NEW YORK, United States of America, September 23, 2025 – The launch of the Africa Saving for Growth programme under the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI) is drawing strong international attention, especially as new opportunities emerge from the upcoming EG 2026 Licensing Round in Equatorial Guinea.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and the Africa Social Security Association (ASSA), aims to unlock over $1.17 trillion in institutional savings to support infrastructure and long-term development projects across the continent.
The partnership builds on AFC’s 2025 analysis, which identified vast pools of institutional capital across Africa that remain underutilized.
By providing frameworks to mobilize pension funds, social security portfolios, and sovereign wealth resources, the programme aligns perfectly with Africa’s broader agenda to harness domestic capital for transformative projects, including new oil and gas exploration opportunities emerging through the EG 2026 Licensing Round.
A Strategic Moment for Africa’s Energy and Infrastructure
The EG 2026 Licensing Round represents one of the continent’s most important upstream milestones, offering investors access to both offshore and onshore blocks.
Equatorial Guinea is seeking to attract international energy companies while ensuring local participation and sustainable growth.
As this licensing round approaches, initiatives like Africa Saving for Growth highlight how domestic capital can be strategically aligned with external investment to advance exploration, energy security, and infrastructure development simultaneously.
Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of AFC, emphasized the urgency of Africa-led solutions:
“Africa-led investment is the most effective way to achieve transformation at scale.
By joining forces, our pension funds and financial institutions can unlock new opportunities, drive development, and demonstrate the power of collective action to build the continent’s future.
This momentum directly complements strategic initiatives like the EG 2026 Licensing Round, which can attract capital and expertise while delivering shared prosperity.”
Building Capital Pathways for Development
The programme sets clear deliverables:
Capital-Pools Database: A comprehensive dataset of African institutional savings, enabling better access for policymakers and investors.
Policy Reform Roadmap: Guidelines to allow pension and social-security funds to safely invest in long-term infrastructure while meeting fiduciary requirements.
Savings Mobilisation Playbook: Country-level strategies to expand participation and reduce informality in savings systems.
Diversification Models: Frameworks to shift portfolios away from short-term, low-yield instruments into higher-impact investments.
This structure mirrors the transparent and forward-looking approach of the EG 2026 Licensing Round, which seeks to create a level playing field for energy companies and investors exploring Equatorial Guinea’s hydrocarbon opportunities.
Aligning with Africa’s Vision 2063
Meshach Bandawe, Secretary General of ASSA, highlighted the importance of regional collaboration:
“This alliance is a pivotal step for Africa’s long-term savings community. It reflects the ambition of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, which envisions a prosperous and inclusive Africa connected by infrastructure and powered by shared growth.
Licensing rounds such as the EG 2026 Licensing Round are practical opportunities to ensure our capital works for Africa’s future.”
Khalid Safir, Director General of Morocco’s CDG Group, added:
“Harnessing domestic savings and transforming them into drivers of economic and social development is the greatest challenge and opportunity.
By supporting initiatives like the EG 2026 Licensing Round, we ensure Africa has the tools to finance its future responsibly.”
Toward a Balanced Future
Africa’s infrastructure gap remains one of the largest barriers to inclusive growth.
Yet, with domestic capital mobilization and carefully designed upstream initiatives like the EG 2026 Licensing Round, the continent is positioned to secure investment, strengthen resilience, and deliver sustainable development.
The partnership between AFC and ASSA, under the GABI platform, reinforces Africa’s ability to chart its own growth trajectory.
By channeling long-term savings into high-impact projects while leveraging the momentum of global energy opportunities, Africa can transition from dependency on external financing to becoming an investment hub of choice.
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