Ikeja: The Africa Think Tank for Infrastructure Development (ATTID) has called for global partnerships and Nigerian participation at the G20 Summit scheduled for South Africa in November 2025. Prof. Sylvester Akhaine, Director of Strategic Communication, and Dr. Alfred Chiakor, Director of Planning and Implementation at ATTID, made this call during a press conference in Ikeja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the theme of the conference was 'The Imperatives of Global Partnership for Africa's Infrastructural Development', highlighting concerns over Africa's significant infrastructure deficit. They noted that Africa requires $170 billion annually to close the infrastructure gap, underscoring the urgency of international collaboration for economic progress. Akhaine emphasized that bridging this gap is essential for the continent's prosperity and sustainable growth.
He urged Nigerians to actively participate in the G20 Summit, taking place in South Africa from 20 to 23 November 2025, and announced that ATTID has been approved to host the Infrastructure and Sustainable Development side event at the summit. This side event, occurring before the main summit, will bring together world leaders, CEOs of global development and financial institutions, regulators, and infrastructure entrepreneurs. It will be held at the Lakewood Conference Centre, Johannesburg, from Nov. 20 to 21, under the theme: 'Enhancing Africa's Infrastructure Transformation Agenda through Investments and Partnership.'
Akhaine provided insights into Africa's investment outlook, infrastructure statistics, and compared its status with developed economies, calling on global and African investors to seize the opportunity for impactful investments with long-term returns. He highlighted roads, energy, water, sanitation, ports, and airports as crucial for economic development and regional integration, noting that Africa suffers systemic infrastructure challenges that hinder the continent's full potential.
He pointed out that with a rising population and urbanization, the situation is worsening, making infrastructure development a critical priority for sustainable growth. Citing the African Development Bank, he noted that Africa needs $130-$170 billion yearly for infrastructure across energy, transport, water, and urban sectors. He also referenced the World Bank's 2023 report, which showed Sub-Saharan Africa's fiscal deficit rose from 4.8 percent to 5.2 percent of GDP between 2021 and 2022.
He stressed that addressing these challenges demands strategic partnerships and cross-sector collaboration. The side event aims to strengthen engagement among governments, investors, regulators, and infrastructure providers, with participation from regional economic commissions, venture capital firms, and international development bodies.