Leaders and high-stakes investors met homegrown innovation that focused on growth through domestic ownership at the AFNIS 2025 Summit in Abuja Nigeria this month.
The African Natural Resources and Energy Investment Summit (AFNIS 2025) returns for its fourth edition in Abuja Nigeria this month, with a sharpened focus on driving industrial transformation and local value creation across the continent.
According to recent reports, Africa is moving beyond its traditional role as a raw material supplier to the world; the continent is now determined to become a powerhouse of value-added production and innovation.
As per report by Suleiman Zakari, Co-Chair of AFNIS 2025, The summit was the “most impactful of all prior editions.”
“We’re seeing strong interest from across the continent and globally—government leaders, CEOs, and investors are recognizing the importance of working together,” says Zakari.
Under the theme “Harnessing Local Content for Sustainable Development,” the summit is geared to unlock over $500 million in clean energy and SME-driven deals, marking a bold shift from policy discussions to industrial implementation.
Dignitaries and dealmakers made their way to Nigeria, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dr. Oladele “Dele” Alake, Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development and Chair of the Africa Minerals Strategy Group.
They were joined by key ministers from Kenya, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Liberia, Senegal, and South Sudan.
From major development banks to private industry giants, the summit drew attendance from the African Development Bank (AfDB), African Finance Corporation (AFC), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), the UN, ECOWAS, and WHO.
Private players including ASBA Group, Ganfeng Lithium, BUA Group, Engie, Saudi Aramco, and Oando also participated, alongside delegations from the Indian Business Council and German AHK.
One of the headlines features this year is the launch of the “Africans for Africa Fund”—a game-changing initiative aimed at unlocking capital within the continent.
The fund will support SME mineral processors, clean energy startups, and agritech entrepreneurs by offering equity, microcredit, and financing.
With a clear goal to mobilize deals by the end of the year, this fund signals a serious move toward intra-African investment and ownership of the value chain.
AFNIS 2025 also marked a landmark in Nigeria’s industrial capabilities with the commissioning of a 4,000 tons-per-day lithium processing plant near Abuja by ASBA Group. This facility, one of the first of its kind on the continent, underscores Nigeria’s commitment to value addition in critical minerals that power electric vehicles and renewable energy systems.
In parallel, a new Nigeria–Uganda Tin Refinery Consortium will be unveiled, signaling yet another step away from raw exports and toward domestic processing and job creation.
Investors who attended the summit also gained access to insights through the release of SEforALL’s Critical Minerals Investment Study, which maps opportunities across Africa’s resource-rich corridors.
The report is expected to guide both local and international players in channelling sustainable capital into the continent’s critical mineral value chains, aligning with ESG principles and long-term profitability.
At the intersection of mining, clean energy, and agriculture lies AFNIS 2025’s most dynamic engine: the SMEs. From hybrid solar-mining power plants to agro-processing hubs near mining communities, over 1,000 participants—ranging from clean energy innovators to financial institutions and mining startups— pitched networked, and signed agreements that redefine Africa’s industrial roadmap.
What makes this summit particularly transformative was its focus on domestic capital mobilization. Regional financiers such as AfDB, IFC, AFC, and DBSA will collaborate with Nigeria’s Solid Minerals Development Fund (SMDF) and SEforALL to finance downstream infrastructure and SME projects.
Dr. Alake’s message was clear: Africa must stop exporting jobs by exporting raw materials. The future lies in building refineries, factories, and energy systems within the continent; on its own terms, with its own resources, and for its own people.
