DJIBOUTI – The Nasser International Forum has asserted its commitment to youth-driven diplomacy and economic integration across the African and Arab worlds, prominently featuring discussions on inclusive markets and sustainable business vital for the continent’s development, including the critical agriculture sector.
The forum recently participated in the Pan-African Youth Forum 2025, hosted by the Republic of Djibouti under the theme “From Ambition to Action: Youth as Catalysts for Sustainable Development.” This engagement underscores the forum’s active role in advancing Agenda 2063 and fostering cross-border cooperation in leadership, innovation, and development.
Anthropologist Hassan Ghazaly, founder of the Nasser International Forum, emphasized that Egypt’s participation in this continental gathering marks a significant step toward strengthening youth integration. He highlighted Djibouti’s symbolic importance as a vital bridge connecting the African and Arab worlds, providing a natural nexus for the forum’s principles of pluralism and cross-border cooperation.
The forum’s diverse delegation reflected this ethos, including Dr. Mohamed Ezz and Engineer Rowan Al-Omda from Egypt, Engineer Hudhaifa Al-Hassan from Sudan, legal expert Bubba Fatty from The Gambia, and UN activist Malika Elias from Djibouti, showcasing a broad geographical and cultural scope. Ghazaly stressed that this deliberate diversity is key to promoting dialogue, integrating perspectives, and empowering youth from various nations on entrepreneurship and development issues.
A core focus on the sidelines of the forum was the importance of economic empowerment, particularly in high-potential sectors like agriculture. Engineer Hudhaifa Al-Hassan, Secretary-General of the Arab-African Youth Council and a graduate of the Nasser International Leadership Fellowship, noted that the Council organised a key panel discussion titled “The Role of Inclusive Markets and Inclusive Business in Achieving Regional Integration.”
This session critically addressed how young Arab and African leaders can shape the continent’s future by building markets and businesses that enhance opportunities for sustainable development and boost young people economically and socially. The emphasis here is on leveraging entrepreneurship—especially in a sector like agriculture, which is foundational to African economies—to create lasting, scalable impact.
Throughout the forum’s sessions, the collective message from the Nasser International Forum delegation was the urgent need to transition from disparate individual initiatives to robust regional cooperation networks. These networks are essential for generating sustained economic and social impact, particularly in fostering resilient food systems and agribusiness innovation.
The delegates presented a compelling vision of the challenges and opportunities in establishing inclusive African markets, sharing real-world experiences from projects run by the Nasser International Forum and the Arab-African Youth Council. These initiatives are specifically designed to build youth capacities and facilitate economic and social empowerment through the support of entrepreneurship and sustainable development, signalling a move towards concrete, practical solutions for continental prosperity.
