September 18, 2026 (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), through its Regional Project on Development Response to Displacement Impacts and Forced Displacement (RPD-DRFD) has convened a Regional Learning Exchange on Private Sector-Led Refugee Self-Reliance and Economic Inclusion under the theme: “Leveraging Private Sector Innovation for Refugee Self-Reliance,” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The primary objective of the three days Regional Learning Exchange is to provide a platform for policy dialogue, operational learning, and knowledge sharing aimed at accelerating private sector-led, gender-responsive, and digitally enabled pathways to employment, enterprise development, financial inclusion, and self-reliance for refugees, returnees, and host communities within the IGAD region.
The event was convened at a strategic moment when IGAD Member States are making significant progress in strengthening legal, policy, and institutional frameworks that support refugees’ access to employment, entrepreneurship, skills development, identification systems, and financial services. However, challenges related to implementation, access to finance, market integration, and private investments continue to limit the realization of these opportunities at scale.
The regional forum brought together government representatives, financial regulators, central banks, ministries of finance and trade, private sector leaders, development finance institutions, refugee-led organizations (RLOs), refugee entrepreneurs, development partners, and the IGAD Secretariat to advance practical solutions for refugee economic inclusion across the region.
Speaking on behalf of Ambassador Moussa Meigague, Director of Health and Social Development at IGAD, Mr. Woldamlak Abera, Senior Coordinator of the IGAD Regional Policy Dialogue on Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project, highlighted the significant reforms undertaken by IGAD Member States to improve refugee inclusion. He noted that creating opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, access to finance, and market participation benefits both refugees and host communities while contributing to local economic growth and stability. Mr. Woldamlak further reaffirmed IGAD’s commitment to supporting Member States in advancing refugee protection, self-reliance, and durable solutions through strengthened regional cooperation and strategic partnerships.
In his opening remarks, Ato Mulualem Desta, Deputy Director General of the Refugees and Returnees Service (RRS) of the Government of Ethiopia, emphasized the critical role of the private sector in driving sustainable solutions for displaced populations. He noted that the private sector brings capital, innovation, technology, market access, and skills that are essential for economic transformation. He further stressed that sustainable refugee protection and solutions must increasingly be linked to economic opportunity, dignity, self-reliance, and inclusion.
“As an IGAD platform, this exchange should take us beyond dialogue. Let us identify what works, what can be replicated, and what barriers require collective regional action,” he stated.
Representing the Republic of Djibouti and serving as Chair of the meeting, Mr. Abdulqadir Daher of the National Office for Assistance to Refugees and Disaster Victims (ONARS) emphasized the importance of translating the commitments of the Kampala Declaration on Jobs, Livelihoods and Self-Reliance into tangible results. He highlighted that success will depend on fostering enabling legal and policy environments, increasing private sector and civil society engagement, expanding access to finance and markets, and strengthening regional coordination mechanisms. Mr. Daher emphasized that the region must move beyond a relief-based approach toward one centered on economic integration and sustainable development.
Mr. Dawit Tilahun, Managing Director of INKOMOKO, underscored the need to shift from traditional humanitarian approaches to market-driven models that recognize refugees and host communities as entrepreneurs, consumers, employees, and business partners.
He noted that since the previous regional exchange held in October 2025, important policy momentum has continued to grow across the IGAD region. He cited Ethiopia’s 2019 Refugee Proclamation, the Right to Work Directive, and the Makatet Roadmap, along with reforms in Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, and Djibouti, as examples of progress toward refugee economic inclusion. However, he stressed that implementation at scale remains the region’s most important challenge.
Ms. Aissatou M. Ndiaye, Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Ethiopia, emphasized the growing role of Refugee-Led Organizations in advancing economic inclusion.
Participants developed a series of recommendations directed toward Member States, the private sector, refugee-led organizations, development and humanitarian partners, and the IGAD Secretariat.
The outcomes of the Regional Learning Exchange will directly inform the development of the IGAD Regional Action Plan for Private Sector Engagement, the Regional Refugee Financial Inclusion Roadmap, and regional policy recommendations supporting implementation of the IGAD Regional Strategy 2026-2030. The event was co-financed through a partnership between the World Bank-funded IGAD RPD-DRFD Project and INKOMOKO, demonstrating a shared commitment to advancing practical and scalable solutions for refugee self-reliance and economic inclusion. Building on the momentum generated through the Kampala Declaration and previous regional exchanges, participants reaffirmed their commitment to transforming policy commitments into concrete actions that create economic opportunities, strengthen resilience, and promote inclusive development for refugees, returnees, and host communities across the IGAD region.
