The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and African Union Commission (AUC) in collaboration with Government of the Republic of Angola will host Africa’s biggest Infrastructure Financing Summit from 23–24 October 2025 in Luanda, Republic of Angola.
Following the momentum of previous editions, including the 2023 Dakar Infrastructure Financing Summit, this year’s gathering is part of the broader continental effort to unlock investments and partnerships in support of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 infrastructure aspirations under the framework of Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).
The Summit comes at a critical time, as Africa faces an annual infrastructure financing gap exceeding $100 billion and gears up to mobilise the $1.3 trillion required to implement the Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP) for an African Single Electricity Market by 2040.PIDA alone requires $16 billion annually to deliver transformative, cross-border projects that deliver the continent’s industrial, trade, and energy ambitions by 2030.
As current Chairperson of the African Union, H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, has placed infrastructure financing at the heart of his continental agenda. Speaking at the AU Commission Handover Ceremony in March 2025, President Lourenço stated:
“Infrastructure is one of the essential pillars of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. We must mobilise all available financial resources to achieve our goals — from roads and railways to ports, power lines, and digital networks. I have called on the Commission to convene a continental infrastructure conference in 2025 to drive investment and connect Africa for trade, innovation, and prosperity.”
The Luanda Infrastructure Financing Summit responds directly to this call. Through curated deal roomsand investment pitch sessions, African governments and institutions will present infrastructure portfolios to potential investors, with the goal of securing capital commitments for regional corridors, power generation and transmission, logistics platforms, and digital backbones. Strategic corridors such as the Lobito Corridor, LAPSSET, and the Dakar–Bamako–Djibouti route will feature as integrated models combining infrastructure, trade, and industrial development.
A central focus of the Summit will be Africa’s ongoing quest for universal energy access. Through PIDA Energy Projects, the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM), and the Continental Power Systems Master Plan, the Summit will explore mechanisms finance initiatives designed to close energy access gaps for the more than 600 million Africans without electricity. The Summit will also advance engagement with philanthropic organisations and climate-aligned capital to co-invest in sustainable energy infrastructure, particularly in underserved regions, building on the Nairobi Roadmap adopted by AUDA-NEPAD, the African Union Commission, the Trade and Development Bank, and the African Development Bank.
The gathering also coincides with the PIDA Mid-Term Review, a significant milestone that will assess progress and provide strategic direction for the second half of the PIDA PAP 2 cycle. The event will elevate discussions on project preparation and early-stage support, particularly through mechanisms like AUDA-NEPAD’s Service Delivery Mechanism (SDM), which helps countries fast-track infrastructure development and unlock investment-readiness.
As Africa positions itself to lead in the global digital and AI revolution, the Luanda Summit will examine how digital infrastructure, fintech, and artificial intelligence can drive smarter planning, enhanced service delivery, and greater financial inclusion. With industrial growth corridors dependent on data, energy, and mobility, the Summit will explore pathways to digitally enabled industrialisation powered by regional integration under the AfCFTA.
Water security and infrastructure will also be on the agenda, with attention to sustainable financing for trans boundary water resource management, and climate adaptation infrastructure.
In parallel, the Summit will highlight the imperative of mobilising domestic capital. With over $70 billion in African pension and sovereign wealth funds available annually, new public-private cooperation models will be explored to unlock these resources for long-term infrastructure investment. Attention will also be given to innovative financing mechanisms, including blended finance, project bonds, and risk mitigation tools.
Importantly, this continental momentum aligns with Africa’s positioning on the global stage. Under South Africa’s G20 Presidency in 2025, Africa has a unique opportunity to elevate infrastructure financing and energy access as global priorities. The Summit in Luanda will serve as a key African platform feeding into global dialogues and reaffirming Africa’s leadership in proposing solutions that work for the continent and for the world. Similarly, Summit will call for greater access to just climate finance, while showcasing investment-ready green projects across transport, energy, digital, and water sectors.
Registration for the Luanda Infrastructure Financing Summit, as well as opportunities to showcase projects and partner with the organisers, will open in the coming weeks. Further details on participation, side events, and exhibition platforms will be announced soon on the official event page.
Source : AUDA – NEPAD
