MARCH 3
NH Roma Hotel, Villa Carpegna
19.30
Welcome business dinner – “Business Excellence Awards 2026”
Award ceremony for the best Italy-Africa partnerships and entrepreneurial excellence for sustainable development and cooperation between the two continents.
(Participation by invitation)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2026
Villa Aurelia Congress Center
09.00
10.30
Opening side event: Business e finance breakfast – networking
An informal session dedicated to networking between entrepreneurs, investors, and financial sector professionals. An opportunity to kickstart new collaborations, share business opportunities, and build strategic connections in a dynamic and convivial setting.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2026
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Farnesina
11.30
12.00
12.00
Reception and registration of participants
12.00
12.40
Official opening of the 9th edition of the Italy-Africa Business Week forum
Institutional greetings
- Edmondo Cirielli, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
- Laura Lungarotti, Director of the Resource Mobilization Division, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva
- Cleophas Adrien Dioma, President of the Le Réseau Association
12.40
14.00
Inaugural Conference
Two Years of the Mattei Plan: Results and Future Directions of the Italy-Africa Partnership
Andrea De Marco, Program Manager and Partnerships Advisor, UNIDO
Francesco Tramontin, Vice President for Institutional Affairs, FerreroPatrizia Mauro, Director General, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo
Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)
Nguéto Tiraina Yambaye, President, Club of African Banking and Financial Executives
Francesco Masera, Head of Business Promotion, Governance and Partnerships – CDP, International Development Cooperation
Moderator: Daniele Fattibene, European Think Tanks Group (ETTG) Coordinator
14.00
15.30
Lunch Break
15.30
16.30
Building Bridges of Knowledge: The Scientific Committee of the Italy Africa Business Week
Costruire ponti di conoscenza: il Comitato Scientifico dell’Italia Africa Business Week
- Bernardo Bini Smaghi, Expert in Development Finance
- Walid Loukil, Deputy General Manager, Loukil Group
- Jean Leonard Touadi, Journalist and university professor
- Mehret Tewolde Weldemicael, CEO Italia Africa Business Week
16.30
Closing
- Antonio Tajani,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Master of Ceremonies: Ada Ugo Abara, Founder and CEO of D-Tech 4Good
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Villa Aurelia Congress Center
8.30
9.00
Reception and registration of participants
9.00
10.00
Amphitheater Hall
Round Table. Profit Projects – The Role of Partnership – Field Experience, Strengths and Weaknesses, and Developments (AICS)
- Marco Riccardo Rusconi, Director of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)
- Alessandro Chelli, CEO Trusty Srl
- Piergiorgio Di Carmine, CEO JV Alma CIS Scarl
- Estelle Konan, Secretary General, YOSRAN Cooperative
- Kefa Chepkwony, Professor, MOI University of Kenya
Moderator: Grazia Sgarra Head of the Office for Cooperation, Partnerships and Development Finance
10.00
10.15
Amphitheater Hall
Speech
- Vania Pellizzaro, Sales Manager Italy, Germany & Austria, StoneX
10.15
11.15
Amphitheater Hall
Roundtable. The Role of Diasporas in Financing the Ecological Transition (IOM)
- Sam Huckstep, Research Fellow, Center for Global Development
- Maria Ludovica Gualtieri, Focal Point, Migrazione & Sviluppo, AICS Kais Abidi, Founder,Jugurtha Olio Mobi-tre entrepreneur, Tunisia
- Mauro Martini, Senior Technical Specialist, Financing Facility for Remittances, IFAD
- Aida Gebrehiwet, Head of Diaspora and Strategic Partnerships WIDU. Africa, GIZ
- Fernando Cabral, Managing Director, Djassi Africa
