Foreign Africa has concluded its Continental Institutional Engagement Mission to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and Kigali, Rwanda, strengthening relationships spanning diplomacy, continental policy, research, higher education, and enterprise development.
Led by Founder and Head of Global Engagement Elorm Mawuli-Kwawu, the August 2026 mission is part of Foreign Africa’s strategy to connect research, policy, diplomacy and enterprise development to measurable outcomes on the continent.
Addis Ababa: Policy and Research Engagement
In Addis Ababa, Foreign Africa engaged institutions at the centre of African diplomacy, policymaking, development cooperation and research.
Discussions with the Embassy of Ghana explored opportunities for policy research to support Ghana’s continental diplomatic engagement and strengthen the link between diplomacy and national development priorities.
At the African Union Commission, Foreign Africa engaged the Department of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM) on cooperation around trade, industrialisation, enterprise development and regional integration. The engagement opened a channel for continued dialogue, including a prospective AU-related engagement in January 2027.
Talks with UNDP Africa identified areas of alignment around the Africa Trade and Jobs Tracker (ATJT), the Junior Associates Programme (JAP), the Enterprise Development Workshop Series (EDWS), and connections with the Timbuktoo Initiative.
At the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), discussions explored research collaboration on regional integration, governance and municipal diplomacy, and opened an early conversation on entrepreneurial diplomacy in Africa.
Kigali: Education and Enterprise
In Kigali, the mission extended into higher education, entrepreneurship and innovation.
The strongest outcome came from discussions with the African Leadership University (ALU) and its Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL). The engagement identified areas for collaboration on youth employment, applied research, enterprise development and the Africa Trade and Jobs Tracker, and ALU requested a formal proposal that sets out specific areas for institutional collaboration.
Foreign Africa also engaged Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali on entrepreneurship and founder development, opening a route to its growing presence in Accra.
The Ghana High Commission in Kigali provided diplomatic and institutional guidance to advance Ghana’s relations with Africa in Rwanda. The mission also opened a channel for formal engagement with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) on investment, enterprise development and regional integration, and made initial contact with Norrsken House Kigali for further engagement.
What Comes Next
With the mission concluded, Foreign Africa has entered a structured 90-day conversion phase focused on turning priority engagements into defined workstreams, research outputs, pilot activities and longer-term institutional relationships.
“The value of continental engagement ultimately lies in what follows the meeting,” said Elorm Mawuli-Kwawu, Founder and Head of Global Engagement at Foreign Africa. “Our focus now is on translating the strongest conversations into practical workstreams and outputs that contribute to stronger enterprises, productive employment and African integration.”
The post-mission phase will prioritise depth over volume, with Foreign Africa maintaining a clear distinction between initial engagements, identified opportunities, agreed actions and formal partnerships.
The Ethiopia and Rwanda mission marks another step in Foreign Africa’s effort to build a continental institutional network connecting diplomacy and policy with research, enterprise development and employment outcomes.
Foreign Africa connects diplomacy, policy and enterprise to help translate Africa’s international and regional relationships into stronger enterprises, better jobs and more capable institutions.