On the sidelines of the summit on the revival of African economies, the Franco-Ivorian financier Tidjane Thiam calls for special attention to be given to SMEs on the continent, guarantors of "social stability".

A member of the high-level quartet set up by the African Union (AU) to counter the dreaded economic disaster in Africa, the former head of Credit Suisse, recalls that African countries would like "to be able, like the others, to take and benefit from exceptional measures in the face of a crisis that is itself exceptional”. This statement was made during an interview with Le Monde. He pleads for the normalization of Africa. “African countries are not asking for favors but simply to be able, like others, to take and benefit from exceptional measures in the face of a crisis that is itself exceptional,” he said.

Speaking about the Paris summit, he wanted the continent's economic progress to be recognized and the focus to remain on its opportunities. According to him, it is necessary to mobilize resources and manage to bring them down by capillarity to the smallest African companies, so that they do not need to go to California to obtain financing. This emphasis on the African entrepreneurial fabric is one of the major topics of the summit, as is the importance of digital technology, which constitutes an extraordinary opportunity for the continent.