Africa’s next wave of infrastructure investment will be led by energy, transport, and logistics, as governments and private investors shift focus to sectors capable of unlocking industrialisation, boosting intra-African trade, and supporting manufacturing, according to Bowale Odumade, founder and chief executive officer of SeedTree Capital.
In an exclusive interview with BusinessDay, Odumade said reliable electricity remains the continent’s most urgent infrastructure priority, warning that Africa’s ambitions for economic transformation will remain constrained unless power deficits are addressed.
“Energy comes first,” Odumade said. “Nearly half of Africans lack reliable electricity, and without it, everything else becomes more difficult and more expensive.”
Africa faces an infrastructure financing gap estimated at more than $100 billion annually, according to the African Development Bank, with inadequate electricity, inefficient transport systems, and weak logistics networks continuing to undermine productivity, investment, and regional trade.
Odumade said while the continent possesses abundant energy resources, the biggest challenge is mobilising finance for projects and ensuring power reaches consumers and industries.
