Angola: Luanda infrastructure finance summit tackles funding gaps and the need to accelerate economic integration

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) participated in the third Luanda Financing Summit for Africa’s Infrastructure Development, held from October 28-31, 2025. The high-level event convened African leaders, global investors, and development partners to address the continent’s infrastructure funding gap and accelerate economic integration.

Organised under the patronage of the African Union Chair, Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, the summit tackled the theme “Capital, Corridors, Trade: Investing in infrastructure for the AFCFTA and shared prosperity.”

ECA co-organised a session on the digitalization of transport corridors and participated in a side-event on energy interconnection.

At the energy event, jointly organized by the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), Mr. Robert Lisinge, Director of the Technology, Innovation, Connectivity and Infrastructure Development Division (TICID), highlighted the critical link between frontier technologies and energy security.

“Frontier technologies such as Artificial Intelligence require huge amounts of electricity that African countries may struggle to produce individually, hence the relevance of regional projects,” Lisinge stated.

He also connected the continent’s energy needs directly to the success of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), noting, “AfCFTA is expected to increase electricity demand by 8% by 2035 and 14% by 2040.”

The summit, organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) and AUDA-NEPAD in collaboration with the Angolan government, aimed to transform Africa’s infrastructure ambitions into bankable, investment-ready projects. The outcomes of the Luanda Summit are anticipated to significantly advance the goals of both the AfCFTA and the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), fostering a more prosperous and interconnected continent.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).