11.15
12.15
Amphitheater Hall
Presentation of the “Invest in Senegal” project
- Marta Sachy, Head of Programs & Institutional Grants. Amref Health Africa
- Ndeye Deguene Sow, Secretary General, Ministry of Microfinance and Social Economy (Senegal)
- Giovanni Grandi, Director, AICS Dakar
- Mauro Borin, Head of the projects, E4impact Foundation
- Patrizia Mauro, General Director, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo (TBC)
- Kilap Gueye, President of the Disso Senegal Association
Moderator: Pietro Pinto, Amref Consultant – Investo in Senegal
12.15
12.25
Amphitheater Hall
Africa’s Development Dynamics: Infrastructure, Growth and Transformation
- Federico Bonaglia, Deputy Director of the OECD Development Centre
12.25
13.30
Parallel panels
Amphitheater Hall
Conference. Growing Beyond Borders: Banks and Financial Instruments for Internationalization
- Ngueto Tiraïna Yambaye, Director General, Fonds Africain de Garantie et de Coopération Economique (FAGACE)
- Stefano Lo Savio, Head of the Finance for Development, Environment and
- Representative, Intesa Sanpaolo
- Francesca Utili, Director General for International Financial Relations, Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance
- Paola Valerio, Head of Institutional Affairs
- Federica Ingrosso, Senior Specialist External Relations – SIMEST
- Walid Loukil, Deputy General Manager, Loukil Group
- Anco Marzio Lenardon, CEO, Export Trading Cooperation (ETC)
- Giorgio Massotti, Head of Business Partnerships and International Development Cooperation Programmes
Moderator: Bernardo Bini Smaghi, Expert in Development Finance
GIADA Hall
Tavola Rotonda. Internazionalizzazione e sviluppo internazionale – Opportunità, sfide e strumenti di diritto commerciale
- Gaetano De Vito, National President of Federmanager
- Giuliano Lastrucci, Corporate/M&A Lawyer, Trinity International
- Ismael Barra, President/Founder, Barra Group
- Giuseppe Bennici, International Business Developer
- Rudolphe Cabral, Founding Partner & Chief Portfolio Officer, Djassi Africa
Moderator: Gelila Guenzi, Founder, Gelila Guenzi Consulting
13.30
14.30
Lunch break and networking
14.30
14.45
Amphitheater Hall
Recap & next insights
Report and visual map to summarize the morning’s work and introduce ‘food for thought’ for the afternoon
14.45
16.30
Workshops/Thematic Round Tables
B2B & Matchmaking Session
14.45
16.00
Amphitheater Hall
Round Table. Female Leadership to Strengthen Value Chains
- Mumtaz Kassam, Ugandan Entrepreneur and Lawyer
- Kulu Ghebremedhin, Co-founder, Asmara Living, Eritrean entrepreneur in Ghana
- Stefano Speranza, Associate Professor, University of Tuscia
- Dominique Maria Domingos, Angolan Diaspora Researcher And Entrepreneur
- Fatma Megrahi, Taps International
Moderator: Ada Ugo Abara, Founder and CEO of D-Tech 4Good
14.45
16.30
Technical table: African banks/Italian banks
14.45
16.30
Workshop. World Bank
14.45
16.30
B2B, B2G. Direct meetings between companies, institutions, banks, and start-ups
14.45
16.30
Business Lounge & Digital Matchmaking Platform
16.30
17.30
Amphitheater Hall
Conference. Africa-Italy Partnerships for Sustainable Textile Manufacturing Development (AICS)
- Simone Cipriani, Senior Research Fellow, RETECH Center, Ecole des Ponts Business School, Dean, Milano Fashion Institute, Visiting Professor, Sciences Po Paris
- Roberto Vago, senior expert PISIE – Former President of ASSOMAC
- Mauro Borin, Head of Project Office, E4Impact Foundation
- Alessandro Gallo, Administrator Neo B-Lab-Doria-1905
- Francesca Laschiazza, Office III – Opportunities and Economic Development, AICS
- Piero Grippa, Office III – Opportunities and Economic Development, AICS
17.30
17.45
Amphitheater Hall
Closing Remarks
The program of the forum days may be subject to changes based on organizational needs or other unforeseen circumstances.
