The 2025 Africa Investment Forum (AIF) Market Days opened today with African Development Bank (AfDB) President Sidi Ould Tah unveiling a bold four-point agenda aimed at fast-tracking Africa’s economic transformation amid widening financing gaps and a rapidly growing population.
Addressing ministers, diplomats, investors and development partners, Tah said Africa holds vast investment opportunities, but persistent underfunding continues to stall the continent’s development ambitions.
He outlined what he called Africa’s “four cardinal points” for economic renewal.
“The first cardinal point is the massive mobilisation of capital to finance the continent’s development. This means amplifying both national and international resource mobilisation through innovative instruments and mechanisms. In particular, we must call on national, regional and international banks and develop appropriate mechanisms to guarantee and generate resources,” he said.
The second pillar, Tah said, is reforming Africa’s financial architecture to enable more innovative financing and clearer institutional roles. A three-tier structure, he noted, is necessary to unlock new sources of funding.
Tah placed strong emphasis on Africa’s demographic trajectory, saying that within just two and a half years the continent will account for a quarter of the world’s population, with a labour force larger than China and the United Kingdom.
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“We must transform this demographic strength into an economic force,” he said.
He stressed that this demographic advantage will only translate into growth if the continent scales up investment in youth and women—through financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, and expanded training in STEM and digital skills. Formalising the informal sector, he said, will also be critical for boosting productivity.
Tah’s fourth point highlighted urgent investment in resilient infrastructure and the transformation of natural resources on African soil. Closing the continent’s infrastructure deficit, he said, remains a prerequisite for sustainable growth and structural transformation.
This year’s AIF focuses on counter-fraud reforms, privatisation and unlocking high-potential sectors—areas Tah described as central to restoring investor confidence and strengthening governance. He reminded delegates that the forum is not just about signing deals, but building shared prosperity through strategic projects in transport, energy and other critical sectors.
“Filling Africa’s infrastructure gap is a non-negotiable condition for sustainable growth. It is about transforming our natural resources on African soil to generate more value, more jobs and greater resilience,” he said.
Quoting Nelson Mandela, Tah added: “The time has come to bridge the gaps that separate us,” saying the AIF is a platform to close divides between public and private sectors, between capital and projects, and between Africa’s aspirations and outcomes.
The Rabat event drew delegations from across the continent, including ministers from Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mauritania, Nigeria and Zambia, as well as representatives of international and intergovernmental organisations.
Tah concluded that Africa’s future growth depends on its ability to mobilise capital, reform institutions, empower its population and industrialise at scale.