Africa’s future depends on execution, not promise – Aig-Imoukhuede

Chairman of Access Holdings Plc and President of the France-Nigeria Business Council, Mr Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, has stated that Africa now stands at a defining moment in global affairs, but warned that meaningful transformation across the continent will only happen through disciplined execution and institution-building.

Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit 2026 in Nairobi, Mr Aig-Imoukhuede said Africa is increasingly becoming central to global economic and geopolitical developments rather than remaining on the sidelines.

He explained that shifts in global supply chains, changing geopolitical relationships and more selective investment flows are placing Africa’s youthful population, natural resources, and entrepreneurial capacity at the centre of future global growth opportunities.

Drawing from more than 30 years of experience in banking and institution-building across the continent, he said his career has been shaped by a persistent focus on how Africa can bridge its development gap with more advanced economies.

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According to him, achieving that goal will require more than creating profitable businesses, stressing that Africa must also develop resilient institutions capable of delivering broad-based economic transformation.

“Africa is not on the margins of global change; it is at the centre. But potential alone will not deliver transformation. Capital mobilisation, institutional strength, and execution will,” he said.

While acknowledging the continent’s strong growth potential driven by urbanisation, innovation, and demographic expansion, Aig-Imoukhuede cautioned that optimism without effective implementation would not automatically translate into prosperity.

He argued that Africa must move beyond narratives of promise by strengthening institutions, ensuring policy consistency, and building the capacity to attract and deploy long-term capital efficiently.

The business leader warned that despite its vast opportunities, Africa could still underperform if governments and institutions fail to create the right conditions for sustainable development.

He also urged a rethink of Africa’s relationship with Europe, insisting that future cooperation should move beyond traditional models centred on aid, extraction, and symbolic engagements.

“The next 50 years cannot simply be aid, extraction, or symbolic partnership. It must become co-building,” he stated.

According to him, future partnerships should focus on jointly developing infrastructure, financial systems, industrial capacity, and technology ecosystems that can deliver shared economic benefits for both regions.

He added that Europe’s long-term competitiveness would increasingly depend on deeper engagement with Africa as a strategic market, talent hub, and economic partner.

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Aig-Imoukhuede further called on African governments, financial institutions, and private sector leaders to work together to mobilise domestic capital, expand infrastructure investment, and prioritise long-term economic value over short-term returns.

He stressed that Africa’s future progress would depend heavily on stronger regional collaboration and a broader continental vision focused on collective advancement.

Aig-Imoukhuede maintained that the key issue facing Africa is no longer whether opportunities exist, but whether leaders and institutions have the discipline, ambition, and scale required to turn those opportunities into lasting transformation.