Emeka Uzomba, Director of Banking and Special Initiatives at Afreximbank, has challenged the narrative that Africa’s infrastructure challenges are rooted in a lack of funding, instead pointing to the absence of well-structured, viable projects as the major obstacle.
Speaking at the Africa Prosperity Network (APN) webinar, Uzomba explained that development finance institutions (DFIs) such as Afreximbank are ready and willing to invest, but struggle to find credible projects with strong sponsors and proper governance structures. He stressed the need for private-sector-driven initiatives, noting that capital-intensive infrastructure projects are often inefficient when managed by governments.
Uzomba called for a shift in thinking, urging that infrastructure be viewed as an economic venture that offers returns on investment, and advocating for better-planned public-private partnerships (PPPs) aligned with long-term development goals. His comments come as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) progresses, underlining the urgency of closing infrastructure gaps across the continent.
