Business

Abuja conclave calls for stronger institutions, smarter capital deployment in Africa

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Policymakers, business leaders, academics, and strategic thinkers from across Africa converged in Abuja over the weekend for a high-level closed-door conclave focused on governance reform, infrastructure delivery, capital mobilisation, and positioning the continent more strategically within an evolving global order.

Held under the Global Strategy Nexus, the Abuja Conclave attracted participants from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Liberia, with discussions centred on strengthening African institutions, improving execution capacity, and developing practical long-term frameworks capable of accelerating sustainable growth and enhancing the continent’s competitiveness in a shifting geopolitical landscape.

The conclave renewed calls for continental collaboration, institutional reform, and long-term frameworks capable of positioning Africa more strategically within the emerging global order.

Speaking at the opening session, Convener of the Abuja Conclave, Dr. Brian O Reuben, said Africa must move from being a passive participant in global systems to becoming an active architect of them. “Things are shifting and Africa cannot continue to exist as a permanent rule-taker,” he said.

“If you don’t participate in shaping the systems and structures that govern the world, you’ll ultimately be forced to live within systems designed by others.”

According to him, the conclave was intentionally designed as a strategic working room focused on clarity, execution, and practical solutions to Africa’s most pressing governance and economic challenges.

“This is not a summit,” he stated. “It’s a working room for serious thinkers willing to confront difficult realities, challenge assumptions, and pursue practical solutions.”

Before the commencement of the conclave’s executive working sessions, Dr. Reuben also announced the launch of the Pan-African Leadership Prize, a continental initiative aimed at identifying and supporting exceptional young African thinkers aged 30 and under.

He said the initiative was created in response to Africa’s insufficient investment in young people capable of thinking deeply about leadership, governance, and national development. “

What we do in this room matters,” he said. “But what we build beyond it matters just as much.” Applicants for the initiative will submit original essays responding to the question: “If you had the power to shape your country over the next 10 years, what would you do—and how would you execute it?”

According to Dr. Reuben, submissions will undergo a rigorous review process, after which 20 fellows will be selected strictly on the strength of their ideas, clarity of thought, and practical understanding of governance and nation-building. Selected fellows will receive a $5,000 Leadership Fellowship Package, access to a continental network of peers, and strategic engagement opportunities across Africa. Submissions close on July 31, 2026.

The conclave also featured contributions from Chairman of Liberia’s Policy Advisory Council, Elias Shoniyin, who emphasised that Africa’s long-term progress would depend on building strong institutions and governance systems capable of outliving political administrations and individual leaders.

Dean of the UPSA Law School in Ghana, Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi, also highlighted the growing impact of geopolitics on African economies and everyday life, noting that global conflicts increasingly shape trade, energy prices, and economic stability across the continent.

Referencing tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, Abotsi explained that geopolitics is no longer an abstract global concept but a direct factor influencing the lives of ordinary Africans.

He also stressed that foreign powers continue to maintain significant strategic interests in Africa’s future and internal affairs. A major theme that emerged during the discussions was the urgent need to strengthen execution capacity across African institutions, particularly within infrastructure delivery and public-private partnerships.

My-ACE China, Chief Executive Officer of Mayor of Housing Limited, warned that political interference continues to undermine the effectiveness of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) across the continent.

According to him, many infrastructure failures stem not from the absence of policy or strategy, but from weak execution structures and excessive political interference. “

A functional PPP is a public-private partnership,” he said. “The dysfunctional version becomes a public-political partnership.” China argued that sustainable infrastructure development would require stronger institutional discipline, professional accountability, and reduced political influence over long-term projects.

The conclave also examined Africa’s capital mobilisation challenges and the role of financial intermediation in driving enterprise growth.

Professor Uche Uwaleke of Nasarawa State University stressed the need to connect available institutional capital to productive sectors and SMEs capable of accelerating economic growth across the continent.

According to him, Africa’s development challenge is not necessarily a shortage of capital, but the inability to efficiently channel existing resources toward enterprise development.

Participants at the Abuja Conclave repeatedly emphasised that Africa’s future competitiveness would depend on stronger institutions, disciplined execution, strategic clarity, and indigenous solutions capable of producing measurable outcomes.