Arusha, Tanzania, Monday, 13th October 2025: The East African Business and Investment Summit & Expo 2025 schedule for 16 to 17 October 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya will bring together over 600 business leaders, investors, SMEs and, high level Government representatives from across the region and beyond.

Under the theme “Promoting Private Sector-Driven Regional Integration for Increased Intra- and Extra-EAC Trade and Investment” the Summit will focus on unlocking SME business opportunities in the region and strengthening trade ties between the EAC and Europe. The Summit will showcase success stories and public-private dialogue to galvanise innovation and investment across the region in a range of sectors including services, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, technology, finance, creative economy, manufacturing, digital economy and health.

This year’s Summit, supported through LIFTED — a project co-financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the European Union (EU), and implemented by GIZ- will feature High-Level CEOs Dialogue on driving industrialization in East Africa” and “unlocking the potential of trade in services: Addressing restrictions and advancing liberalisation in the East African Community.” The session will discuss practical pathways to remove barriers and accelerate the liberalisation of trade in services across East Africa, a crucial step toward creating a more dynamic, competitive, and integrated regional economy.

Additional sessions include Digital trade and e-Commerce, Artificial Intelligence, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol and Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) as a mechanism to facilitate cross border movement of professionals in the region. Experts will examine how emerging digital technologies can unlock opportunities for skilled professionals, enhance regional competitiveness, and advance the realisation of the EAC Common Market.

“During the Summit, over 25 export-ready service companies will exhibit and engage in B2B sessions with their EU counterparts to strengthen business linkages. This initiative is in partnership with the German-African Business Association (Afrika-Verein) and the European Business Council for Africa (EBCA).” said Mr. Adrian Raphael Njau, Acting Executive Director, EABC.

“We are proud accelerating private sector engagement on behalf of Germany and European Union to further regional trade, safeguard global public goods and facilitate pandemic preparedness. Partnering with EABC as our trusted partner, we are committed to strengthen our co-operation with private sector in policy dialogues, removal of barriers, and promoting business to business linkages between the EAC and Europe.” said Mr. Bjoern Richter, Cluster Coordinator GIZ-EAC.

This year’s Summit comes at a pivotal time, coinciding with major continental and global developments such as the ongoing implementation of the AfCFTA, the commencement of the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement, and evolving global dynamics including climate change and de-globalisation. The event will explore these trends while positioning the EAC as Africa’s premier trade and investment hub and leveraging the digital economy as a driver of sustainable growth and inclusion.

The High-Level CEOs Dialogues with Ministers on Trade in Services and Manufacturing will foster direct engagement on pressing regional issues. A communiqué outlining recommendations and resolutions from the Summit discussions will be presented by EABC to the Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers for consideration in policy decision-making.

About LIFTED

LIFTED “Leveraging Integration Frameworks for Trade in Services and CSOs in the EAC” is a project jointly co-financed by the European Union EU, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). LIFTED aims to increase EAC, continental and further bilateral trade with EU in Trade in Services and Civil Society engagement in the framework of the (AfCFTA) for people-centred EAC integration. It is implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in collaboration with the EAC Secretariat.

About East African Business Council:

The East African Business Council (EABC) is the regional apex body of private sector associations and Corporates from the 8 East African countries. It was established in 1997 to foster the interests of the private sector in the integration process of the East African Community. EABC vision is a borderless East Africa for business and investment. The primary mission is to promote sustainable private sector-driven growth in the EAC. www.eabc-online.com

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