UBA’s West Africa Regional CEO Campaigns for Sustainable Solutions to Investment Challenges

West Africa: The United Bank of Africa (UBA), Africa’s foremost universally acclaimed financial institute’s West Africa Regional Chief Executive Officer (CEO), has reiterated the bank’s assurance of the continent’s economic wealth as it seeks to address Africa’s demanding infrastructure financing hurdles.

Madam Sarata Kone-Thiam emphasized the urgency for sustainable bankable projects to attract investments and push developmental initiatives across Africa when she remarked at a high-level panel discussion in Accra, Ghana during the Africa Prosperity Dialogue 2025.

The Africa Prosperity Dialogue 2025 which was held at the Accra International Conference Center in Accra, Ghana commenced on Thursday, January 30, 2025, and climaxed on Saturday, February 1, 2025

The Africa Prosperity Dialogue 2025 is a platform to derive a transformational mindset comprising the conglomeration of leading business leaders, policymakers, and development associates focused on pushing for economic amalgamation and sustainable growth across the continent.

Under the main Theme: “Delivering Africa’s Single Market through Infrastructure: with Sub-Theme: Invest, Connect and Integrate”, the occasion brought together key players to brainstorm on adopting new goals which will elevate the continent’s economic prospects.

The event which was graced by the presence of business leaders, financial experts, and top government officials from across Africa, alongside development partners sought to unite stakeholders in their objectives to shape Africa’s economic future by way of strategic partnerships and innovative financing. The Africa Prosperity Dialogue 2025 high-level panel discussion also captured solutions aimed at bridging Africa’s infrastructure obstacles.

The UBA’s West Africa Regional boss also highlighted the urgency of promoting reliance among international stakeholders and African investors to boost long-term investments.

She voiced grave concerns over inadequate bankable ventures while emphasizing that Africa must begin to put at the front burner structured investment suggestions to entice national and international investment partners.

Madam Kone-Thiam further emphasized that Africa’s economic growth rests solely on fostering a cross-border infrastructure and regional collaboration.

She drew the attention of participants at The Africa Prosperity Dialogue 2025 to focus on the unexploited potentials of the continent’s pension funds and remittances scheme.

According to her, Africa’s retirement funds and theUS$100 billion dollars in annual transfers from the diaspora community represent a significant source of capital, which if structured properly, could be directed into transformative infrastructure development initiatives.

Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Madam Antoinette Kwofie, highlighted the urgent need for a more established monitoring environment to attract meaningful investments on the continent.

For his part, Olumide Ogun, Partner at Argentina Capital, wants Africa to look inwardly to find long-lasting solutions to address funding gaps.

“Africa is not poor; Africa’s resources are simply underutilized,” Olumide Ogun said, “We have nearly $1 trillion in pension funds, yet less than 1.5% is invested in infrastructure. If we will strategically allocate just 1% of this capital, we could unlock $10 billion in financing annually for critical projects,” he added.

Also weighing in on the Africa Prosperity Dialogue 2025 theme, Partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, David Ziyambi, emphasized the importance of executing the task of legal and regulatory reforms.

Ziyambi suggested that the modernization of Africa’s financial regulations incorporate an across-the-board infrastructure investment.

He highlighted the need to establish the appropriate legal atmosphere to ensure infrastructure projects are more attractive to international and African investment tycoons.

In closing remarks, the UBA’s West Africa CEO, Kone-Thiam restated the need for Africa to take full control of its development initiatives, while leveraging its resources, building investment-ready projects, and creating an ecosystem of trust that will attract both local and international investors.

She emphasized that UBA remains dedicated to Africa’s long-term prosperity agenda and pledged that the bank will be the lead campaigner in the continent’s search for sustainable financing solutions to support infrastructural and educational development.