The African Green Economy and Sustainability Institute (AGESI) has unveiled a comprehensive foundational strategy designed to propel Africa to the forefront of the global green economy revolution.
The blueprint, born out of AGESI’s inaugural webinar held in June 2025 and meticulously documented in its recent foundational report, calls for urgent, continent-wide collaborative action centred on sustainable development, climate resilience, and economic transformation.
Africa stands at a paradoxical crossroads, disproportionately burdened by climate change despite contributing less than 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while simultaneously holding vast natural resources, including 60% of the world’s best solar potential, and critical mineral reserves essential to green technologies.
The report underscores the continent’s “single greatest economic and social opportunity of our lifetime” to leapfrog traditional, carbon-intensive development models and pioneer equitable green industrialisation.
“It is not an option but a necessity,” said Dr Eugene Itua, AGESI Executive Director. “The scale of climate vulnerability and the urgent need for inclusive growth demand that we transform our ambitions into tangible, bankable actions—now.”
A pivotal keynote by Dr Ibrahim Pam, Chairman of the World Bank Inspection Panel, underscored governance as the bedrock of successful green leadership.
“Without governance, transparency, and accountability, the inflow of green finance could become a curse—fueling corruption, conflict, and inequality,” Pam warned. “Embedding these pillars is non-negotiable if Africa is to de-risk investments and build public trust.”
AGESI positions itself as an academic think tank and a “do-tank” charged with operationalising these principles through practical tools, training, and advocacy. The report highlights the imperative of African ownership and intellect in shaping green policies.
Dr Rose Mwebaza, Director at UNEP, reiterated that Africa’s green economy narrative must arise from African research and perspectives.
“By championing homegrown knowledge,” she said, “we ensure policies are coherent and tailored to our continent’s unique realities.”
Similarly, Prof. Lawrence Ezemonye from Nigeria’s Committee of Vice-Chancellors pledged the university system’s commitment to delivering green human capital, producing not just job seekers but creators of green jobs.
A critical breakthrough identified is the shortage of investment-ready projects.
Prof. Anthony Nyong of the African Development Bank (AfDB) candidly stated, “We have no shortage of capital globally, but a dearth of bankable projects. AGESI’s catalytic role is to fill that gap—unlocking, incubating, and accelerating projects to the point the AfDB and others can confidently finance them.”
Inclusivity stands out as a guiding principle.
Ambassador Dr Safiya Nuhu underscored the imperative to embed gender equity and social inclusion at the heart of green transitions, warning that development efforts failing this test are doomed to fail.
“It’s about governance, not just finance or infrastructure,” she said, citing the absence of women on key commissions as indicative of broader systemic barriers.
Mfon Ekong Usoro, former Secretary General of the MoU on Port State Control, expanded this to a whole-of-government approach, restating the connections between green and blue economies, and ensuring that solutions do not inadvertently create new challenges.
Practical financing solutions featured prominently. Olapeju Ibekwe, CEO of Sterling One Foundation, outlined a private sector action plan focused on mapping investors, de-risking projects, and fostering stakeholder collaboration.
Dr Othniel Yila, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser, advocated for a national climate trust fund modelled on Tonga’s successful experiment, empowering community-based finance with agility and direct reach.
Usoro further detailed the need for domestic financial ecosystems, calling for a green finance taxonomy, central bank incentives, carbon markets, and mandatory disclosures to incentivise and mainstream green lending and green investment.
Tomas Sales, Lead of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub at UNDP, articulated AGESI’s unique contribution as an independent, neutral convener that bridges the government, private sector, academia, and civil society.
“AGESI’s agility and African-led innovation position it uniquely to create practical solutions and mobilise resources effectively,” said Sales.
The report distills AGESI’s mission into five strategic pillars (including championing good governance, transparency, and accountability to establish trustworthy frameworks is crucial for attracting investment; building human capital through revamped curricula and specialised training in universities and vocational sectors, cultivating engineers, policymakers, financiers, and entrepreneurs of the green economy; incubating and scaling bankable projects, providing hands-on technical support to transform ideas into investment-ready initiatives; architecting African-led knowledge and narratives by producing data-driven, authoritative research that defines Africa’s green transition on its own terms; and serving as a neutral convener and bridge-builder, fostering radical cross-sector collaboration essential for systemic change).
AGESI director added, “The journey ahead is immense, but our African resolve is greater. AGESI is ready. Now, the work begins.”
This foundational report and webinar proceedings mark a pivotal moment for Africa’s green transition. With concrete strategies, African intellectual leadership, and collaborative frameworks, AGESI aims to close the critical gaps between policy intent, financing, human resources, and implementation.
In a continent where climate risks and economic opportunities intersect dramatically, such an agile institution is vital for sustainable development, inclusive growth, and intergenerational equity. Africa’s green economic future, long overshadowed by global narratives of vulnerability, is now being shaped at home, with AGESI pioneering the path as a transformative “do-tank”.
