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Africa’s financial sovereignty: Mobilizing institutional capital for development and resilience

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development

As global capital flows evolve and development assistance dwindles, Africa finds itself at a critical point. On 28 May, during the African Development Bank Group’s 2025 Annual Meetings (www.AfDB.org), senior leaders, policymakers and financial experts gathered to chart a new course for the continent’s financial future – one based on mobilizing and deploying African resources and ingenuity.

Organized by the Bank Group’s Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Department, in collaboration with the Bank’s Making Finance Work for Africa initiative, this side event brought together leading African experts in a conversation moderated by Victor Oladokun, Senior Advisor to the President of the African Development Bank Group for Communication and Stakeholder Engagement.

With a 10 percent decline in development assistance and a 12 percent drop in foreign direct investment to USD 40 billion {in what period, and what’s the source of the data?}, the urgency of mobilizing domestic resources is pressing. The continent faces an annual infrastructure funding gap of between USD 68 billion and USD 108 billion, while attracting only 2 percent of global investment in this sector {Source?}.

“The real question is not whether the capital exists – it does. The question is how to mobilize it on a large scale for productive, high-impact investments,” said Solomon Quaynor, the African Development Bank Group’s Vice-President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization.

He added, “Africa is not poor. Our institutional investors – pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and even central banks – together manage more than USD 2.1 trillion in assets. If just 5 percent of these funds were directed towards infrastructure and the private sector, it would unlock more than USD 100 billion in long-term capital for the continent.”

Partnerships and innovation

The event highlighted some innovative African-led models for mobilizing institutional capital. For example, InfraCredit Nigeria, a pioneering credit enhancement institution, has secured more than USD 300 million in long-term financing in local currency for infrastructure projects.

Let us pool our capital, our ideas, and our will, to build an Africa where infrastructure becomes a lever for prosperity, not a drag on it

“The real risk associated with infrastructure assets is often overestimated. We have not recorded any losses on a portfolio of more than 20 projects in 12 sectors in eight years,” said Chinua Azubike, CEO of InfraCredit.

Tafara Ethiopis, Vice President of the International Finance Corporation (IFC, the World Bank’s private-sector arm) for Africa, emphasized the need to strengthen the bankability of projects through more effective risk-sharing mechanisms. “It is essential to calibrate the distribution of risks and benefits between the public and private sectors properly to make projects bankable,” he said.

Speakers also identified obstacles to mobilizing institutional capital and proposed solutions. Boitumelo Mosako, CEO of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), highlighted the central role of good governance and rigorous project preparation in lowering risk and improving investor confidence.

The Director General of Nigeria’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Timi Agama, stressed the importance of building trust through regulatory reforms, investor protection and financial education.

Denis Charles Kouassi, CEO of Côte d’Ivoire’s National Social Security Fund, underscored the importance of aligning pension funds with national development priorities, saying, All the income we generate is reinvested directly into the national economy to finance our services and boost growth.”

A call for collective action

The Resource Mobilization and Partnerships Department of the African Development Bank Group is leading several initiatives aimed at mobilizing African institutional capital, including through instruments such as the Capital Markets Development Trust Fund, and strategic partnerships with regional and global stakeholders.

“Yes, we need governance and accountability. But as Africans, we also need to learn to trust each other,” said Mosako.

“The moment calls for vision. It also calls for innovation. And above all, it calls for action,” Quaynor affirmed, in his concluding remarks. “Let us pool our capital, our ideas, and our will, to build an Africa where infrastructure becomes a lever for prosperity, not a drag on it.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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Liberia to Preview Next Oil & Gas Licensing Round Strategy at Houston Investor Day

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The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority will host operators, investors and partners in Houston on August 19 to preview future licensing opportunities and showcase the exploration potential of its offshore basins

HOUSTON, United States of America, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –The Liberia Petroleum Regulatory Authority (LPRA) will present its strategy for the country’s next offshore licensing round at Liberia Investor Day Houston on August 19, bringing together international exploration companies, investors, service providers and energy leaders to discuss the next phase of Liberia’s upstream development.

Hosted in partnership with Energy Capital & Power, the event will provide a platform for the LPRA, led by Director General Hon. Marilyn T. Logan, to outline Liberia’s regulatory framework, investment priorities and plans to attract new participation across the country’s offshore sector. Discussions will focus on upcoming licensing opportunities, exploration prospects and the subsurface data supporting future investment decisions.

Liberia’s offshore sector is entering a new phase of exploration activity, with renewed international participation and a growing pipeline of opportunities. Following the award and ratification of eight Production Sharing Contracts in 2025, Liberia has re-established itself as a frontier exploration destination, with international operators advancing work programs designed to further evaluate the country’s petroleum potential. TotalEnergies is progressing exploration activities that include offshore geochemical surveys, 3D seismic acquisition and seabed mapping, while Oranto Petroleum has also signed contracts to explore Liberia’s offshore.

At the Liberia Investor Day Houston, the LPRA will provide industry stakeholders with insight into the priorities shaping the next licensing round, including the anticipated process, qualification requirements, available acreage and access to technical data. The engagement will give prospective investors a clearer view of Liberia’s exploration landscape and the opportunities emerging across its offshore basins.

The event will also facilitate direct dialogue between LPRA and the global upstream community, connecting companies with policymakers and industry stakeholders involved in shaping Liberia’s next chapter of petroleum development.

As exploration companies continue to seek new frontier opportunities, Liberia Investor Day Houston will highlight the role of regulatory certainty, data availability and strategic partnerships in unlocking long-term investment across Liberia’s offshore sector.

Registration is now open for attendees. Companies interested in Liberia’s emerging offshore opportunities are invited to join LPRA, investors and upstream leaders in Houston for insights into the country’s licensing strategy and exploration outlook. For more information contact info@energycapitalpower.com.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

 

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Beyond Stabroek: Guyana’s Offshore Basin Attracts New Wave of Exploration Investment

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Etu Energias

As ExxonMobil advances appraisal activity in Stabroek and new operators target frontier acreage, Guyana is attracting global capital and building a diversified offshore portfolio designed to sustain long-term growth

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, August 7, 2026/APO Group/ –Guyana’s transformation into one of the world’s fastest-growing oil producers is entering a new phase, with a growing network of IOCs expanding exploration activity across the country’s offshore basin. Beyond the landmark discoveries that first put Guyana on the global energy map, new drilling campaigns and licensing partnerships are creating a broader exploration ecosystem designed to support long-term production growth.

At the center of this momentum is ExxonMobil’s continued exploration and appraisal activity in the prolific Stabroek Block. The company has submitted a proposal for a 35-well exploration and appraisal drilling campaign, expected to run from 2028 through 2033, pending regulatory approval. The program would build on more than 30 commercial discoveries already made in the block, with drilling activity focused on evaluating new prospects and appraising existing discoveries to support future development opportunities.

Exploration activity is also extending into Guyana’s frontier acreage, with ExxonMobil advancing drilling operations at the deepwater Canje Block. The company has deployed the Noble Stena Carron drillship for exploration activity, highlighting continued industry interest in evaluating Guyana’s underexplored offshore potential beyond the established Stabroek Block.

Guyana’s strong exploration outlook comes as the country’s economy continues to benefit from rapid oil sector expansion, with hydrocarbons expected to remain a key driver of exports, government revenues and economic growth. As production scales up, attracting additional investment across exploration, services and infrastructure will be critical to supporting the next phase of development.

That momentum is being reinforced through partnerships established under Guyana’s 2023 offshore licensing round. A consortium comprising TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy and Petronas is advancing exploration activities in Block S4 under a five-year production sharing agreement signed with the government in late 2025. The award represents one of the first major outcomes of the licensing round and demonstrates continued international confidence in Guyana’s offshore resource potential.

Beyond the largest operators, a diverse group of companies is also expanding activity across Guyana’s offshore basin. Eco Atlantic is advancing exploration at the Orinduik Block; CGX Energy and Frontera Energy are progressing work in the Corentyne Block; Occidental is evaluating opportunities in the Roraima Block; while Ratio Guyana and Cataleya Energy hold interests in the Kaieteur Block. Together, these partnerships are broadening Guyana’s exploration landscape, increasing competition for acreage and creating opportunities for future discoveries.

As Guyana transitions from an emerging producer to a global energy hub, the next challenge will be converting exploration success into sustainable investment, local value creation and regional growth. These opportunities will be explored at Caribbean Energy Week 2027, held under the theme “Unlocking the Caribbean Energy Corridor: Oil, Gas, LNG & Investment for a New Global Hub.” Bringing together governments, IOCs, investors and technology providers, the event will examine how Guyana’s expanding partnerships can accelerate offshore development, strengthen regional energy cooperation and attract the capital needed to support the Caribbean’s evolving energy landscape.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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Energy Capital & Power Establishes London Entity, Expanding Global Platform for Energy and Mining Events

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Energy

The move strengthens ECP’s presence in the UK and Europe, and its ability to connect African and South American markets with global investors

LONDON, United Kingdom, August 6, 2026/APO Group/ –International events company Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com) has officially established its UK entity in London, marking a milestone in the company’s growth strategy and reinforcing its ability to deliver world-class energy and mining events and campaigns in the UK and Europe.

By establishing a presence in a key hub like London – the pre-eminent energy and mining finance center – ECP actively shapes the global energy conversation. The expansion positions ECP to better serve clients, partners and investors seeking to develop business opportunities between Africa, Europe, the Americas and energy markets worldwide.

Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital

The milestone comes as ECP strengthens its reach through a series of investment platforms that connect global capital to energy and mining projects. These include the Venezuela Energy Week London Showcase on July 30 – with over 300 delegates registered – and the annual Invest in African Energy Forum, held in Paris as the premier event connecting global investors to Africa’s energy transformation.

ECP hosts high level summits and investor conferences in leading energy and minerals producing countries in Africa and South America, including: Venezuela Energy Week; Angola Oil & Gas; MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power; African Mining Week; Libya Energy & Economic Summit; Congo Energy & Investment Forum; South Sudan Oil & Power; and Caribbean Energy Week. The company has hosted investor forums and supported licensing round roadshows in Houston, London and Paris since 2016.

“Opening our UK company brings ECP closer to key investors in the global energy finance capital,” states CEO James Chester. “Having a permanent presence in London further cements our footprint in Europe, enabling us to fulfil our mission to bring minerals and energy investment to diverse global markets.”

With teams located across Africa, Europe and the Americas, ECP has long-facilitated strategic engagement, market intelligence and industry convening, uniting investors with leading energy and mining projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Energy Capital & Power.

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