African heads of state have renewed calls for increased private sector investment, energy financing and infrastructure development as the continent seeks new pathways to accelerate economic growth and industrial transformation.
The appeal was made during a high-level presidential dialogue at the opening of the 2026 Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank Group in Brazzaville on Tuesday.
The session brought together Brice Oligui Nguema, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, host leader Denis Sassou Nguesso and Sidi Ould Tah.
Addressing policymakers, investors, development institutions, civil society organisations and private sector actors at the Kintele Conference Centre, the leaders stressed the urgent need for African countries to mobilise more private capital and improve the investment climate to support sustainable development.
The leaders argued that Africa’s development ambitions would remain difficult to achieve without stronger partnerships between governments and private investors, particularly in critical sectors such as energy, transport infrastructure, industrialisation and climate resilience.
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President Nguema said Gabon was repositioning its economy by leveraging its natural resources and forest reserves to drive eco-tourism and environmental financing opportunities.
According to him, the Gabonese government has established a specialised agency tasked with managing and marketing carbon credits internationally as part of efforts to generate revenue from forest conservation and climate protection initiatives.
The discussions at the summit also centred on how African economies can reduce dependence on external borrowing while attracting long-term investment into productive sectors capable of creating jobs and boosting regional trade.
The annual meetings of the African Development Bank Group continue in Brazzaville with financing, climate adaptation and energy security expected to dominate deliberations among African leaders and global financial stakeholders.
