Africa is pushing for a greater share of the value generated by its natural resources, technology and human capital as global economic systems undergo a period of transformation, according to Aissata De, Deputy Regional Director for Africa at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Writing ahead of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York, De said the gathering comes at a time when the rules governing money, technology, trade and global decision-making are being reshaped, creating both risks and opportunities for African economies.
The assembly, held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All”, is taking place against a backdrop of conflict, rising debt pressures, climate shocks, artificial intelligence and a slowing global economy.
De identified trust as an emerging global scarcity, extending beyond institutions to markets, supply chains, technology and the distribution of economic growth. She said the central question for Africa is whether the systems shaping the global economy can keep pace with the continent’s young population, innovation and development ambitions.
“Who gets to decide what is investable?” De asked. “Who owns the infrastructure behind the AI revolution? Who captures value when African resources, data, talent and ideas enter global markets?”
Africa Seeks to Move Beyond Raw Material Exports
The global energy transition is placing greater attention on minerals found across Africa, but De said the continent’s policy conversation is increasingly focused on moving beyond extraction toward industrialisation and value addition.
The Third Africa Minerals Strategy Group High-Level Roundtable, scheduled for September 21 under the theme “From Resources to Wealth”, is expected to reflect efforts to strengthen value chains and retain more economic value within African countries.
The shift is central to the continent’s broader development challenge. While Africa possesses resources critical to global energy and industrial transitions, the ability to convert those assets into manufacturing capacity, employment and sustained domestic revenue remains a key policy concern.
De said Africa is no longer approaching global discussions solely as a recipient of external solutions. Instead, the continent is presenting ideas for how the next generation of development models could be designed.
Financing Innovation and Creative Industries
The push for value creation also extends to entrepreneurship and innovation, where Africa’s startup ecosystem has demonstrated the presence of businesses and ideas across the continent. The challenge, De said, is to help promising ventures develop into industries capable of creating jobs at scale.
Several engagements during UNGA week will focus on improving access to capital and strengthening the ecosystem around African businesses. These include a private roundtable workshop on financing the creative industry, the UNDP-UNCDF Investment Accelerator featuring the Early Stage Capital Facility, and discussions on timbuktoo and the future of development finance at the Global African Business Initiative.
The events point to a growing focus on the financing gap between early-stage innovation and the development of larger, commercially sustainable enterprises.
For African economies facing high unemployment and expanding working-age populations, the ability to scale businesses could determine whether innovation translates into broad-based employment and economic growth.
AI Debate Shifts Toward Jobs and Public Services
Artificial intelligence is adding urgency to the need for African countries to strengthen their digital infrastructure, skills and innovation ecosystems.
While international discussions have largely focused on regulation, disruption and risk, De said Africa’s priorities increasingly centre on using AI to create jobs, improve public services and help entrepreneurs overcome traditional barriers to growth.
The Global African Business Initiative’s Unstoppable Africa programme will feature an event on equipping young African innovators with the tools of the AI era on September 20. The UNDP is also scheduled to announce its AI Diffusion Workforce and Tools Accelerator on September 23.
The focus reflects the challenge facing policymakers as technology advances faster than existing regulatory and institutional systems. For countries with large youth populations, the economic impact of AI will depend not only on adoption but also on access to infrastructure, relevant skills and opportunities to participate in emerging value chains.
Climate Finance Linked to Economic Transformation
De said climate action is also being framed increasingly as an economic transformation issue rather than solely an environmental priority.
Planned consultations under the Central African Forest Initiative during UNGA week will examine the future of the Congo Basin and how the region’s ecosystem can support environmental protection alongside sustainable economic growth.
The Congo Basin is central to discussions on forest conservation, climate resilience and development financing. De’s framing places those issues within a wider debate about how natural assets can generate economic opportunities while preserving ecological systems.
Africa Challenges the Cost of Development Finance
The cost and accessibility of financing will also feature prominently in Africa’s UNGA agenda as governments face rising development needs and continued debt pressures.
De highlighted the Partnership Dialogue on the Africa Credit Ratings Initiative, which is scheduled for September 18. The engagement will examine how more equitable risk assessments could help African countries access financing at more affordable terms.
The focus reflects a shift in development finance discussions from the volume of available capital to the price of that capital and the conditions governing access. Credit assessments influence how investors price sovereign risk, affecting borrowing costs and the ability of governments to finance infrastructure and social development.
Trust as a Foundation for Africa’s Next Development Model
De said the various engagements point to a broader transformation in the global development system, where traditional financing models, technology policies and economic partnerships are being reassessed.
Governance discussions during the assembly will also address how institutions can respond to changing public expectations and the demands of young populations. Events focused on Liberia’s youth, peace and security agenda and the Africa Facility to Support Inclusive Transitions will explore approaches to institution-building and inclusive governance.
For Africa, De said, the challenge is to build systems that can mobilise investment, harness technology for public benefit, create opportunities for young people and strengthen resilience.
“The countries that prosper will be those capable of building trusted systems: trusted financial systems, trusted institutions, trusted digital ecosystems, trusted partnerships and trusted pathways to opportunity,” she wrote.
Africa, she added, is positioned as a testing ground for how the next generation of development can be structured around trust, innovation and greater domestic value creation.
