is the flagship platform of the World Bank Group Institute for Economic Development for advancing development in Africa through evidence-based dialogue and cross-regional collaboration. Named after the ancient Greek public forum, AGORA is designed as an open arena where African and European institutions set the agenda together, ensuring balanced ownership and accountability.
AGORA addresses a structural gap in development dialogue: most Africa-focused conferences are either African-led in Africa or donor-led in the Global North, with little joint leadership. AGORA seeks to break that pattern, creating a recurring instrument for dialogue that is tied to implementation partners on both continents.
Designed for Long-Term Impact
AGORA is a standing instrument with year-round engagement, AGORA in Motion, to track progress, respond to emerging challenges, and deepen partnerships. By combining the convening power of the World Bank Group and African institutions with the political momentum of Italy’s Mattei Plan, AGORA turns policy into tangible results for Africa’s future.
