Africa50 Hits $1.4B, Powering Africa’s Development Ambitions
Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform established by African governments and the African Development Bank (AfDB), has announced that it has surpassed $1.4 billion in managed assets. The achievement marks a remarkable transformation from a single-staff operation to a continental powerhouse driving Africa’s infrastructure revolution.
The announcement was made at the Africa50 General Shareholders Meeting in Maputo, attended by President Daniel Chapo of Mozambique, AfDB President Dr Akinwumi Adesina, and several dignitaries from across the continent. President Chapo, who joined Africa50 in 2024, praised the platform for its pivotal role in Mozambique’s development agenda.
“Africa50 is a key partner to help us implement our vision to become a reference country in logistics and power. We are transforming ideas into projects that provide youth employment and increase government revenues to invest in economic, social and sustainable development,” he said.
He commended Dr Adesina, Africa50 Chairman, adding: “Africa50 symbolises the new Africa; an Africa that depends on itself, promotes cooperation between Africans, and builds shared prosperity.”
Dr Adesina highlighted Africa50’s growth, noting that the total value of its portfolio companies now exceeds $8 billion, underlining the platform’s critical role in addressing Africa’s estimated $170 billion annual infrastructure financing gap.
“Within eight years, Africa50 has become a leader in infrastructure financing in Africa, demonstrating creativity and innovation that transforms continental development. From just one staff member at inception, Africa50 now employs 100 professionals and serves 37 shareholders across 33 countries and four institutions,” he said.
Africa50’s Africa Infrastructure Acceleration Fund has successfully mobilised $275 million from over 20 African institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds and insurance companies, marking the largest institutional investor confidence in African infrastructure to date. Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa50, said: “The solutions to Africa’s infrastructure gap are already before us. Africa can and must lead these efforts, working alongside our global partners. Africa50 is built for moments like these: agile, responsive and focused on achieving results with speed and scale.”
During the 2025 General Shareholders Meeting, Africa50 formalised key strategic partnerships. These include a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Electricidade de Moçambique to develop three transmission lines under an Independent Power Transmission framework, supporting Mozambique’s ambition to achieve universal electricity access by 2030, and an MOU with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation to build a new data centre in Maputo and modernise the existing facility.
The platform also concluded two pan-African deals, including the first close of the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA), anchoring $115 million for Africa’s leading green infrastructure initiative, and a framework agreement with the AfCFTA Secretariat to develop and finance trade-enabling infrastructure to boost intra-African trade.
Dr Adesina emphasised that Africa50’s investments complement broader AfDB support, which has delivered $1.6 billion to Mozambique over the past decade, representing 41% of the Bank’s financing in the country since its inception. This includes $400 million in senior debt financing for the $20 billion Liquified Natural Gas plant in Cabo Delgado and the $34 million Mozambique Energy for All Project, which has connected over 45,500 households to electricity. The investments have also helped double Mozambique’s national energy access from 30% in 2018 to 60% in 2024.
Looking ahead, Dr Adesina reflected on AfDB’s transformative achievements, including a historic capital increase from $93 billion to $318 billion, positive impact on 565 million people through its High 5 priorities, and global recognition for transparency and effectiveness.
“To close Africa’s infrastructure gap, we must build and scale up partnerships, joining our hands around the Baobab tree of infrastructure opportunities. Africa50 represents the strongest platform for unlocking global capital for African development. I will not be stepping back; I will be stepping forward in our collective drive to unlock global capital for Africa,” he concluded.
