Africa is no longer asking for aid—it is calling for co-investment. This bold message will take centre stage at the upcoming African Union (AU) Luanda Financing Summit, set to take place in October 2025 under the leadership of Angolan President João Lourenço, who also serves as the current AU Chairperson.
With strategic coordination by AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union’s development agency, and in partnership with the Government of Angola and other key stakeholders, the Luanda Summit aims to chart a new path—one that positions infrastructure-led development as the foundation of Africa’s future. Rather than reinforce the outdated donor-driven model of development finance, the Summit will push for actionable partnerships built on shared risk, shared opportunity, and long-term vision.
An Inflexion Point for Africa’s Investment Future
In recent years, Africa has gained prominence as a focal point for global infrastructure investment. In 2024 alone, China invested $29.2 billion in Belt and Road projects across the continent—a 34% year-on-year increase. The U.S. Development Finance Corporation reported Africa as its largest regional portfolio, holding over $13.1 billion in exposure. Meanwhile, the European Union pledged €150 billion through its Global Gateway initiative, targeting 11 strategic corridors. India, Japan, and Gulf states are also making major moves.
These figures underscore what AUDA-NEPAD’s Head of Infrastructure and Transport, Ibrah Wahabou, describes as “Africa’s moment to lead.” Speaking ahead of the Luanda Summit, Wahabou reaffirmed that Africa is no longer passive in global negotiations: “Africa doesn’t beg for capital. She attracts it.”
At the heart of this shift lies the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which frames intra-African trade and infrastructure connectivity as central pillars of the continent’s development strategy. As President Lourenço said at the 79th UN General Assembly, Africa must build infrastructure that facilitates mobility and economic integration across borders. The Luanda Summit is poised to turn that vision into a programme of action.
From Rhetoric to Results
A veteran of the AU’s infrastructure development initiatives, Wahabou stresses that the success of summits like Luanda must be measured in outcomes, not speeches. “Too often, we gather at high tables while roads go unbuilt, corridors stall, and pipelines of investable projects remain underprepared,” he noted. “Luanda must be different.”
The Summit will respond by directly connecting political ambition to investor appetite, bringing together governments, DFIs, private sector players, and civil society in a results-focused forum.
Key Pillars of the Luanda Agenda
The 2025 Luanda Summit will focus on three high-impact areas:
1. A Unified Vision for Integrated Infrastructure
Africa is shifting away from fragmented networks designed for resource extraction. Corridors like Lobito, Dakar-Bamako-Djibouti, and the LAPSSET railway linking Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan represent a new model: economic corridors that support industrial growth and regional integration. These will be presented not simply as projects but as ecosystems ready for investment.
2. Unlocking Domestic Capital
An estimated $70 billion in African pension and sovereign wealth funds lies untapped. The Summit will examine how African governments and development finance institutions can mobilise this capital to fund strategic infrastructure, such as the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and the Single African Energy Market (AfSEM).
3. Climate-Smart Development Finance
Africa contributes just 4% of global carbon emissions but bears the brunt of climate impacts. Luanda will reaffirm the continent’s climate leadership and call for just, accessible climate finance—not as charity, but as a matter of fairness and global responsibility.
From Vision to Deal-Making
More than a policy event, Luanda 2025 will feature deal rooms, investment roundtables, and presentations of bankable projects across transport, energy, digital infrastructure, and water. The goal is to fast-track projects from concept to financial close.
This Summit signals a clear pivot. Africa is no longer waiting for outside solutions. It is offering a platform for shared growth—and inviting global investors to build a connected, sustainable, and prosperous continent.
Read the full article by Ibrah Wahabou, Head of Infrastructure and Transport at AUDA-NEPAD, here: https://au.int/en/articles/africa-attracts-not-begs-capital-will-luanda-summit-prove-it
