Africa: Speech Delivered by Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Global Africa Investment Summit and 8th President of the African Development Bank Group at the Launch of the Global Africa Investment Summit

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At the launch of the Global Africa Investment Summit (GAIS) - (left to right) Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan; Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Global Africa Investment Summit, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and Ghana President John Dramani Mahama
11 February 2026
Global Africa Investment Summit (Dubai)
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Text of the Speech Delivered by Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina at the Launch of the Global Africa Investment Summit in Dubai on February 3, 2026

Your Excellency, Joan Lourenco, President of the Republic of Angola and the Chairman of the African Union.
Your Excellency, Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania.
Your Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana.
Your Excellency, Daniel Chapo, President of the Republic of Mozambique, represented by Her Excellency Maria Levy, Prime Minister of Mozambique.
Margery Kraus, the Chairman of APCO, and my Co-Founder and Vice Chairman of the Global Africa Investment Summit.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, former U.S Ambassador to the United Nations.
Honorable Ministers and Senior Government Leaders
Global CEOs and business leaders.
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

Good evening – and welcome!  

I wish to thank His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, for hosting the World Government Summit—now the global gold standard for dialogue on effective governance in a rapidly changing world.

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It is always a pleasure to be in Dubai, a city that exemplifies bold vision, decisive action, and relentless execution.

Before we begin, I would like to express our solidarity with the people of Mozambique following the devastating floods. We wish President Chapo and the people of Mozambique strength, resilience, and a swift recovery. May God comfort all who have lost loved ones.

I extend my deepest appreciation to Your Excellencies—President Lourenco, President Hassan, President Mahama, and President Chapo (represented by Prime Minister Levy)—for honoring us with your presence for this announcement of the Global Africa Investment Summit.

Your presence warms our hearts, inspires our drive, and puts wind behind our sails. You are pioneers—leaders who recognize opportunity even before it fully emerges. Your personal participation sends a powerful signal of commitment to mobilizing global capital for Africa's next growth frontier.

I thank the global CEOs and business leaders joining us today. Your presence affirms confidence in Africa's future. You are our strategic partners in building lasting value.

I am deeply optimistic about Africa's future—and the data supports this optimism.

According to IMF forecasts, Africa will record the highest real GDP growth rate globally in 2026, at 4.0%. Even more significantly, Africa is projected—for the first time ever—to maintain the highest growth rate of all regions for the next four consecutive years.

This is not a temporary rebound.

Africa's growth resurgence is real—and it is delivering attractive returns.

Global companies are succeeding across the continent. MTN Group, backed by investors such as BlackRock and Vanguard. Dangote Group, Africa's largest industrial conglomerate, home to one of the world's largest refineries. Safaricom, the world's most successful mobile money platform. Jumia, the first Africa-focused technology company to list on the New York Stock Exchange.

Africa is no longer a promise.

Africa is a portfolio.

Africa's sovereign assets span oil and gas, minerals, metals and rare earths, energy infrastructure, railways, seaports and airports, digital infrastructure, natural capital, the blue economy, transport corridors and other strategic infrastructure.

Today, Africa holds roughly 30%of the world's known mineral reserves, including critical minerals essential for the energy transition—yet receives less than 5% of global capital flows into those sectors. That gap is not risk. It is mispricing.

Africa is asset rich but liquidity poor.

Yet, these are all real, cash-generating assets. However, the assets are often mispriced, undervalued, or misunderstood—while perceived risks are overpriced and returns underpriced.

These are not frontier bets. They are cash-flowing assets with underutilized potential.

These sovereign assets can deliver returns above market benchmarks. Simply put, Africa represents a compelling alpha opportunity. Returns can be enhanced through better structuring, de-risking, and strong governance.

Africa seeks mutually beneficial co-investment partnerships to unlock value from these sovereign assets.

Today, there is no trusted global platform that systematically connects global capital to Africa's strategic sovereign assets.

There is no single trusted, reputable channel for investors to access a pipeline of investment-grade sovereign asset opportunities across Africa.

Engagements are fragmented. Investors often navigate country by country without a consistent framework for asset discovery, valuation, and structuring. There is limited transparency in asset valuation and deal preparation, which can reduce confidence and increase perceived risk. Due diligence is expensive when asset information is inconsistent, incomplete and not presented in investment-ready formats.

The Global Africa Investment Summit fills that gap.

The Global Africa Investment Summit, or GAIS, is a transformational platform designed to unlock Africa's vast investment potential by converting sovereign public assets into de-risked, investment-ready portfolios that drive sustainable investor-led growth.

GAIS was created to address a structural market gap: the lack of a trusted, scalable mechanism that connects global capital to Africa's strategic sovereign assets in a way that meets institutional standards for risk, return, and governance.

It brings African governments together with global asset managers, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and strategic investors—not for one-off transactions, but for long-term capital deployment at scale.

Africa does not lack assets.

Africa lacks platforms that systematically de-risk them.

That is the purpose of GAIS.

GAIS converts sovereign public assets into investment-ready portfolios through improved structuring, risk mitigation, governance, and policy alignment.

I am honored to serve as Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the Global Africa Investment Summit. I thank my Co-Founder and Vice Chairman, Margery Kraus, along with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and our exceptional teams, who have worked intensively since September 2025 to build this platform. The Summit is the result of that work.

Please join me in applauding them all for their exceptional work (APPLAUSE).

We are not offering one-off projects. We are offering platforms for long-term partnerships and investment at scale, with predictable returns.

The Global Africa Investment Summit will be highly selective. We will present assets that meet four criteria: high asset quality, visible revenues, strong policy control, and clear regional or global demand. This reduces execution risk and shortens the path to bankability.

GAIS is backed by strong political commitment and transparent governance—clearly demonstrated by the presence of African Heads of State and Government here today.

The presence of African Heads of State and Government is not symbolic—it is a risk-mitigating signal to global capital.

Global partners are also stepping forward. As Prime Minister Meloni of Italy aptly stated:
"The Global Africa Investment Summit represents a unique platform to build new bridges between African assets and global capital. Italy's Mattei Plan for Africa is ready to create synergies with GAIS to unlock investment opportunities for growth, jobs, and shared prosperity."

We welcome partners from around the world to invest in Africa's sovereign assets through the Global Africa Investment Summit.

This is not only good development policy. It is sound investment strategy.

We invite you to join the Global Africa Investment Summit.

We invite you to leave today not just with interest, but with commitment—to deploy capital and unlock Africa's vast sovereign assets.

The leaders are ready. The assets are ready. The platform is ready.

The returns are compelling.

The time to act is now.

Join us and be part of this defining moment.

Thank you very much.

Muito obrigado.

Merci beaucoup.

Asante Sana.

Shukran Jazilan.

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