At the TRENDS symposium held during the Brazil-Africa Forum 2024, experts underscored the critical need for improved environmental and business governance across Africa to attract investment for building sustainable infrastructure. The event, organized by TRENDS Research & Advisory as the Diamond Sponsor, in partnership with Aletihad News Centre, focused on the theme “Sustainable Prosperity: A Governance Approach to Boosting Investment in African Infrastructure.”
Key speakers, including UAE officials and prominent global researchers, stressed the importance of transparency, accountability, and public-private partnerships in driving investment toward renewable energy and digital infrastructure—key sectors identified as drivers of economic growth on the continent.
Public-Private Partnerships and UAE’s Role Speakers praised the UAE for its successful public-private partnership model, citing its potential to provide valuable expertise for Africa’s infrastructure development. Maisoon Al Dah, Chargé d’Affaires at the UAE Embassy in Brazil, emphasized the UAE’s ongoing commitment to supporting infrastructure investment in African countries.
Governance Standards and Economic Resilience Professor Otaviano Canuto, former Vice President of the World Bank Group, highlighted the role of governance in determining the success of Africa’s natural resource management and attracting foreign investment. His research paper focused on how improving governance standards is essential for ensuring that Africa’s abundant resources translate into economic and social progress rather than challenges.
Challenges and Recommendations The symposium concluded with a call for enhanced cooperation between African nations and international institutions to secure the financial and technological resources necessary for infrastructure projects. Experts highlighted key challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and political instability as hurdles to achieving sustainable development goals.
In his keynote address, Dr. Mohamed Hamad Al-Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Cybersecurity Council, called for comprehensive infrastructure development in Africa, addressing future challenges like the Fourth Industrial Revolution and cybersecurity threats. Paulo Gomes, Chairman of the Africa-Southeast Asia Chamber of Commerce, echoed these sentiments in his research paper, emphasizing the urgency of addressing environmental and governance challenges.
The symposium concluded with a consensus on the importance of knowledge sharing between African countries and learning from global success stories to foster sustainable development and prosperity.
