Africa is seeking a stronger position in the global economy as business leaders, heads of state, investors, policymakers and international partners gathered in New York to advance discussions on trade, investment and value creation.

The fifth edition of the Global Africa Business Initiative’s (GABI) flagship event, Unstoppable Africa 2026, was held alongside the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, placing Africa’s business priorities at the centre of global discussions.

The event, held at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, brought together senior figures from business, government and international institutions, including UN Secretary-General H.E. António Guterres, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States on Arab and African Affairs.

Guterres called for stronger African representation in global decision-making, including a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

“Africa needs a permanent presence on the United Nations Security Council, where it can contribute to dialogue and action for the whole globe.”

The UN Secretary-General also said Africa’s increasing influence in global markets should be matched by greater representation in international affairs. He called for reforms that better address the needs of developing countries, particularly those in Africa, while urging the continent to derive more local value and decent employment from its natural resources, including critical minerals, instead of relying primarily on exports.

Critical minerals, trade, energy and investment featured prominently during the opening day, reflecting a broader focus on moving Africa beyond its traditional role as a supplier of raw materials towards developing businesses, industries and value chains capable of retaining more economic opportunities on the continent.

H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said Africa’s population of 1.5 billion and expanding market presented significant economic opportunities. However, he stressed the need to accelerate African value-chain development and remove trade barriers to support industrial transformation.

According to Youssouf, affordable energy, improved infrastructure, access to finance, skills, technology and clear standards are among the requirements needed to convert Africa’s market potential into faster economic growth.

Private-sector leaders were also central to the discussions, examining how the continent’s natural resources, markets and human capital could be converted into productive economic capacity.

The Leaders Panel featured Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of the Africa Finance Corporation; Aliko Dangote, Founder and Chairman of the Dangote Group; Mandy DeFilippo, CEO of Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa at Standard Chartered; Nonkululeko Nyembezi, Chairperson of Standard Bank Group; Nolitha Fakude, Chairperson of Anglo American South Africa; and Tidjane Thiam, General Partner at Allied Critical Minerals Fund.

The business leaders emphasised the importance of moving beyond the export of raw materials such as critical minerals and crude oil by expanding local processing, manufacturing and value chains that can create employment and retain a greater share of economic value within Africa.

A major development announced at the event was the first close of the US$300 million Nigeria Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) Fund, which has secured its initial capital commitments and entered operation.

The fund is co-managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Africa50 and will provide equity financing to local clean-energy developers. Its investments will support decentralised energy solutions, including solar mini-grids, solar home systems, commercial and industrial power systems, and energy storage.

The initiative is aligned with Mission 300, which seeks to connect 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030. The Nigeria DRE Fund is intended to attract private investment while expanding access to reliable electricity for homes and businesses across the country.

Energy remained a major theme of the gathering, with Anna Bjerde, Managing Director of Operations at the World Bank Group, and Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All, participating in discussions on innovative financing for Africa’s power infrastructure and efforts to accelerate reliable energy access.

Healthcare also formed part of the broader economic discussions. Roche reaffirmed its commitment to improving breast cancer care through its Africa Breast Cancer Ambition (ABCA), which aims to help 80% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Africa survive for at least five years by 2030.

Unstoppable Africa 2026 continues on September 21st with additional sessions examining digital transformation, investment, creative industries, sport and Africa’s position in the global economy.

The event is also being streamed live on the Unstoppable Africa YouTube channel.

Source: United Nations Global Compact