Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's word at the Africa 2016 forum laid down important pivots for an integrated mechanism to upgrade the African economy, said the head of the Egyptian General Authority for Free Zones and Investments (GAFI) on Sunday.

Sisi called for grooming a generation of youths capable of assuming leading posts in many domains, Alaa Omar said in statements on the sidelines of the Africa 2016 Forum, currently in session here.

Africa is abundant with raw materials that are the backbone of economy in addition to an enormous workforce, he added.

Though Egyptian companies are investing around eight billion dollars in African countries in the energy, mining and agricultural domains, the number still seems modest compared to what these African markets can absorb, he said.