Africa stands at a defining moment in its economic history. Across the continent, there is a growing recognition that Africa can no longer depend solely on external aid, commodity exports, or fragmented national strategies to achieve prosperity. The discussions at the recent Africa Forward Summit reinforced an urgent truth: Africa must reposition itself within the global economy by transforming from a continent largely associated with raw material extraction into one driven by industrialisation, regional integration, innovation, and productive private-sector partnerships.