Africa Prosperity Network hosts key webinar on infrastructure funding for trade and mobility

The Africa Prosperity Network (APN), in partnership with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat, has held a high-level webinar focused on finding practical solutions to fund and build infrastructure needed to support trade and the free movement of people across Africa.

Under the theme “The Africa We Want: How Should Africa Fund and Build the Infrastructure for Trade, People Movement and Prosperity?”, the virtual event brought together experts from finance, logistics, tourism, development, and engineering sectors. It was moderated by Asaase Radio’s Nana Yaa Mensah and Kojo Mensah.

APN’s CEO, Mr. Sidig Eltoum, opened the conversation by stressing that Africa’s infrastructure deficit caused by poor roads, unreliable energy, weak digital connectivity, and fragmented transport systems is a major roadblock to the continent’s economic growth. He described infrastructure development as a key driver of prosperity.

AfCFTA Secretariat’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Rui Livramento, called for urgent action, warning that the time for plans has passed and it’s time for concrete steps.

A major highlight of the webinar was the unveiling of the “One Dollar A Day” campaign, a groundbreaking funding initiative led by Ghanaian finance expert Eric Otoo. The campaign aims to create an Integrated Africa Infrastructure Growth Fund, combining institutional investments with public donations.

Mr. Otoo explained that this dual-approach model will allow both large organizations and ordinary Africans, including those in the diaspora, to contribute to infrastructure projects.

The discussion also examined how colonial-era infrastructure systems still shape Africa’s trade patterns, with border bottlenecks and poor intra-African air links making business costly. Travel between African cities like Accra and Nairobi remains more expensive and complicated than trips to non-African destinations like Dubai.

Mr. Ziad Hamoui of Borderless Alliance urged Africans to rethink borders as bridges rather than barriers. Other speakers, such as Mr. Emeka Uzomba from Afreximbank, outlined innovative financing models, including infrastructure bonds with high returns, a Pan-African credit rating system, and blended finance to attract private capital. Afreximbank has committed $5 billion to corridor projects starting later this year.

The webinar also drew attention to national examples like Ghana’s Road Fund, which blends fuel levies, tolls, and digital payments to finance transport development. Stakeholders emphasized the need to align profitability with national development goals.

The event was part of a broader effort to implement the Accra Compact 2025, launched during the Africa Prosperity Dialogues earlier this year. This framework includes commitments from governments, the private sector, and multilateral bodies to invest in railways, digital networks, and renewable energy to support the AfCFTA’s vision.

With Africa’s population rapidly growing and the AfCFTA creating the world’s largest free trade zone, the webinar served as a call to action: build the infrastructure now, or risk missing the opportunity for lasting prosperity.

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