It is all systems go in Senegalese capital, Dakar, as the country prepares to host SICAO 2026, West Africa’s first major consulting industry fair, in June of this year, even as the region positions itself within a rapidly expanding African advisory market valued at nearly $6 billion.
The International Consulting Show & Conference in West Africa, SICAO, will take place on June 18 and 19, 2026, at the Centre International du Commerce Extérieur du Sénégal (CICES). Organisers describe the event as a strategic gathering for consulting firms, policymakers, investors, and business leaders, bringing together the full advisory ecosystem under one platform.
The global consulting industry has already surpassed $1.1 trillion, driven by digital transformation, public sector reform, and private sector restructuring. Africa remains a small but fast-growing segment of that market, currently representing between 2 and 3 per cent of global consulting revenues, with annual growth estimated at around 7 per cent.
Within Africa, West Africa holds a significant share, accounting for roughly a quarter to a third of the continent’s consulting market. Countries such as Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal are driving this growth, supported by a rise in local and pan-African consulting firms responding to demand for specialised expertise in governance, strategy, and digital transformation.
Over two days, SICAO 2026 will feature conferences, expert panels, workshops, deal-making sessions, and an exhibition space. Discussions will focus on organisational performance, leadership, digital transformation, governance, public sector reform, sustainability, and financing pathways for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups.
The speaker line-up also includes Maimouna Oumarou, Founder and CEO of Africa Global News and the Maimouna Oumarou Group. Maimouna has built a reputation at the intersection of media, trade, and investment, having established Africa Global News over a decade ago to shape conversations around stories that mostly go untold from all corners of the continent, African markets, capital flows, and intra-African trade through analytical and in-depth business stories and technology-facing news, among other fronts.
Her work focuses on reframing Africa’s narrative as told through the African eye, positioning information as an economic asset, and pushing for greater African ownership of capital and storytelling. Her participation at SICAO 2026 highlights the growing overlap between media, advisory services, and investment in Africa’s development landscape.
The event targets a broad audience, including governments, public institutions, private enterprises, investors, consulting firms, and emerging businesses. Organisers aim to catalyse concrete partnerships, foster regional collaboration, and amplify African expertise in sectors central to economic transformation.
Beyond the immediate agenda, SICAO 2026 carries a longer-term ambition. Organisers intend to position West Africa not merely as a consumer of consulting services, but as a hub capable of producing and exporting advisory expertise. That vision aligns with ongoing structural reforms, energy transitions, and the expansion of the private sector across the region.
By convening key players in Dakar, the event signals a shift in how West Africa approaches knowledge-driven industries. The focus is shifting from reacting to demand to building a self-sustaining advisory ecosystem capable of shaping policy, guiding investment, and driving long-term economic change.
Follow this link to register for SICAO 2026