New York, United States – Africa took center stage in New York’s Times Square as global leaders gathered for Unstoppable Africa 2025, the flagship forum of the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI). The high-profile event, held at the Marriott Marquis just ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, positioned Africa not as a passive participant in the global economy but as a driving force of future growth.
Hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the forum drew heads of state, CEOs, investors, and policymakers from across the continent and beyond. CNN’s Larry Madowo and Al Jazeera’s Folly Bah Thibault returned to moderate discussions.
Guterres described Africa as “the centre of opportunity” in a turbulent world, citing the continent’s young population, vast energy potential, and creative industries as engines of prosperity. “Our challenge and responsibility is to turn these extraordinary possibilities into sustainable prosperity,” he told delegates.
UN Global Compact CEO Sanda Ojiambo echoed the sentiment, urging a shift “from doing business in Africa to doing business with Africa.” Since its creation in 2022, GABI has focused on themes such as trade, digital transformation, food systems, energy, and the creative industries, aiming to build inclusive private-sector growth across the continent.
The event brought together some of Africa’s most influential voices. Strive Masiyiwa, founder of ECONET Global, called the forum “a powerful platform for African and global leaders, and the world’s biggest companies to engage with Africa.” Fourteen CEOs representing companies from 16 countries, with a combined revenue of $22 billion, met in closed sessions with UN and AU leaders, urging governments to improve the business environment and create conditions for long-term investment.
Speakers highlighted Africa’s rising importance in critical minerals, renewable energy, and trade corridors. Botswana’s Minerals and Energy Minister, Bogolo Kenewendo, outlined plans to process minerals locally to capture more value. Angola’s President João Lourenço championed the Lobito Corridor as a gateway to regional industrial growth, while Botswana’s President Duma Boko pressed for harmonized laws and stronger public-private partnerships to enable trade.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organization, noted that global companies seeking to diversify supply chains are increasingly looking to Africa, particularly in sectors like textiles and green energy.
The Rockefeller Foundation’s Rajiv Shah revealed that 32 nations are expected to sign new energy agreements this week, mobilizing $50 billion in affordable finance to support electrification and Mission 300, a pan-African initiative to expand reliable power.
Day one of the forum closed with a call from Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobissé for the continent’s institutional investors to step up. “Africans must take the lead in driving our development,” he said, noting that even a small increase in local infrastructure investment could close significant funding gaps.
With trade, food systems, and digital innovation still to come on day two, Unstoppable Africa 2025 is setting the tone for Africa’s role in shaping global growth.
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