Africa50 Surpasses $1.4B in Assets, Expands Infrastructure Investments Across Africa

Africa50, the investment platform established by African governments and the African Development Bank (AfDB), has reached a major milestone—over $1.4 billion in managed assets—transforming from a single-staff operation into one of the continent’s leading drivers of infrastructure development. The announcement came during Africa50’s 2025 General Shareholders Meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, attended by high-profile dignitaries, including Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo and AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, who also serves as Chairman of Africa50.

From Concept to Continental Force

In his address, President Chapo said Mozambique joined Africa50 in 2024 to align with its national vision of becoming a reference country in logistics and power. “We are transforming ideas into projects to provide employment for the youth and more revenues for the government to invest in economic, social, and sustainable development,” he said. He commended Dr. Adesina’s leadership, calling Africa50 “a symbol of the new Africa—self-reliant, cooperative, and committed to shared prosperity.”

Dr. Adesina reflected on Africa50’s transformation over just eight years, noting that the value of its portfolio companies now exceeds $8 billion, contributing to the reduction of Africa’s $170 billion annual infrastructure financing gap. “From just one staff member when we started, Africa50 now employs 100 exceptional professionals and serves 37 shareholders across 33 countries and four institutions,” he said.

Mobilizing Capital at Scale

A key highlight was the Africa Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, which raised $275 million from more than 20 African institutional investors—including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and insurance companies—representing the strongest-ever vote of confidence from African capital markets in the continent’s infrastructure potential.

Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobissé underscored the organization’s readiness to lead: “Africa can and must close its infrastructure gap. We are agile, responsive, and focused on achieving results with speed and at scale.”

Strategic Agreements in Mozambique

The Maputo meeting also saw the signing of several major agreements:

• MOU with Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM): Development of three transmission lines under an Independent Power Transmission (IPT) framework, supporting Mozambique’s goal of universal electricity access by 2030 and positioning it as a regional power exporter.

• MOU with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation: Construction of a new data centre in Maputo and modernization of the existing facility.

• Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA): First close of $115 million for the continent’s leading green infrastructure initiative.

• Framework agreement with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat: Development and financing of trade-enabling infrastructure to boost intra-African trade.

AfDB’s Longstanding Support in Mozambique

Dr. Adesina highlighted that Africa50’s investments complement AfDB’s $1.6 billion financing in Mozambique over the past decade, which accounts for 41% of the Bank’s total financing to the country since operations began. This includes:

• $400 million in senior debt for the $20 billion LNG plant in Cabo Delgado.

• $34 million Mozambique Energy for All Project, connecting more than 45,500 households to electricity.

• Investments in agro-industrial processing zones like the Pemba-Lichinga corridor, and critical transport corridors such as Nacala and Beira to enhance regional trade under AfCFTA.

Africa50’s own projects in Mozambique include equity investment in the 175 MW Central Térmica de Ressano Garcia (CTRG) gas-fired power plant, progress on independent power transmission lines, and the upcoming Maputo data centre.

A Decade of Transformation Under Adesina

As Dr. Adesina prepares to step down from his role as AfDB President and Africa50 Chairman on 1 September 2025, he reflected on the Bank’s achievements during his tenure:

• Capital base increase from $93 billion to $318 billion.

• High 5 development priorities impacting 565 million people.

• Maintaining AAA credit ratings and global recognition as the most transparent development finance institution.

• African Investment Forum mobilizing over $225 billion in investment interest since its 2018 launch.

Looking forward, Adesina pledged to remain deeply engaged in mobilizing global capital for African development:

“To close Africa’s infrastructure gap, we must scale up partnerships—joining hands around the Baobab tree of opportunities. I will not be stepping back; I will be stepping forward in our collective drive to unlock global capital for Africa.”

With a strong portfolio, expanding partnerships, and a clear strategic vision, Africa50 is positioning itself as the continent’s premier platform for infrastructure finance, driving transformative projects that will shape Africa’s economic future for decades to come.