Africa Needs Nearly Half a Trillion Dollars Annually for Infrastructure Development — NGO Report

 Africa requires approximately $495.6 billion annually until 2030 to address its infrastructure deficit and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals, according to the Africa Insurance Pulse 2025 report, prepared by the non-governmental African Insurance Organization (AIO).

"Africa faces a massive infrastructure gap — the African Development Bank (AfDB) estimates that Africa will need US$495.6 billion annually until 2030 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals," the report stated.

According to the study, the annual financing deficit stands at approximately $402.2 billion, equivalent to 81% of the total funds required.

The report's authors identify underdeveloped infrastructure as one of the main obstacles to economic growth, industrialization, climate resilience, and social integration on the continent.

Despite progress in certain areas, particularly in telecommunications, Africa still lags behind other world regions in the development of transportation, energy, water, healthcare, and digital infrastructure. These problems are most acute in rural areas.

Special attention is paid to the energy sector. According to the study's authors, more than half of the population in Sub-Saharan African countries lacks access to electricity. The largest number of such residents live in Nigeria — approximately 86 million people, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Ethiopia.

Serious challenges also persist in the transport sector. According to the report, only 53% of roads on the continent have asphalt or other hard surfaces, and less than half of the region's population has year-round access to the road network.

The report's authors called on governments, international financial institutions, investors, insurers, and regulators to intensify cooperation to attract capital to infrastructure projects.

In February, the African Development Bank (AfDB) reported that Africa's economic growth in 2026 would slow to 4.2%, down from 4.4% last year, amid the conflict in the Middle East.