Rabat: The President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Ould Tah, has called for increased synergy among Africa’s financial institutions to bridge the persistent funding gap that hampers the continent’s development. Speaking at the opening of the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) 2025, which runs until November 28 under the theme “Bridging the Gap: Mobilizing Private Capital to Unlock Africa’s Full Potential,” Tah highlighted the need for collaboration among financial institutions, guarantee funds, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, insurance companies, and stock exchanges.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, the AfDB president outlined four strategic priorities aimed at addressing Africa’s critical needs. These include “mobilizing massive capital for Africa’s funding and development,” “reforming Africa’s financial architecture,” “transforming demographic growth into economic power,” and “building resilient infrastructure and transforming natural resources on African soil.”

Tah emphasized the impo
rtance of leveraging Africa’s demographic growth by investing in resilient infrastructure. He pointed out that Africa’s population is rapidly increasing and is expected to encompass two-thirds of humanity by 2050. Tah advocated for transforming this demographic expansion into economic strength through infrastructure investment and by creating favorable conditions for processing raw materials locally.

He also stressed the vital role of youth and women in driving innovation and entrepreneurship across Africa. To harness this potential, Tah recommended enhancing financial inclusion for these groups, providing adequate mentoring, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

AIF 2025, held under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, serves as a platform to facilitate international investments in Africa by connecting project developers, funders, governments, and other stakeholders to finalize transactions.