In its recently released foundational report, the African Green Economy and Sustainability Institute (AGESI) casts a compelling vision for Africa’s bold leap into a sustainable future.
The foreword, penned by Emeritus Professor Babajide Alo, Patron of AGESI and former Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Lagos, along with endorsements from distinguished public officials, sets the tone for a continent-wide movement to reimagine development through an environmental and economic lens unified by urgency and optimism.
Reflecting on over four decades of witnessing Africa’s evolving development discourse, Alo wrote, “For too long, we treated the environment and the economy as separate domains, often viewing sustainability as a constraint rather than an opportunity.”
The inaugural AGESI webinar and accompanying report, he said, marked a definitive end to that era, launching a new paradigm that demands action beyond awareness. He asserts AGESI’s unique role as an agile “do-tank” designed to harness the continent’s intellectual capital, producing concrete, lasting value for Africa’s people.
The report’s foreword also carries the strong support of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Environment through Honourable Minister Balarabe Abbas Lawal. Represented by Aisha Odetoro, the Minister underscores that Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda places sustainable development and stewardship at its core.
He wrote, “AGESI is not an external entity but a vital and necessary partner in our collective mission, a catalyst designed to help translate national policies into concrete action, private sector investment, and on-the-ground results.”
Lawal highlights the importance of whole-of-society collaboration, stating, “Where government sets the direction, we need agile institutions like AGESI to help build the road.”
Leading the institute, AGESI Executive Director Dr Eugene Itua articulates the foundational challenge and opportunity Africa faces.
He frames the continent’s climate vulnerability as a stark economic paradox.
“Africa contributes less than four per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions yet suffers disproportionately from climate impacts,” the AGESI boss noted.
Conversely, Africa holds unrivalled natural assets, including 60 per cent of the world’s solar potential and vast critical mineral reserves, which position it to lead in global green industrialisation.
Yet, Itua stresses the climate finance gap, estimated at $250 billion annually through 2030, is symptomatic of deeper issues.
“Systemic governance failures, a critical shortage of bankable projects, and misaligned financial architectures” hinder the realisation of Africa’s green potential, according to Itua.
AGESI’s mission, he explained, targets these obstacles with four pillars: empowering policy through intelligence, unleashing human capital, nurturing innovation, and forging strategic partnerships.
The foreword underlines that the AGESI webinar and report serve as a foundational blueprint and a heartfelt call to action for governments, industry, academia, and civil society across Africa.
“Africa is ready. AGESI is ready. Now, let’s get to work,” Itua stated.
Together, these voices present AGESI not merely as a new institution, but as the vanguard of an urgent and transformative green economic movement, mobilising African knowledge, governance, finance, and action to build a prosperous, resilient, and sustainable future.
