PRESS RELEASE
Luanda to Host Heads of State-Level Infrastructure Financing Summit Under
African Union Chairmanship
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and African Union
Commission (AUC) in collaboration with Government of the Republic of Angola will
host Africa’s biggest Infrastructure Financing Summit from 23–24 October 2025 in
Luanda, Republic of Angola.
Following the momentum of previous editions, including the 2023 Dakar Infrastructure
Financing Summit, this year’s gathering is part of the broader continental effort to unlock
investments and partnerships in support of the African Union’s Agenda 2063
infrastructure aspirations under the framework of Programme for Infrastructure
Development in Africa (PIDA).
The Summit comes at a critical time, as Africa faces an annual infrastructure financing
gap exceeding $100 billion and gears up to mobilise the $1.3 trillion required to implement
the Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP) for an African Single Electricity
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About AUDA-NEPAD
The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD is the technical body of the African Union. The mandate of AUDA-NEPAD is to facilitate and
coordinate the implementation of regional and continental priority programmes and projects and to push for partnerships, resource mobilisation,
research and knowledge management. Through AUDA-NEPAD, African countries are provided unique opportunities to take full control of their
development agenda, to work more closely together and to cooperate more effectively with international partners.
Market by 2040.PIDA alone requires $16 billion annually to deliver transformative,
cross-border projects that deliver the continent’s industrial, trade, and energy ambitions
by 2030.
As current Chairperson of the African Union, H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço,
President of the Republic of Angola, has placed infrastructure financing at the heart of his
continental agenda. Speaking at the AU Commission Handover Ceremony in March
2025, President Lourenço stated:
“Infrastructure is one of the essential pillars of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. We must
mobilise all available financial resources to achieve our goals — from roads and railways
to ports, power lines, and digital networks. I have called on the Commission to convene
a continental infrastructure conference in 2025 to drive investment and connect Africa for
trade, innovation, and prosperity.”
The Luanda Infrastructure Financing Summit responds directly to this call. Through
curated deal rooms and investment pitch sessions, African governments and
institutions will present infrastructure portfolios to potential investors, with the goal of
securing capital commitments for regional corridors, power generation and transmission,
logistics platforms, and digital backbones. Strategic corridors such as the Lobito
Corridor, LAPSSET, and the Dakar–Bamako–Djibouti route will feature as integrated
models combining infrastructure, trade, and industrial development.
A central focus of the Summit will be Africa’s ongoing quest for universal energy access.
Through PIDA Energy Projects, the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), and
the Continental Power Systems Master Plan, the Summit will explore mechanisms
finance initiatives designed to close energy access gaps for the more than 600 million
Africans without electricity. The Summit will also advance engagement with
philanthropic organisations and climate-aligned capital to co-invest in sustainable energy
infrastructure, particularly in underserved regions, building on the Nairobi Roadmap
adopted by AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union Commission, the Trade and Development
Bank, and the African Development Bank.
The gathering also coincides with the PIDA Mid-Term Review, a significant milestone
that will assess progress and provide strategic direction for the second half of the PIDA
PAP 2 cycle. The event will elevate discussions on project preparation and early-stage
support, particularly through mechanisms like AUDA-NEPAD’s Service Delivery
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About AUDA-NEPAD
The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD is the technical body of the African Union. The mandate of AUDA-NEPAD is to facilitate and
coordinate the implementation of regional and continental priority programmes and projects and to push for partnerships, resource mobilisation,
research and knowledge management. Through AUDA-NEPAD, African countries are provided unique opportunities to take full control of their
development agenda, to work more closely together and to cooperate more effectively with international partners.
Mechanism (SDM), which helps countries fast-track infrastructure development and
unlock investment-readiness.
As Africa positions itself to lead in the global digital and AI revolution, the Luanda
Summit will examine how digital infrastructure, fintech, and artificial intelligence can
drive smarter planning, enhanced service delivery, and greater financial inclusion. With
industrial growth corridors dependent on data, energy, and mobility, the Summit will
explore pathways to digitally enabled industrialisation powered by regional integration
under the AfCFTA.
Water security and infrastructure will also be on the agenda, with attention to
sustainable financing for trans boundary water resource management, and climate
adaptation infrastructure.
In parallel, the Summit will highlight the imperative of mobilising domestic capital. With
over $70 billion in African pension and sovereign wealth funds available annually,
new public-private cooperation models will be explored to unlock these resources for
long-term infrastructure investment. Attention will also be given to innovative financing
mechanisms, including blended finance, project bonds, and risk mitigation tools.
Importantly, this continental momentum aligns with Africa’s positioning on the global
stage. Under South Africa’s G20 Presidency in 2025, Africa has a unique opportunity
to elevate infrastructure financing and energy access as global priorities. The Summit
in Luanda will serve as a key African platform feeding into global dialogues and reaffirming
Africa’s leadership in proposing solutions that work for the continent and for the world.
Similarly, Summit will call for greater access to just climate finance, while showcasing
investment-ready green projects across transport, energy, digital, and water sectors.
Registration for the Luanda Infrastructure Financing Summit, as well as
opportunities to showcase projects and partner with the organisers, will open in
the coming weeks. Further details on participation, side events, and exhibition platforms
will be announced soon on the official event page.
For Media Inquiries:
Zipporah Maubane | Head of Communications and Advocacy | zipporahm@auda-nepad.org
Website: www.nepad.org
Bezayit Eyoel | Information Analyst| Department of Infrastructure and Energy| African Union Commission| E-mail:
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About AUDA-NEPAD
The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD is the technical body of the African Union. The mandate of AUDA-NEPAD is to facilitate and
coordinate the implementation of regional and continental priority programmes and projects and to push for partnerships, resource mobilisation,
research and knowledge management. Through AUDA-NEPAD, African countries are provided unique opportunities to take full control of their
development agenda, to work more closely together and to cooperate more effectively with international partners.
BezayitE@africa-union.org|
