By Baboloki Semele: The Rwandan capital will serve as the epicenter of continental policy debate and governance innovation from 11 to 12 September 2025, as it hosts the 6th African Governance Seminar Series (AGOSS), organized by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Set against the backdrop of a shifting global financial architecture, this year’s seminar comes at a pivotal time for Africa’s economic trajectory.
Launched as a thought-leadership initiative by the APRM, AGOSS serves as a multi-stakeholder platform designed to interrogate governance trends, advance scholarly and policy dialogues, and reimagine Africa’s governance systems within the unique political economy of the continent. Since its inception, AGOSS has steadily evolved into a critical forum that brings together policy experts, academics, civil society actors, private sector leaders, and governance practitioners from across the African Union’s 55 member states.
Theme 2025: “Securing Africa’s Financial Future through Effective Economic Governance and Management”
The 6th AGOSS focuses on a timely and strategic theme: Securing Africa’s Financial Future through Effective Economic Governance and Management,” highlgjiting Africa’s financial sovereignty and the role of credit rating systems in shaping economic outcomes across the continent. Amid rising concerns over externally imposed credit narratives and ratings that impact borrowing costs and investor confidence, the 2025 seminar will explore Africa’s collective push to redefine how the continent is perceived and assessed by global financial systems. The event will spotlight the emerging demand for an Africa-led credit rating architecture that reflects the continent’s economic realities, resilience, and reform efforts free from bias or outdated global benchmarks.
Sub-Themes: Bridging Theory and Action
Four interlinked sub-themes will anchor the discussions:
The Africa Credit Rating Agency & the Role of International CRAs
This sub-theme scrutinizes the market impact and methodological biases of international credit rating agencies on African economies. It seeks to drive dialogue around the operationalization of a continental credit rating institution and strategies for building credible domestic data ecosystems.
Building Resilient Local Credit Systems & Currency Independence
With a focus on institutional integrity, monetary credibility, and central bank autonomy, this stream will explore how Africa can foster trusted local debt markets to reinforce fiscal stability and reduce dependence on external ratings.
Mobilising Domestic Capital for Development
Recognizing that domestic financial ecosystems are key to sovereignty, this sub-theme examines strategies to mobilize internal resources such as pension funds, insurance reserves, and remittances to finance growth. It also looks at innovative tools like green bonds and diaspora bonds, and the regulatory frameworks needed to support them.
Harnessing AfCFTA and Regional Cooperation
Africa’s greatest asset may lie in regional unity. This segment focuses on how the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other regional frameworks can drive shared credit resilience, harmonize regulatory systems, and support a coordinated African credit policy agenda.
AGOSS and the APRM: Aligning with AU Norms and Agenda 2063
AGOSS is rooted in the broader mission of the African Peer Review Mechanism, a voluntary instrument under the African Union, established in 2003. The APRM’s goal is to foster good governance, transparency, accountability, and sustainable development through periodic self- and peer-assessment processes among African countries. AGOSS contributes directly to this vision by bridging academic theory with practical governance insights, thus strengthening alignment with the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the AU Constitutive Act, and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections, and Governance (ACDEG).
What to Expect in Kigali
Delegates to the Kigali seminar can expect robust intellectual exchange, high-level policy discussions, and the release of working papers, policy proposals, and position statements aimed at shaping governance reform. Participants will also be integrated into a continent-wide network of governance professionals who interact year-round via dedicated digital platforms and regional events.
Looking Ahead: Toward a New African Financial Narrative
With increasing calls for self-determination in economic governance, the 6th AGOSS arrives at a decisive moment. As African governments navigate global headwinds and domestic constraints, the push for institutional innovation and intellectual sovereignty in financial governance has never been more urgent.
Down Memory lane
The Inaugural Seminar was held in Sandton, South Africa. The first AGOSS laid the groundwork for a vital annual forum aimed at bridging the gap between governance theory and practice in Africa. Its focus was to critically assess mainstream governance ideologies and to build afro-centric paradigms informed by APRM country assessments. Though specific details on this inaugural event are scarce, it marked the launch of an evolving multi-stakeholder engagement platform. The second and third editions further refined AGOSS’s structure as a research-driven convening point for academics, governance practitioners, and non-state actors across the continent. Seminars continued to explore the APRM’s four thematic pillars democracy and political governance, economic governance, corporate governance, socio-economic development within frameworks like ACDEG and Agenda 2063, solidifying AGOSS as a trusted platform for scholarly and policy exchange. By the fourth AGOSS, the series had evolved into nationally recognized recurring event . It deepened academic-practitioner dialogue and generated peer-reviewed papers, amplifying APRM’s country assessments and driving conversations based on evidence and innovation. The emphasis remained on afro-centric governance frameworks. The 5th AGOSS, hosted in Addis Ababa, saw participation from 137 research paper presenters and operated under the theme “Consolidating Democracy and Economic Governance for Recovery, Growth and Stability.” It reinforced AGOSS’s foundational structure, bringing together scholars and policymakers to blend academic research with policy-making needs. The event was praised for offering a platform to bring evidence-based and rigorous research to inform the policy community.
ABOUT AGOSS
The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Continental Secretariat, and the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) School of Governance have partnered to deliver the African Governance Seminar Series (AGOSS), a series of research conferences and workshops. The AGOSS was established as an interactive platform for debate and analysis of developments and trends within governance in Africa, focusing on the four thematic areas: democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance and socio-economic development. The platform aims to bring multiple stakeholders including academics, practitioners as well as public and private non-state actors to dialogue. The platform will, amongst others, contribute towards bridging the divide between theory and practice, in addition to the main purpose which is to encourage and promote continent-wide good governance based on AU values, standards and codes. The proceedings and outcomes of seminars will be published in a series of working series papers and a book publication. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is a Specialised Agency of the African Union, and the continent’s self-monitoring and peer review tool for the promoting good governance. Launched in 2003, the Mechanism is acceded to voluntarily by African states and exists to create a platform for reviewed states to improve constitutionalism, formulation, adoption and implementation of policy. The Wits School of Governance (WSG) is a post-graduate institution domiciled in the Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management at the University of the Witwatersrand. The WSG aims to produce information and research that is relevant to all people by hosting regular public dialogues, debates and talks.
ABOUT APRM
A Specialized Agency of the African Union (AU), the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) was initiated in 2002 and established in 2003 by the African Union in the framework of the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). APRM is a tool for sharing experiences, reinforcing best practices, identifying deficiencies, and assessing capacity-building needs to foster policies, standards and practices that lead to political stability, high economic growth, sustainable development and accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration. Member countries within the APRM undertake self-monitoring in all aspects of their governance and socio-economic development. African Union (AU) stakeholders participate in the self-assessment of all branches of government – executive, legislative and judicial – as well as the private sector, civil society and the media. The APRM Review Process gives member states a space for national dialogue on governance and socio-economic indicators and an opportunity to build consensus on the way forward. The APR Forum of Heads of State and Government adopted the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan and the APRM Statute at the 25th Summit of the APR Forum held in Nairobi, Kenya. The 28th AU Assembly of Heads of States and Government further extended the APRM’s mandate to include tracking of the implementation and overseeing the Continent’s key governance initiatives. The AU Assembly further extended the mandate of the APRM to include monitoring of the implementation of the African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agenda 2030. In addition, the January 2018 Assembly, amongst other things, welcomed steps taken to position the APRM as an early warning tool for conflict prevention in Africa, in the context of harmony and synergy between the APRM, African Peace and Security Architecture, and the African Governance Architecture (Assembly/AU/Dec.686(XXX)).