DRIVING AFRICA’S INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSFORMATION THROUGH INNOVATION AND STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS - AFRICAN CONTINENTAL ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION NETWORK

DRIVING AFRICA’S INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSFORMATION THROUGH INNOVATION AND STRATEGIC STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS

On 29th September 2025, I had the honor of delivering the keynote address at the 3rd African Continental Engineering, Architecture, Construction and Real Estate Summit (ACEACRES 2025), in my capacity as Chief Executive Officer of the Africa Continental Engineering & Construction Network Ltd and Convenor of ACEACRES 2025.

The summit’s theme, though bold and futuristic “Revolutionizing the Built Environment for Sustainable Infrastructure Development through the Use of Disruptive Innovations, Big Data and Quantum Technologies”, centered around a single and powerful concept: infrastructure.

This was not a theoretical debate. It was a clarion call to change the African infrastructure narrative and finally position the continent for the socio-economic transformation it desperately needs.

Clarifying Our Position

Before we delve into the substance of the discussion, let me set the record straight. I am not a Pan-Africanist in the ideological or emotional sense. Likewise, the Africa Continental Engineering & Construction Network Ltd is not a Pan-African movement. We are not driven by slogans, sentimentality, or historical grievances.

Instead, we are a solutions-oriented, professional, and practical organization committed to developing Africa through collaborative innovation, private sector leadership, and strategic partnerships. We believe no nation or continent thrives in isolation. The path forward lies in cooperation, not confrontation. In vision, not victimhood.

The Infrastructure Crisis in Africa

Let’s speak plainly: Africa lacks basic and strategic infrastructure. From transport networks and power systems to water and sanitation, logistics and digital connectivity, the infrastructure gap is holding the continent back. In fact, the cost of doing business in Africa is significantly higher than in regions like China not because of a lack of opportunity but because of poor foundational systems and basic infrastructure.

According to the Africa-Europe Foundation (2025), Africa needs approximately USD $170 billion annually to meet its infrastructure needs. Yet, while urbanization is exploding, infrastructure investment and development are stagnating. The infrastructure deficit is not just a development issue, it’s an economic emergency that deserves urgent attention.

The Real Question: Is It Money or Mindset?

So, what exactly is Africa lacking; resources or intellectual capital. We believe the answer is a foregone conclusion to all of us. Africa has brilliant minds, visionary entrepreneurs, skilled engineers, and world-class professionals. Across the globe, Africans are innovating in technology, design and development. We do not lack talent. What we lack is political will, leadership vision, and the right structural mechanisms to channel our capital and capabilities into actionable and large-scale infrastructure delivery.

Dispelling the Myth of Poverty

We’ve heard the narrative too many times: “Africa is poor.” But this is a deeply flawed and frankly outdated narrative. Africa is not poor. Africa is rich in resources, wealthy in human capital, and abundant in investment potential. The problem is not lack of money, but lack of initiative, coordination, and bold leadership.

Far too often, we default to dependency, turning to external donors, foreign loans, and development partners to fund projects that could be driven internally by Africa’s own private sector. Let’s be very clear: Africa can fund its own infrastructure development without borrowing a dime from the coffers of any African state or development partners.

A New Model: African-Led, Private-Sector Powered

We do not subscribe to the intellectually lazy solution of always turning to foreign aid or international loans. Instead, we propose a practical, business-oriented and entirely home-grown model built on five key thematic areas:

Policy Leadership – Not Public Spending

Africa’s political leaders do not need to fund infrastructure projects with public money. They simply need to create the right policies that make infrastructure a bankable business opportunity. Let’s take one example: a 10-year Pan-African Railway Master Plan, designed and offered as an investment opportunity to the private sector. This would lower intra-African trade costs, improve logistics, attract massive private capital and transform the continent’s economic landscape.

Bank-Led Infrastructure Financing; The Consortium Model

Africa’s financial sector is robust enough to carry the load. Consider the numbers, for example, the Standard Bank Group – USD $913.93 billion in assets (2025, CompaniesMarketCap.com), the FirstRand Bank – ZAR 2.297 trillion in assets (Fitch, April 2025), the Absa Group – USD $116 billion in assets (2024), the Ecobank International – USD $28.89 billion in assets just to mention a few. A banking consortium formed by these African giants can raise the funds needed for any infrastructure project on the continent, from highways and bridges to smart cities and data centres.

