Keypoints:
- African leaders call for end to US tariffs
- Adesina urges strategic trade partnerships
- Summit backs AfCFTA and green infrastructure
AFRICAN heads of state and development leaders have called on the United States to urgently recalibrate its trade policy with Africa, advocating for the removal of punitive tariffs and the creation of deeper, investment-led partnerships.
Speaking at the US-Africa Business Summit in Luanda, Angola, attended by over 2,000 business and government leaders, Angolan President João Lourenço declared: ‘It is time to replace the logic of aid with the logic of investment and trade.’ He urged US companies to move beyond the extractive industries and tap into Africa’s emerging sectors such as automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, tourism, cement, and steel production.
A shift from aid to investment
Echoing this message, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf stressed that Africa is no longer seeking aid, but co-created solutions. He called for the removal of visa restrictions and trade barriers, arguing that Africa’s 1.3 billion people and vast resources remain largely untapped in global markets.
‘This should not just be a summit, but a call to action,’ he said. ‘Together, let’s walk the pathways to prosperity—with unity, purpose, and Agenda 2063 as our guide.’
Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, was clear in his demand: ‘We should review the high tariffs on African countries. What is needed is more trade between Africa and the US, not less.’
AfCFTA must be central to US policy
Wamkele Mene, Secretary General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), reinforced the integration agenda, noting that the AfCFTA is the vehicle to scale investment and reduce fragmentation across the continent.
‘The AfCFTA has to be ambitious,’ Mene said. ‘Only through a unified market can Africa attract the scale of investment required to industrialise and build resilience.’
The summit’s focus on strategic partnerships over aid was not just rhetorical. Adesina showcased the Lobito Corridor as a real-world case of US-Africa cooperation, linking Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Angola’s port and opening up agricultural and mineral exports.
The African Development Bank is backing the corridor with $500 million through the African Development Fund, with an additional $1bn committed over five years to strengthen surrounding infrastructure including energy, transport, and agro-value chains.
Think Africa, act on data
Adesina issued a direct challenge to US investors: ‘Act on the data, not perceptions. Think Africa. Think opportunity. Think competition.’ He called on institutions such as the US International Development Finance Corporation and the Export-Import Bank of the United States to deepen their investment footprints across the continent.
The Bank President was honoured at the summit with the Distinguished Economic Leadership Award by the Corporate Council on Africa, recognising his decade of leadership and the impact of the AfDB’s ‘High 5’ priorities, which have transformed the lives of over 565 million Africans.
Florie Liser, President of the Corporate Council, urged delegates to move ‘beyond deals’ to build lasting transformation.
Financing Africa’s infrastructure revolution
At a high-level session hosted by Africa50, an infrastructure platform created by the African Development Bank, the focus shifted to innovative finance, especially asset recycling and green infrastructure.
Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa50, outlined how recycling state-owned infrastructure—like the Senegambia Bridge—has enabled governments to recoup investments and attract private capital for reinvestment.
‘Our goal is threefold: monetise assets, improve efficiency with world-class operators, and crowd in pension and institutional capital,’ Ebobissé said.
Adesina revealed that Africa50, over just eight years, has backed over $8bn worth of projects, and aims to tap into the $2.9 trillion global green bond market, despite Africa representing less than 1 percent of issuances so far.
To change that, the African Development Bank has launched the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA) to mobilise $10bn in green investments, with Africa50 serving as the general partner for project development.
The Bank is also setting up the Africa Risk Mitigation Agency, designed to consolidate all its guarantee instruments into a single facility covering climate, political, equity, and refinancing risks—a move meant to de-risk African investments at scale.
Strong political support signals intent
This year’s summit drew participation from seven African heads of state, over a dozen prime ministers, and top officials from the African Union, ECOWAS, and SADC—signalling a pan-African commitment to redefining relations with the United States.
Among the leaders present were Presidents Félix Tshisekedi (DRC), Denis Sassou Nguesso (Congo), Faustin-Archange Touadéra (CAR), as well as Prime Ministers and high-ranking officials from Côte d’Ivoire, Angola, Namibia, Eswatini, and Gabon.
The message was unanimous: Africa is ready for a new chapter in its engagement with the United States—one driven by data, opportunity, shared prosperity, and mutual respect.
