The African Development Bank (African Development Bank), in partnership with Africa50, has convened African leaders and financial institutions to explore how public assets can be “recycled” to fund critical infrastructure development across the continent.
The discussions took place during a high-level roundtable titled “Transforming Public Assets into Capital: Unlocking the Potential of Asset Recycling in Africa,” held alongside the Bank’s Annual Meetings in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
Asset recycling refers to the process of monetising existing government-owned infrastructure—such as ports, roads, airports, and energy networks—and reinvesting the proceeds into new priority development projects. Officials said this approach could help address Africa’s estimated $150 billion annual infrastructure financing gap while attracting greater private sector participation.
African Development Bank President Sidi Ould Tah said asset recycling offers governments a practical mechanism to unlock value from mature public assets and reinvest in new infrastructure that supports growth, jobs, and regional integration.
Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobissé noted that the focus has shifted from whether asset recycling should be used to how it can be implemented transparently and effectively to maximise long-term impact.
Speakers highlighted growing fiscal pressure across African economies, with some countries facing rising debt levels and constrained public budgets. They emphasized that proceeds from asset recycling should be directed toward sustainable investment rather than short-term budget support.
Country-level examples included Senegal, where officials estimated that a significant portion of state assets could potentially be monetised to reduce debt burdens, as well as Côte d’Ivoire, which is developing sovereign investment mechanisms to support infrastructure expansion.
Leaders from institutions such as the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and the African Trade and Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) also stressed the importance of strengthening project pipelines, improving transaction readiness, and ensuring that investments directly support economic development priorities.
The roundtable concluded with a shared call for African governments to accelerate the development of structured asset recycling frameworks that can convert existing public assets into long-term financing tools for infrastructure growth and regional development.
