Sahara Group has called for increased mobilisation of global capital, sustainable investment and climate finance to close Africa’s infrastructure gap, strengthen economic resilience and accelerate long-term development across the continent.
The call was made by Dr Kola Adesina, Group Managing Director, Sahara Power Enterprise Group, at a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) roundtable on Sustainable Global Investment, Economic Resilience and Climate Financing.
Adesina said Africa’s growth ambitions would depend on building productive economies capable of withstanding economic, environmental and geopolitical shocks, while creating jobs and expanding opportunities for its growing population.
He said sustainable investment, economic resilience and climate finance should be treated as interconnected priorities, given the continent’s persistent challenges in energy, infrastructure, food security and employment.
The scale of the financing challenge remains significant. Nearly 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to electricity, while the continent faces an estimated annual infrastructure financing gap of between $68 billion and $108 billion.
“Africa’s most pressing challenge is expanding its productive capacity at scale. We need sustained investment in energy, infrastructure, industry, agriculture, and enterprise development to create jobs, strengthen competitiveness, and support long-term resilience,” Adesina said.
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He, however, said the global investment market presents an opportunity for Africa to attract more capital into projects capable of delivering both financial returns and development outcomes.
According to him, global foreign direct investment reached approximately $1.6 trillion in 2025, while assets linked to sustainable investment strategies rose to $16.7 trillion, reflecting growing investor interest in sustainable projects.
Climate Finance as a Critical Driver
Adesina also identified climate finance as a critical driver of resilient economic growth as African countries face increasing exposure to droughts, floods, extreme heat and other climate-related risks.
Despite contributing less than four per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions, he said Africa requires substantial investment to protect its infrastructure, businesses, food systems and communities from climate-related shocks.
“Africa requires substantial investment not only to grow but also to protect the infrastructure, businesses, food systems, and communities that underpin development,” he said.
Adesina noted that African countries require an estimated $277 billion annually to implement their climate commitments, compared with climate-finance flows of about $30 billion a year.
The wide gap, he said, underscores the need for innovative financing mechanisms capable of unlocking significantly more private and institutional capital for climate mitigation and adaptation projects.
Drawing on Sahara’s experience, Adesina highlighted the group’s investments in LNG, LPG, gas-to-power infrastructure and logistics, alongside its commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060 through strategic gas infrastructure, renewable energy integration and nature-based solutions.
He said the approach aligns with Sahara’s Beyond XXX platform, which seeks to advance sustainable development through investment, innovation, talent, collaboration and environmental stewardship while creating long-term value across Africa and beyond.
Stronger Project Preparation
To accelerate capital flows into the continent, Adesina called for stronger project preparation, greater mobilisation of African institutional capital, deeper local-currency financing markets and increased regional collaboration in energy, transport and logistics infrastructure.
“Africa’s opportunity lies in building resilient prosperity, where investment translates into productive capacity, jobs, reliable infrastructure, and sustainable economic growth that endures for generations,” he said.
“That is the kind of future sustainable investment and climate financing can help unlock across the continent.”
Victor Ezeja is a Nigerian journalist skilled in producing insightful news analyses, feature stories, and interviews that simplify complex issues and drive informed public discourse. His work combines rigorous research, balanced reporting, and compelling storytelling to highlight developments shaping industries and society. Victor, who holds a Master's Degree in Mass Communication, specializes in energy, aviation, business, and economic reporting. He can be reached via @VICTOREZEJA on X