Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of Dangote Group, called on African nations to retain capital domestically to fuel industrialization at Unstoppable Africa 2026 in New York.

The fifth edition of the Global Africa Business Initiative’s flagship event took place alongside the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. More than 3,000 African and global business leaders and heads of state gathered for the two-day forum.

Key Leadership Calls

UN Secretary-General H.E. António Guterres called for a permanent African presence on the United Nations Security Council. He urged reforms to ensure critical minerals generate local value and jobs rather than being exported raw.

H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, highlighted the opportunity presented by Africa’s 1.5 billion people. He stressed the need to accelerate value chain development and remove trade barriers to drive industrial transformation.

Private Sector Focus

Dangote argued that Africa cannot build comparable industrial strength while its money flows into foreign banks and markets. He emphasized the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in creating the scale required for major industrial projects.

Business leaders emphasized moving beyond raw material exports. The Leaders Panel included Samaila Zubairu of the Africa Finance Corporation, Aliko Dangote of the Dangote Group, and Mandy DeFilippo of Standard Chartered.

Participants identified affordable energy, infrastructure, finance access, and skills as critical requirements for turning market potential into economic growth.

Investment Highlights

The US$300 million Nigeria Distributed Renewable Energy Fund reached its first close. Co-managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and Africa50, it will fund local clean-energy developers.

The fund supports decentralized solutions like solar mini-grids and storage, aligning with Mission 300 to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.

Digital and Creative Economy

Zeine Zeidane, Director of the African Department at the International Monetary Fund, highlighted the importance of structural reforms, stronger domestic financial markets, and wider African markets through AfCFTA in attracting private investment.

Olugbenga Agboola, CEO of Flutterwave, highlighted the opportunity presented by Africa’s young and increasingly connected population, pointing to digital payments, AI, and other technologies that can help businesses access markets and grow.

Elly Savatia, Founder and CEO of Signverse, highlighted technology’s potential to expand inclusion through African sign languages. With $2 million in Google funding, Signverse has developed the largest publicly documented dataset for an African sign language to date.

In the creative sector, Khanyi Mashimbiye, Manager, Creatives at Afreximbank, highlighted the Afreximbank CANEX program. Since 2022, the initiative has secured more than 120 offtake agreements, with Zimbabwean brand Vanu Vanwerk now selling in more than 50 stores globally.

What the Numbers Show

The commitment of US$300 million to the Nigeria Distributed Renewable Energy Fund signals a shift toward private capital mobilization for infrastructure. This specific allocation targets decentralized energy solutions, directly addressing the energy access gap cited by AU Chairperson Youssouf as a barrier to industrial transformation. Simultaneously, Dangote’s call to retain capital aligns with the IMF’s emphasis on stronger domestic financial markets to support such large-scale projects.