Africa is emerging as an overlooked frontier for global investment, a senior UN official said on Friday, urging deeper trade integration and stronger financing mechanisms.
Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026 in Antalya, Türkiye, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh said the African Continental Free Trade Area could transform the continent’s economic landscape.
She described the initiative as a gateway to opportunity, saying expanded investment and regional trade would make Africa a more attractive global destination.
Tetteh stressed that limited access to affordable, long-term financing remains a major barrier to competitiveness across African economies.
She also said showcasing successful development projects could help prove the scalability of public and private investment models.
Sudan’s Foreign Minister Muhyiddin Salim said Africa’s potential is often overshadowed by narratives of conflict and poverty.
He noted that 60% of the continent’s population is young, and highlighted Sudan’s rich reserves of agricultural land, minerals, oil and gas.
Salim said Sudan’s ongoing civil war, which began in April 2023, is partly fuelled by competition over natural resources.
He argued that stronger economic cooperation across Africa could help stabilise investment conditions and reduce external interference.
Salim also said Sudan’s long Red Sea coastline positions it as a strategic gateway for continental trade and maritime access.
He added that ending the conflict would unlock major opportunities for international investors.
Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe said Africa’s resource wealth is substantial but has been constrained by weak decision-making frameworks.
He called the AfCFTA a turning point that could reshape Africa’s economic future if matched with sustained investment.
The panel also brought together foreign ministers from Uganda, Zambia and São Tomé and Príncipe, alongside AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene.