Africa Urges U.S. to Shift from Aid to Investment at U.S.-Africa Summit 2025

Angolan President João Lourenço set the tone with a rallying speech urging the United States to look beyond Africa’s traditional role as a resource supplier.

At the 2025 U.S.–Africa Business Summit held in Luanda, Angola, African leaders delivered a powerful and unified call for the transformation of U.S.-Africa relations—from a framework of aid to one anchored in investment, trade, and equitable partnerships. The summit, which attracted more than 2,000 delegates including heads of state, government officials, business leaders, and investors, emphasized Africa’s readiness to engage as a global economic player and not a passive recipient of assistance.

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“Replace Aid with Trade”: Lourenço’s Opening Challenge

Angolan President João Lourenço set the tone with a rallying speech urging the United States to look beyond Africa’s traditional role as a resource supplier.

“It is time to replace the logic of aid with the logic of investment and trade,” he declared.

Lourenço called on U.S. businesses to diversify their investments into industries like automotive manufacturing, shipbuilding, tourism, steel, and cement, sectors which are pivotal to Africa’s industrialization and job creation goals.

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A Vision of Co-Creation and Unity

Echoing this sentiment, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, emphasized the importance of co-created solutions rather than donor-recipient dynamics.

“We’re not seeking aid, but building co-created solutions,” he said, advocating for the removal of tariffs and visa restrictions that inhibit Africa’s global integration.

He anchored his vision in Agenda 2063, the African Union’s blueprint for development, calling the summit a “call to action” rather than mere dialogue.

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Adesina: Think Africa, Think Opportunities

Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), delivered one of the summit’s most compelling appeals. Pointing to restrictive U.S. tariffs on African goods, he insisted that trade, not barriers, is the pathway to mutual prosperity.

“Act on the data, not perceptions,” Adesina urged. “Think Africa. Think opportunities. Think competition.”

He highlighted the Lobito Corridor—a transformative infrastructure project connecting Angola, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to global markets via the Atlantic—as a symbol of strategic partnership in action. The AfDB has pledged over $1.5 billion to support this corridor, covering transport, agriculture, and energy infrastructure.

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Wamkele Mene: AfCFTA Is the Engine of Integration

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary General Wamkele Mene reminded attendees of Africa’s historic economic integration through AfCFTA.

“The AfCFTA must be ambitious,” he said, asserting that success in implementing the free trade zone is essential to reduce market fragmentation, attract investment, and scale industrialization across the continent.

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U.S. Commitment: From Perception to Participation

On behalf of the U.S. government, Troy Fitrell of the State Department acknowledged the need to reset American perceptions of Africa.

“There are business leaders in the U.S. who need to understand the opportunities that lie in doing business with Africa. Our mission is to find them—and bring them in,” he stated.

The summit aims to bridge this gap by creating platforms for direct engagement between African and American private sector players.

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Akinwumi Adesina Honored for Economic Leadership

As part of the summit’s opening ceremony, Dr. Adesina was awarded the Distinguished Economic Leadership Award by the Corporate Council on Africa, recognizing his leadership in transforming the African Development Bank and positively impacting over 565 million people across the continent under his decade-long tenure.

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Unlocking Infrastructure Capital: Spotlight on Africa50

At a high-profile event hosted by Africa50, a key infrastructure investment platform, Adesina joined CNN’s Richard Quest, Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobissé, and other top leaders to explore innovative financing strategies.

The session, “Unlocking Capital for Africa’s Infrastructure through Innovative Finance,” emphasized:

• Asset recycling: Monetizing existing public infrastructure (e.g., bridges) to reinvest in new projects.

• Green infrastructure: Africa’s share of global green bond issuance is <1%, despite its massive infrastructure needs.

• Risk mitigation: AfDB is launching the Africa Risk Mitigation Agency to consolidate guarantees for climate, equity, and political risks.

• Local currency financing: A push to develop domestic capital markets to avoid exchange rate mismatches.

The Senegambia Bridge—financed with $104 million from the AfDB—was cited as Africa’s first successful asset recycling case.

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A Global Gathering for African Prosperity

Seven African Heads of State, several Prime Ministers, and top regional organizations attended the summit, signaling strong political momentum for the new era of economic cooperation. Dignitaries included:

• Presidents Denis Sassou Nguesso (Congo), Faustin-Archange Touadéra (CAR), Félix Tshisekedi (DRC), among others.

• Prime Ministers from Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, and Lesotho.

• Leadership from the African Union Commission, ECCAS, and SADC.

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From Aid to Ambition

The summit concluded with a strong call to reimagine U.S.–Africa relations, grounded in mutual respect, strategic investment, and long-term development partnerships. With robust political backing and renewed interest from both public and private sectors, the summit signaled a turning point in aligning Africa’s economic ambitions with global capital, technology, and markets.