African finance ministers, development financiers and infrastructure leaders have called for greater use of asset recycling as an innovative financing tool to help bridge the continent's infrastructure funding gap and accelerate economic growth.
The discussion took place during a high-level roundtable held on the sidelines of the Africa50 General Shareholders' Meeting (GSM) and the Infra for Africa Forum at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam.
Tanzania's Minister for Finance, Ambassador Khamis Mussa Omar, joined fellow policymakers and industry leaders in examining how governments can unlock capital tied up in mature public assets and channel the proceeds into new infrastructure investments.
The forum, held under the theme “A Decade of Economic Impact: From Ambition to Delivery,” focused on practical approaches to mobilising long-term financing for roads, ports, energy, water and other strategic infrastructure projects across Africa.
Participants noted that asset recycling remains largely underutilised on the continent despite its potential to generate funding without significantly increasing public debt. Under the model, governments lease or concession operational public assets to private investors and reinvest the proceeds in new development projects.
The discussion also highlighted the need for stronger public-private partnerships, improved project preparation and policies that can attract institutional investors to infrastructure ventures.
Among the leaders who participated were Chad's Minister of State for Finance, Budget, Economy, Planning and International Cooperation, Tahir Hamid Nguilin; Mozambique's Finance Minister Carla Loveira; Rwanda's Minister of State for Public Investment and Resource Mobilisation, Tesi Rusagara; Gambia's Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Seedy K. M. Keita; and Somalia's Minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, Abdirahman Haile.
Other participants included Africa50 Chief Executive Officer Alain Ebobissé, TDB Group President and Chief Executive Officer Admassu Tadesse, ATIDI Chief Executive Officer Manuel Moses, and representatives from financial institutions, infrastructure funds and development agencies.
The roundtable formed part of wider discussions at the Africa50 meetings aimed at identifying sustainable financing solutions and strengthening collaboration between governments and investors to accelerate infrastructure delivery across the continent.