THE African Development Bank will today and tomorrow host a forum to set the tone for the bank's future engagement with indigenous business people in Africa at the bank's headquarters in Tunisia.

The forum will provide an opportunity for African indigenous business people to engage with a wider audience and improve their participation in discussions with the bank to ensure they have a say regarding economic development issues.

"The forum will also engender a healthy and open discussion on ways of enhancing the participation of indigenous population in development decision-making and securing the flow of benefits in an inclusive and sustainable manner into their communities," the bank said in a statement last week.

The two-day forum will bring together a panel of experts, indigenous peoples' groups, other relevant stakeholders and the bank's management and staff to share knowledge and experiences on the issues of indigenous people in Africa.

Representatives from some African countries have been invited to share their experiences regarding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

Speakers at the forum will include AfDB president Mr Donald Kaberuka, the commissioner for political affairs of the African Union Commission Aisha Abdullahi, AfDB vice president and chief economist professor Mthuli Ncube, and Berina Kawandami and Zambia's deputy minister of chiefs and traditional affairs.