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African business and financial leaders have called for stronger capital markets, better governance and increased mobilisation of long-term funds to accelerate industrialisation and economic growth across the continent.
The call was made at the Finance and Investment session of the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) and World Economic Forum (WEF) Young Global Leaders (YGL) Building Africa at Scale Learning Journey, held at Access Tower, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The session, hosted by Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings and Coronation Group, brought together business leaders, investors and development stakeholders to examine how capital, institutional capacity and effective leadership could support large-scale investments across Africa.
The meeting followed a visit by the participants to Dangote Refinery, where they examined the financing structures, institutional frameworks and leadership required to execute major industrial projects.
Participants included Temi Popoola, GMD/CEO of Nigerian Exchange Group; Dr Umaru Kwairanga, Group Chairman, Nigerian Exchange Group; Innocent C. Ike, GCEO, Access Holdings; Murat Erden, GCFO, Dangote Industries Limited; David Bird, MD/CEO, Dangote Refinery; Zouera Youssoufou, MD/CEO, Aliko Dangote Foundation; Chuka Eseka, GMD/CEO, Vetiva Capital Management; and Chinwe Egwim, WEF Young Global Leader and Chief Economist, First Bank of Nigeria.
The discussions focused on deepening domestic capital markets, strengthening governance and mobilising patient capital for infrastructure and industrial development.
Participants also examined how pension funds, insurance assets, sovereign capital and private investment could be deployed more effectively to finance Africa’s long-term development priorities.
Aig-Imoukhuede said Africa needed financial structures capable of connecting short-term liquidity with long-term institutional capital.
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He said: “Vision attracts capital, governance maintains capital, and execution by great talent compounds capital.”
According to him, Africa needs financial architecture capable of supporting 10-to-30-year investments in large enterprises while promoting values-driven leadership and strong institutions.
He stressed that sustainable economic development would require institutions capable of surviving beyond individual leaders and political cycles.
Youssoufou said developing visionary leadership and expanding capital ecosystems were critical to Africa’s long-term prosperity.
She said the learning journey was designed to connect emerging decision-makers with practical models of African-led industrial development and enterprise growth.
The Finance and Investment session was part of the broader Building Africa at Scale Learning Journey, which seeks to expose WEF Young Global Leaders to practical examples of innovation, industrialisation and enterprise development on the continent.
The engagement also highlighted the need for stronger collaboration among governments, financial institutions and the private sector to unlock long-term investment and support sustainable economic growth in Africa.
