By Abbas Nazil
African leaders have called for increased investment in energy, infrastructure, industrialisation and climate finance as part of efforts to accelerate economic transformation and long-term development across the continent.
The appeal was made during a presidential dialogue held at the 2026 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group in Brazzaville, where heads of state and financial leaders gathered to discuss Africa’s development priorities.
Leaders emphasized the urgent need to mobilise private capital and strengthen international partnerships to fund large-scale projects that can support sustainable growth and industrial expansion.
The high-level discussion included the presidents of Gabon, Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo, alongside the president of the African Development Bank.
The President of Gabon highlighted plans to transform the country’s natural resources and biodiversity assets into sustainable economic value through eco-tourism and carbon credit systems.
He stressed the importance of balancing environmental preservation with economic development while calling for stronger global compensation mechanisms for countries protecting critical forest ecosystems such as the Congo Basin.
The President of the Republic of Congo focused on the need for economic diversification beyond oil and gas, pointing to opportunities in fertiliser production using potash, phosphate and natural gas reserves.
He also highlighted the importance of expanding energy generation, particularly hydropower from the Congo River basin, as a foundation for Africa’s industrial growth.
The Central African Republic President called for increased investment in infrastructure, particularly roads, electricity and regional connectivity, to unlock the economic potential of landlocked nations.
He noted that improved stability and peace in the country were creating new opportunities for investors across multiple sectors.
The President of the African Development Bank addressed Africa’s financing challenges by highlighting the continent’s vast internal financial resources, estimated at around four trillion dollars, which could be mobilised for development.
He emphasized the bank’s role in designing bankable projects and working with governments and financial institutions to unlock investment flows for key infrastructure and energy projects.
African leaders also stressed the importance of investing in human capital development, particularly in education, engineering and technical training, to support long-term economic transformation.
They noted that youth empowerment remains central to Africa’s future industrialisation and competitiveness in the global economy.
The discussions reflected a shared recognition that energy access and infrastructure development are critical to unlocking Africa’s economic potential and achieving sustainable growth.
Participants agreed that stronger collaboration between African governments, development banks and private investors will be essential to closing the continent’s infrastructure and energy financing gap.
