Hello

Your subscription is almost coming to an end. Don’t miss out on the great content on Nation.Africa

Ready to continue your informative journey with us?

Hello

Your premium access has ended, but the best of Nation.Africa is still within reach. Renew now to unlock exclusive stories and in-depth features.

Reclaim your full access. Click below to renew.

Subscribe for a month to get full access

Third Africa Forum on Displacement kicks off in Nairobi

About 1.7 million refugees live in Uganda. PHOTOS/REUTERS

By  Michael Agaba

What you need to know:

  • The Forum will culminate in a special Amahoro Fellowship Graduation ceremony, celebrating Africa’s first cohort of leaders with lived experience of displacement
  • With nearly 45 million displaced persons living across the continent, AFD2025 will spotlight the critical role of inclusion, investment, and innovation in unlocking opportunities for displaced individuals and their host communities.

The third Africa Forum on Displacement (AFD2025) opened on Monday in Kakuma and Nairobi under the theme "All IN."

The two-day forum brings together leaders from the private sector, government, philanthropy, and refugee communities to accelerate solutions for economic inclusion and social cohesion across Africa.

The Forum is hosted by the Amahoro Coalition, Inkomoko, and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and will conclude on Tuesday.

Related

With nearly 45 million displaced persons living across the continent, AFD2025 will spotlight the critical role of inclusion, investment, and innovation in unlocking opportunities for displaced individuals and their host communities.

“Displaced communities have the skills, talents, and ambition to drive economic growth and innovation,” said Nancy Aburi, Chief of Private Sector Partnerships, Africa, at UNHCR. “Through AFD2025, we are strengthening partnerships that invest in their potential and deliver lasting, market-led solutions.”

Highlights of the Forum include an integrated marketplace featuring refugee and host community entrepreneurs, high-level plenary sessions with leaders such as James Mwangi (Equity Group Holdings), Reeta Roy (Mastercard Foundation), Kelly Clements (UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner), and refugee entrepreneurs including Bereket Goitom (Canaan Group).

“Displaced entrepreneurs and communities already have the talent and resilience. They simply need equitable access to markets and capital,” said Julienne Oyler, Co-Founder and CEO of Inkomoko. “At AFD2025, we are calling on the private sector to step up with real solutions and investments that will drive lasting impact.”

The Forum will culminate in a special Amahoro Fellowship Graduation ceremony, celebrating Africa’s first cohort of leaders with lived experience of displacement.

“AFD2025 is a call to action,” said Isaac Kwaku Fokuo, Curator of the Amahoro Coalition. “It challenges all of us — businesses, governments, and communities — to go ‘All IN’ for displaced people, not with charity, but with opportunity.”

AFD2025 is organised in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and the IKEA Foundation.

In the headlines