By Baboloki Semele: The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Union Commission (AUC), and the Government of the Republic of Angola are set to host Africa’s largest Infrastructure Financing Summit from 23–24 October 2025 in Luanda. The high-level event aims to unlock billions in investments and accelerate the continent’s ambitious Agenda 2063 infrastructure goals under the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA).
Coming on the heels of the successful 2023 Dakar Infrastructure Financing Summit, this year’s gathering will mark a pivotal moment for Africa’s infrastructure development as it seeks to address a financing gap of over $100 billion annually. The Summit will spotlight the $1.3 trillion Continental Power Systems Master Plan (CMP) and the drive toward an African Single Electricity Market by 2040, as well as PIDA’s own $16 billion annual requirements for transformative, cross-border projects.
“Infrastructure is one of the essential pillars of the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” said H.E. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola and current Chairperson of the African Union. “We must mobilise all available financial resources to achieve our goals — from roads and railways to ports, power lines, and digital networks.”
The Luanda Summit will bring together African governments, regional economic communities, investors, development partners, and philanthropies to catalyze action around infrastructure finance. Investment pitch sessions and curated deal rooms will allow countries to present bankable projects in power generation, logistics, digital infrastructure, and industrial development. Strategic corridors like the Lobito Corridor, LAPSSET, and the Dakar–Bamako–Djibouti route will be featured as blueprints for integrated development.
A core focus of the event will be energy access. Over 600 million Africans still lack electricity, and the Summit will explore financing strategies to close these gaps through AfSEM, PIDA Energy Projects, and the CMP. Climate-aligned capital and philanthropic funding will also be targeted, in line with the Nairobi Roadmap.
“This Summit is more than an event—it’s a launchpad for real investment, real impact, and real progress,” said Nardos Bekele-Thomas, AUDA-NEPAD CEO. “By leveraging Africa’s own pension and sovereign wealth funds, and aligning with global financing opportunities under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, we are putting Africa in the driver’s seat.”
Other key themes will include the role of digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence in promoting industrial growth, smart service delivery, and financial inclusion; sustainable transboundary water management; and innovative financing instruments such as blended finance and project bonds.
Coinciding with the PIDA Mid-Term Review, the Summit will provide a critical moment of reflection and strategy, reinforcing Africa’s determination to lead in designing infrastructure and energy solutions that are equitable, climate-resilient, and future-ready.