New York – September 21, 2026 -- Africa's push for greater control over its resources and a stronger voice in global governance took center stage as business leaders, heads of state, and investors gathered for the fifth edition of Unstoppable Africa, held alongside the 81st UN General Assembly session at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
Guterres calls for Africa's permanent UN Security Council seat
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told delegates that Africa needs a permanent presence on the UN Security Council to contribute to global dialogue and action. He urged reforms so the continent's critical minerals generate local value and jobs rather than being exported raw.
African Union chief flags energy, infrastructure and finance as growth bottlenecks
H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, said Africa's 1.5 billion-person market represents a major opportunity but requires accelerated development of value chains and removal of trade barriers. He cited affordable energy, infrastructure, finance access, skills, technology and standards as prerequisites for industrial transformation.
Nigeria's $300 million renewable energy fund reaches first close
The Nigeria Distributed Renewable Energy Fund secured its initial capital commitments and moved into operation, co-managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and Africa50. The fund will provide equity financing to local clean-energy developers for solar mini-grids, solar home systems, commercial and industrial power solutions, and energy storage, aligned with the Mission 300 target of connecting 300 million Africans to electricity by 2030.
Business leaders push to move beyond raw material exports
A leaders panel featuring Aliko Dangote of Dangote Group, Samaila Zubairu of the Africa Finance Corporation, Mandy DeFilippo of Standard Chartered, Nonkululeko Nyembezi of Standard Bank Group, Nolitha Fakude of Anglo American South Africa, and Tidjane Thiam of the Allied Critical Minerals Fund stressed developing local processing and manufacturing capacity to retain more economic value in Africa.
Roche reaffirms breast cancer survival target for African patients
Roche reaffirmed its Africa Breast Cancer Ambition, targeting an 80% five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer in Africa by 2030. World Bank Group Managing Director Anna Bjerde and Sustainable Energy for All CEO Damilola Ogunbiyi joined separate discussions on unlocking finance for the continent's power infrastructure.