President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Africa’s governments to deepen regional cooperation and strategically deploy their sovereign wealth funds to accelerate development across the continent.
He made the call in Abuja at the opening of the 4th Africa Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF), represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The President said the coordinated use of Africa’s financial resources was key to closing infrastructure gaps, strengthening climate resilience and creating employment for the continent’s growing youth population.
The event, hosted by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) under the theme “Leveraging African Sovereign Wealth Funds to Mobilise Global Capital for Transformative Development in Africa”, challenged Africa to respond to a rapidly changing world by aligning its resources and ambitions.
President Tinubu urged Africa to learn from the example of established sovereign wealth funds, which are increasingly used to drive transformation alongside their traditional roles in financial stability.
He commended the NSIA’s role in developing sectors such as renewable energy, healthcare and agriculture, describing it as a “catalytic institution” for delivering progress.
He also described the ASIF platform as a key step toward strengthening collaboration and unlocking resources across borders. The President said the launch of the ASIF Investment Platform was a bold move that could attract financing for cross-border projects and foster sustainable growth.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, called for large-scale capital mobilisation, policy harmonisation and education initiatives to drive transformation across Africa.
AfreximBank President Prof. Benedict Oramah advocated retaining Africa’s wealth to fund its own development, while ASIF chairman Mr Obaid Amrane said the forum was helping to position Africa more strongly on the world stage.
Managing Director of the NSIA, Mr Aminu Umar-Sadiq, explained that the gathering was meant to help Africa’s sovereign funds leverage partnerships to generate strong commercial and social returns.
He stressed the need for discipline and boldness in making investment decisions and called for a sustainable platform to attract large-scale, long-term capital.
Umar-Sadiq added that Africa’s funds should become preferred partners for international investors by combining their financial resources and knowledge of local conditions.
Also speaking at the meeting, renowned scholar Prof. PLO Lumumba challenged Africa’s leaders to take greater responsibility for future generations by investing more within their own continent.
