The 3rd  Africa Business Ethics Conference (ABEC) has kicked off today at Trademark Hotel in Nairobi. This is a two days event that focuses at discussing some  of the challenges and solutions to achieving sustained ethical business operations.

While addressing participants at at the official opening of the Conference, the 2nd Vice Chamber President Ms. Fatma Elmaawy highlighted that Africa is the new frontier for global market. She specified that the opportunities that the The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offers come with the responsibility of holding ethics as the global currency.

Reiterating the statements made by Soji Apampa during the 2019 ABEC event, Ms. Elmawy who is the convener and founder of ABEC decried that in Africa corruption is not a moral issue but survival issue. She therefore expressed that the ABEC event was necessitated by the need to search for practical solutions to tackle corruption collaboratively.

“ Each one of us is a drop of water but when we come together, we make a mighty ocean” Said the 2nd Chamber vice president.

The Business Ethics Conference was opened today morning by the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) for the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade & Enterprise Development  Hon. David Osiany. The CAS stressed on the importance of upholding integrity and Trust if sustained and successful global trade is to be realized.

“The two currencies that determine success of our economy are the currencies of integrity and trust”, said Hon. Osiany.

He added that where there is no integrity, trade cannot thrive and to achieve an ethical business, it is important to have an ethical workforce.

The ABEC conference is  hosted by Milestones Resource Solutions (MRS.) in partnership with Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Kenya Private Sector Alliance(KEPSA), Foundation- Multi-Sectoral Forum (MSF) and Blue Company.

This is a business-community-led global forum for convening a broad stakeholder group that  includes the private sector in Africa to address the complex and peculiar challenges posed by corruption.