Cameroon Unveils Dates for Africa’s Social Economy Forum to Be Held in Dakar

The second edition of the African Forum on the Social and Solidarity Economy (FORA’ESS) will be held in Dakar, Senegal, from July 7 to 9, 2026. Organisers say the event is expected to consolidate continental efforts to expand social enterprise networks, strengthen local entrepreneurship and accelerate economic cooperation across Africa’s growing solidarity economy sector.

Cameroon’s Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts, Achille Bassilekin III, announced the dates in a recent press release, confirming that the forum will be organised under the high patronage of Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.

According to the statement, the event will bring together policymakers, researchers, local authorities, entrepreneurs, social economy networks and development organisations from across the continent to examine new models for inclusive economic growth.

The Dakar meeting follows the inaugural edition held in Yaounde in May 2024, which gathered nearly 1,500 participants from 32 African countries, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO). The first forum adopted the Yaounde Final Declaration and several resolutions calling on African governments to establish national councils or agencies dedicated to the social and solidarity economy. The measures aimed to support structured financing, regulatory frameworks and improved market access for cooperative enterprises and community-led businesses.

Organisers said FORA’ESS 2026 will feature plenary sessions, workshops, self-managed discussions, exhibitions and field visits aimed at facilitating knowledge transfer and investment-oriented exchanges. Special sessions dedicated to women, youth and the African diaspora will open on July 6, reflecting growing policy interest in entrepreneurship segments considered key to job creation and grassroots economic resilience.

Cameroon’s Ministry of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises has called on national stakeholders to mobilise and register through FORA’ESS’ official platform to ensure broad participation in the continental discussions.

According to officials, FORA’ESS emerged from the momentum generated by the Global Social and Solidarity Economy Forum held in Dakar in 2023 and has since evolved into a biennial African platform alternating with global gatherings.

The 2024 Yaounde edition brought together more than 1,000 delegates from over 30 countries and focused on developing African-led social economy models rooted in territorial development, public procurement innovation and support mechanisms for women- and youth-led enterprises.

Its outcomes positioned the forum as a strategic mechanism for translating social economy initiatives into concrete economic policy tools across Africa. The Dakar 2026 edition is expected to deepen discussions on financing frameworks, regional market integration and institutional coordination to support the sector’s long-term growth.

Mercy Fosoh