A Living Bridge Between Africa, the Arab World and International Markets
In a world where globalization is reshuffling the cards of economic power, few African leaders are capable of imposing themselves not as regional players, but as strategists of global dimension. Abe Drogba José Magloire Zaman is one of them. Ivorian at heart, citizen of the world by vocation, this international business engineer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of OKEZ HOLDINGS embodies a new generation of African leaders who no longer just observe the world stage, they shape it.
- A Career Forged in Exacting Standards.
Every great building rests on solid foundations. For Mr. Zaman, these foundations are academic and intellectual: a rigorous training in economics, finance, accounting and management, enriched by more than twenty years of concrete experience in business consulting, investment structuring and international corporate development.
What distinguishes his profile is not only the accumulation of technical skills — it is the rare ability to mobilize them simultaneously in the service of a coherent vision. Mr. Zaman does not separate strategic thinking from operational execution. He thinks and acts, designs and builds. This dual posture — that of visionary and executor — is precisely what gives him a singular credibility with the investors, governments and institutional partners with whom he collaborates.
His peers unanimously describe him as a man driven by three obsessions: efficiency, innovation and excellence. Three virtues that, far from being mere slogans, are translated into concrete results.
- OKEZ HOLDINGS: Much More Than an Investment Group
Founded and led by Mr. Zaman, OKEZ HOLDINGS is no ordinary conglomerate. It is a structured response to the challenges of African economic development, articulated around a strategic presence in ten key sectors:
- Agriculture and agro-industry
- Banking and financial services
- Construction and infrastructure
- Education and training
- Energy and natural resources
- Healthcare & Pharma
- Information Technology and Innovation
- Manufacturing and raw materials
- Media and communication
- Logistics, transport and utilities
This diversification is not a coincidence. It reflects a deliberate strategy: to cover the entire economic value chain so as not to depend on any single sector, and above all to maximise synergies between complementary areas.
Because the group’s vision goes beyond simple financial profitability. OKEZ HOLDINGS is positioning itself as a catalyst for industrialization — one that not only generates profits, but actively participates in creating sustainable jobs, supporting local entrepreneurship and accelerating the structural transformation of African economies.
“Create sustainable economic value while contributing to Africa’s industrialization and strengthening its global competitiveness.” — OKEZ HOLDINGS’ founding vision
III. The Arab Afro Business Council: Building the Bridges of the 21st Century
If OKEZ HOLDINGS is the operational foundation of Mr. Zaman’s action, it is the creation of the Arab Afro Business Council (AABC) that best illustrates the breadth of his geostrategic vision.
In a context where trade relations between the Arab world and sub-Saharan Africa are still largely under-exploited despite obvious complementarities — oil capital on the one hand, natural resources and dynamic demography on the other — Mr. Zaman has taken the initiative to create a structure dedicated to bringing these two worlds closer together.
The CBIA is a multifunctional platform that operates on six strategic axes:
- Connecting Arab and African entrepreneurs
- Promotion of international trade and reduction of barriers to trade
- Investment facilitation through mechanisms adapted to local realities
- Development of long-term strategic partnerships
- Market access for SMEs in both regions
- Public-private collaboration to maximize the impact of economic policies
This initiative reveals Mr. Zaman’s deep conviction that Africa’s development will not happen without Africa. It must be the result of genuine South-South alliances, based on mutual respect, economic complementarity and well-understood interests.
- A Three-Step Philosophy of Leadership
What makes Mr. Zaman an atypical leader is not so much the list of his accomplishments as the philosophy behind them. It articulates its approach to leadership around three inseparable pillars:
🔭 Vision
“To identify the opportunities of tomorrow before they become obvious to all.”
In a rapidly changing economic environment, anticipation is already action. Mr. Zaman has an ability to read long-term trends — demographic, technological, geopolitical — to position his investments where value will be created tomorrow.
🏗️ Structure
“Building sustainable business models supported by strong governance.”
Intuition without structure produces flash in the pan. Zaman believes that a company’s sustainability rests on a solid institutional foundation: transparent governance, viable financial models, proven processes.
⚙️ Execution
“To produce concrete results through rigorous management and a culture of responsibility.”
It is often at the execution stage that the most ambitious projects fail. His background as a business engineer gives him an operational discipline that transforms strategies into measurable achievements.
- A Commitment to Inclusive Development
Beyond major investment projects, Mr. Zaman has always been concerned about the most vulnerable economic actors. Its commitment to inclusive development is manifested through concrete initiatives in support of:
- Agricultural cooperatives and rural communities
- SMEs and SMIs looking for structuring and financing
- Youth entrepreneurship as a lever for social transformation
- Women’s Economic Empowerment for More Equitable Growth
- Investment readiness programmes for project leaders
- Capacity building through vocational training
This social dimension is not an accessory to its economic strategy — it is at its core. Mr. Zaman is convinced that growth that is not inclusive is neither sustainable nor legitimate.
- A Key Player in International Business
Mr. Zaman’s international footprint was built methodically, at the crossroads of continents. Through years of travel, negotiations and partnerships with private investors, international financial institutions, chambers of commerce, government and multinational organizations, he has woven a network that is both dense and diversified.
His areas of expertise make him a particularly popular interlocutor for any large-scale project:
- Investment structuring and financial engineering
- Capital raising and project financing
- Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
- Emerging market entry strategies
- International Business Expansion
This multidimensional expertise makes him not only a business leader, but an economic development strategist capable of operating at the interface of public and private, local and global.
Conclusion: The Man Behind the Vision
Abe Drogba José Magloire Zaman’s journey is a powerful demonstration of what African leaders who are determined to take their place on the global economic stage can accomplish when guided by a clear vision and rigorous execution.
This is not an individual success story. This is a role model — that of an entrepreneur-strategist who has understood that Africa’s wealth can only unfold if it is connected to global flows of capital, knowledge and opportunity.
As OKEZ HOLDINGS continues to expand its footprint across continents, and as the Arab Afro Business Council strengthens the ties between two complementary worlds every day, one conviction guides every decision of its founder:
“Building sustainable businesses, connecting global opportunities, and creating sustainable economic impact.”
In a century that may or may not be African, leaders of this calibre are not only useful — they are indispensable.
