ILO strengthens partnership with African employers to advance Social Justice
At the Africa Employers’ Summit 2025, the ILO reaffirmed its commitment to working with employer organizations to promote inclusive growth, decent work and social justice across the continent.
11 September 2025
NAIROBI (ILO News) – The International Labour Organization (ILO) has reaffirmed its commitment to working with employer organizations to build more resilient, inclusive and sustainable economies across Africa. The occasion was the 2025 Africa Employers’ Summit, held under the theme “Empowering Business to Advance Social Justice.”
Co-hosted by the ILO, the International Organization of Employers (IOE), and the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), the two-day summit brought together leading business figures, policymakers and development partners from across the continent. Discussions centred on how businesses can promote decent work and economic growth while advancing social justice.
Opening the summit, the Deputy President of Kenya, H.E. Prof. Kithure Kindiki, called for a rethinking of Africa’s labour markets and enterprise models to ensure inclusive growth. Highlighting challenges faced by young people, including high unemployment and limited income opportunities, he urged businesses to adopt socially responsible practices grounded in inclusive enterprises, ethical governance and job creation.
The summit featured action-oriented discussions on strengthening the voice of employers in Africa, closing the skills gap for young people, and creating economic opportunities for forcibly displaced persons and their host communities. Participants also focused on shaping a common employer agenda for the upcoming 2026 ILO Africa Regional Meeting and leveraging the ILO’s Global Coalition for Social Justice to support enterprise sustainability and inclusive development.
Key outcomes included a renewed commitment to strengthening BUSINESSAfrica, the regional network of employer and business membership organizations (EBMOs), as a unified voice for African employers. Concrete strategies were also proposed to support EBMOs in becoming more effective advocates for the private sector.
In her remarks, the ILO Regional Director for Africa, Fanfan Rwanyindo Kayirangwa, emphasized the importance of partnership: “The ILO Regional Office for Africa is committed to continuing to work with employers’ organizations to build labour markets that are more productive, more inclusive, more resilient and sustainable,” she said.
Throughout the summit, the ILO provided technical insights drawn from its field programmes, including the PROSPECTS initiative, which promotes decent work for refugees and host communities, and ongoing support from the Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACT/EMP). These contributions helped anchor discussions in evidence and practical experience.
The 40th anniversary of BUSINESSAfrica was also marked during the summit with a gala dinner celebrating four decades of collaboration to promote business growth and decent work across the continent.
As the summit concluded, the call was clear: advancing social justice requires shared leadership. With the ILO’s support and the renewed commitment of Africa’s employers, the region is well-positioned to shape a future of work that delivers dignity, opportunity and sustainability for all.