FRIDAY MARCH 06 2026
Centro Congressi Villa Aurelia
8.30
9.00
Reception and registration of participants
9.00
9.30
Amphitheater Hall
Speech
- Martin Arevalo, Country Director Italy of UNOPS
- Oroh Roland Oletu, Director, Agribusiness EU-Nigeria Platform
9.30
10.30
Amphitheater Hall
Conference. University, research, and professional training: human resources and skills development for the future
- Pietro Sebastiani, Ambassador, Director and Founder, LUMSA University Africa Center
- Aristide Aly Boyarm, IT Strategy Consultant and Founder, DEVCHAMPION
- Cinzia Corsetti, Executive & Life Coach, Lazio Umbria Abruzzo Club, AICP
- Rosario Vigliotti, Associate of the Gran Sasso Tech Foundation
- Andrea Pontarelli, Garibaldi Agricultural Institute (TBC)
- Andrea Carapellese, International Expert on Investment, UNIDO ITPO
- Andrea Cinque, Economist at the OECD Development Centre
Moderator: Carlos Lougourou, Sustainability Advisor, Asso holding
10.30
10.45
Amphitheater Hall
Speech
Ablam Gerard Agoudou, Engineer, Infrastructure Technical Manager, Air Side Flight
10.45
11.45
Amphitheater Hall
Conference. From Microenterprise to Space: New Development Paths in African Markets
- Ian Elly Ssali Kiggundu, In-House Legal Professional in Space & Aerospace
- Nwanne Nwonwu, Ecosystem Architect, Rising Tide Africa
- Gideon Brefo, Co-Founder, HapaSpace
- Yannick Deza, Founder, data bites
- Chiara Bovi, Business Development Unit, Fondazione Aurora ETS
Moderator: Ada Ugo Abara, CEO of D-Tech 4Good
11.45
12.45
Parallel panels
Amphitheater Hall
Roundtable. Lab Innova Moda – Fashion that Builds Bridges and Breaks Down Walls (CNA)
- Claudio Pasqualucci, Director, ICE Office Addis Ababa
- Ugo Monye, Fashion Designer, Nigeria
- Vasco Rocha, CEO, Mozambique Fashion Week
- Roberto Corbelli, Art Director and Brand Strategist
- Alessandra Rainaldi, Consumer Goods Office – Home & Living System, Italian Trade Agency (ICE)
- Yusra Reja, Yusra Homes, Importer of Interior and Home Décor Products
- Giuseppe Pancione, CEO Luxury Windows Italia
Moderator: Antonio Franceschini, Head of Promotion and International Market Office, CNA
Giada Hall
Round Table. Foundations, NGOs, and Civil Society: Pillars of Inclusive Partnerships for Development in Italy and Africa
- Mario Giro, Head of International Relations, Community of Sant’Egidio
- Sandro De Luca, President, LINK 2007
- Maddalena Procopio, Senior Policy Fellow – Africa, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
- Massimo Salvadori, Coordinator, Paolo Chiesi Foundation
- Essa Eskander, President, Federation of Egyptian Workers in Italy
Moderator: Bertrand Honore Mani Ndongbou, President, Cameroonians of Rome and Lazio (CAMROL)
12.45
13.45
Amphitheater Hall
Conference. Italy–Africa. Energy, Innovation, and Agriculture at the Center of the Sustainable Transition
- Ester Stefanelli, Manager public affairs Africa subsahariana, Eni
- Oroh Roland Oletu, Director, Agribusiness EU-Nigeria Platform
- Mario Di Giulio, Lecturer in Law of Developing Countries, Università Campus Bio-Medico
- Rima Jreich, Senior Policy and Regulatory officer, Res4Africa
- Valentina Gentile, Head of the Innovation for Public Administration Service, ENEA
- Madi Sakandé, General Manager, New Cold System
- Cristina Altomare, Climate Finance Lead, UNDP Rome Centre
Moderator: Matteo Spagnolo, CEO, Renewables
13.45
14.45
Lunch break and networking
14.45
15.00
Amphitheater Hall
Recap & next insights
15.00
16.00
Amphitheater Hall
Business Community Roundtable. A space for dialogue among companies, speakers, and young leaders to strengthen the IABW community
- Kane Papa Malick, President, We First Association
- Sissoko Sidy Lamine, Manager, Fily Services SARL
- Edoardo De Vito, President, Delta Holdings Association
- Amadou Baparapé, Senior Customer Relationship Manager, IABW
- Kaba Mohamed, General Director, Kaba & Frères Group
- Seydou Kiebre, President, Scoopranyd Cooperative
Moderator: Diop Aminata, Vice President, We First Association
16.00
17.00
Amphitheater Hall
Conferenza. Il ruolo dei giovani nella cooperazione internazionale tra Africa e Italia
- Ange Rosine Ishimwe, President, Africa Connect Initiative
- Angelique Umutoni, Program Coordinator, Africa Connect Initiative
- Carlos Lougourou, Outreach Coordinator, Africa Connect Initiative
- Giuseppe Bennici, International business developer
- Roxani Roushas, Youth4Climate Coordinator, UNDP
Moderator: Francis Kaduki, Project Assistant, Italia Africa Business Week
17.00
17.30
Amphitheater Hall
Closing Ceremony. Building the Future Together: From Dialogue to Action
Possibili eventi collaterali (durante le tre giornate)
- Tavolo Istituzionale Italia–Africa – Incontro strategico con istituzioni e imprese
- Coaching “Direzione Futuro” – Talenti in Movimento tra Italia e Africa | Sessioni di orientamento professionale e crescita personale
The program of the forum days may be subject to changes based on organizational needs or other unforeseen circumstances.