Chairman of Access Holdings Plc and President of the France-Nigeria Business Council (FNBC), Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, has said Africa’s moment has arrived, but warned that real transformation across the continent will depend on deliberate execution rather than promise alone.
Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, Aig-Imoukhuede said Africa is no longer on the margins of global dynamics but increasingly at the centre of global economic and geopolitical shifts.
According to him, changing supply chains, selective capital flows, and evolving geopolitical alliances have positioned Africa’s demographic strength, natural resources, and entrepreneurial energy as key drivers of future global growth.
Framing his remarks around his over three decades of experience in banking and institution-building across Africa, Aig-Imoukhuede said his journey has consistently been guided by one defining question — how Africa can close the development gap with the rest of the world.
He noted that the challenge requires not only building businesses, but also institutions capable of driving large-scale transformation across the continent.
“Africa is not on the margins of global change; it is at the centre. But potential alone will not deliver transformation; capital mobilisation, institutional strength, and execution will,” he stated.
While acknowledging Africa’s compelling growth story driven by population growth, urbanisation, and innovation, Aig-Imoukhuede stressed that optimism alone would not guarantee prosperity.
According to him, Africa must move beyond narratives of promise and embrace a culture of disciplined execution through strong institutions, consistent policy implementation, and the ability to attract and deploy long-term capital effectively.
He warned that without those conditions, the continent risks underperforming despite its vast advantages.
Aig-Imoukhuede also called for a redefinition of Africa’s partnerships with Europe, arguing that future engagements must move beyond aid, extraction, and symbolic cooperation.
“The next 50 years cannot simply be aid, extraction, or symbolic partnership. It must become co-building,” he said.
He explained that such partnerships should focus on jointly developing infrastructure, technology ecosystems, industrial capacity, and financial systems capable of delivering shared economic outcomes.
According to him, Europe’s future competitiveness will increasingly depend on stronger engagement with Africa as a market, talent base, and strategic economic partner.
The Access Holdings Chairman further called for collective action among African governments, institutions, and businesses to mobilise domestic savings, invest in critical infrastructure, and prioritise long-term value creation over short-term gains.
He stressed the need for a broader continental mindset focused on collective progress and stronger regional collaboration.
As discussions at the Africa Forward Summit concluded, Aig-Imoukhuede maintained that the real question before Africa was no longer whether opportunities exist, but whether leaders and institutions possess the discipline, scale, and ambition required to convert those opportunities into lasting transformation.