Risk Management – Insurance Consortium Approach

To de-risk investments and attract serious capital, a continental insurance consortium must be established. Leading African insurers—such as Sanlam Group, Old Mutual, and Enterprise Group et cetera can collaborate to underwrite large-scale infrastructure projects, giving banks and investors the confidence to commit long-term capital into these infrastructure investment projects.

Execution Through BOT – Build, Operate, Transfer

Infrastructure projects should be developed using the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model; the private sector designs, finances and builds the infrastructure. They operate it for an agreed period to recoup investment and ownership is then transferred back to the government or public entity. This approach promotes efficiency, ensures sustainability and removes the burden from the state.

Sustainable Management – Facility Management Consortium

To avoid the poor maintenance culture that plagues many African countries, we propose a consortium of African facility management firms to handle operations, maintenance and long-term sustainability. It’s time we moved away from “build and abandon” to build, manage, sustain and scale up.

This Is Not a Dream – It Is a Blueprint

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not motivational speaking. This is a workable blueprint for Africa’s infrastructure transformation. If implemented, it would spark a revolution not of politics but of purpose. It is my hope that one day I will stand before the African Union General Assembly to present this vision. Until then, it may seem as if the continent is in a state of rest, waiting for an external force to act. But we are the force. We are the catalyst and the time is now.

In Conclusion

Africa’s infrastructure crisis will not be solved by the IMF or donor countries or foreign grants.  Everything we need is right here on African soil, in African hands. Let us stop waiting. Let us stop begging. Let us build. Join the movement not of protest but of progress.

In drawing the curtains, let me remind you that the Africa Continental Engineering & Construction Network Ltd still remains the leading real estate and infrastructure services provider in Ghana and across the continent. 

From land acquisition, property development, and brokerage services to industry thought leadership, we are redefining the built environment. Access all our services with just a phone call visit our website to read more about us. Long live the Africa Continental Engineering & Construction Network Ltd. Long live Ghana. Long live the African Continent.

References

• Africa-Europe Foundation. (2025). Unlocking $170 billion annually to meet Africa’s infrastructure needs. Retrieved from https://www.africaeuropefoundation.org/areas-of-action/new-report-calls-for-unlocking-dollar170-billion-annually-to-meet-africa%27s-infrastructure-needs/

• United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). (2025). Africa faces infrastructure financing gap of $170 billion – UNECA official. APA News. Retrieved from https://apanews.net/africa-faces-infrastructure-financing-gap-of-170b-uneca-official/

• Standard Bank Group. (2025). Financial highlights. Retrieved from https://www.standardbank.com/sbg/standard-bank-group/investor-relations/financial-highlights

• The Business & Financial Times. (2025, October 8). Bridging Ghana and Africa’s US$170B infrastructure gap. Retrieved from https://thebftonline.com/2025/10/08/bridging-ghana-and-africas-us170b-infrastructure-gap/

• Ghana News Agency. (2023, January). Africa needs US$170 billion annually to bridge infrastructure gap – Veep. Retrieved from https://gna.org.gh/2023/01/africa-needs-us170-billion-annually-to-bridge-infrastructure-gap-veep/

• African Development Bank. (2022, November 9). COP27: African and global partners launch multi-billion-dollar Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa. Retrieved from https://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/press-releases/cop27-african-and-global-partners-launch-multi-billion-alliance-green-infrastructure-56403

• Shore. Africa. (2025, April 16). Top 15 largest banks in Africa by assets.

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About Author

Daniel Kontie

Daniel Kontie is a young enthusiastic Ghanaian entrepreneur, the executive chairman of the Africa Infrastructure Group, the Group Comprises the Africa Continental Engineering and Construction Network Ltd, the Falcon 48 Developers, the Africa Infrastructure Energy and the Africa Land Banking Investment Ltd. All these are young establishments disrupting the conventional way branding building across the globe. Daniel is a columnist, a writer and a member of the Built Environment Writers Association of Ghana. He can be contacted via the contacts: +233209032280 / +233209032280. Email Address: d.kontie@acecnltd.com. Website: https://www.acecnltd.com/