By: Reuters

African leaders and investors at the Africa CEO Forum in Kigali on Thursday (May 14) underscored the need to scale up infrastructure financing and strengthen economic self‑reliance, amid debates over the continent’s place in a shifting global order.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame told business leaders and policymakers that Africa must do more to protect its resources and interests, criticising what he described as unequal global partnerships.

Discussions at the forum, co‑hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), also focused on gaps in energy infrastructure, particularly transmission networks needed to move electricity across economies. Analysts say that while investment in power generation has increased, funding for transmission has lagged, constraining access and efficiency.

(Production: Jabo Nkurunziza, Mukelwa Hlatshwayo)