Africa50 hits $1.4bn in assets, deepens role in Africa’s infrastructure growth

Africa50, the pan-African infrastructure investment platform created by African governments and the African Development Bank (AfDB), has announced that it now manages over $1.4 billion in assets, capping an eight-year journey from a single-staff outfit to a major force in closing Africa’s infrastructure gap.

The milestone was unveiled at the organisation’s 2025 General Shareholders Meeting in Maputo, Mozambique, attended by the country’s President, Daniel Chapo; AfDB President and Africa50 Board Chairman, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina; senior government officials; and development partners.

Dr. Adesina told delegates that Africa50’s portfolio companies now have a combined value exceeding $8 billion.

“From one staff member in the beginning to 100 exceptional professionals today, Africa50 is a leader in infrastructure financing, delivering creativity and innovation to transform Africa’s development,” he said.

The platform now has 37 shareholders from 33 countries and four institutions. Its Africa Infrastructure Acceleration Fund has raised $275 million from over 20 African institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and insurers, in what Adesina described as the most significant show of investor confidence in Africa’s infrastructure to date.

Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobissé stressed the continent’s capacity to lead its own development.

“The solutions to Africa’s infrastructure challenges are within our reach. Africa50 was built for moments like these: agile, responsive, and delivering results at speed and scale,” he said.

At the Maputo meeting, Africa50 formalised a series of strategic partnerships, including:

An MoU with Electricidade de Moçambique to develop three power transmission lines under an Independent Power Transmission model, aimed at achieving universal electricity access by 2030.

An MoU with Mozambique’s Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation to build a new data centre in Maputo and upgrade the existing facility.

The first close of $115 million for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA), championed by Dr. Adesina, which is positioned as the continent’s premier green infrastructure initiative.

A framework agreement with the AfCFTA Secretariat to develop and finance trade-enabling infrastructure to support intra-African commerce.

Africa50’s projects in Mozambique include an equity stake in the 175 MW Central Térmica de Ressano Garcia gas-fired power plant, development agreements for three transmission lines, and the planned data centre in Maputo.

Adesina noted that AfDB support to Mozambique over the past decade totals $1.6 billion, accounting for 41% of all Bank financing in the country’s 48-year partnership. This includes $400 million in senior debt for the $20 billion LNG project in Cabo Delgado and $34 million for the Mozambique Energy for All Project, which has connected more than 45,500 households to electricity.

AfDB investments, he added, have helped double Mozambique’s electricity access rate from 30% in 2018 to 60% in 2024, alongside initiatives in agricultural processing zones and transport corridors to boost regional trade.

With his tenure as AfDB President and Africa50 Board Chairman ending on September 1, 2025, Adesina reflected on a decade that saw the Bank’s capital base grow from $93 billion to $318 billion, the “High 5” priorities impact 565 million lives, and the institution retain its AAA rating while being ranked the world’s most transparent development finance body.

He also pointed to the African Investment Forum, which has mobilised over $225 billion in investment interest since 2018.

“Closing Africa’s infrastructure gap demands stronger partnerships. Africa50 stands as the most effective platform for unlocking global capital for Africa,” he said, pledging to “step forward” rather than “step back” in advancing the continent’s growth.