By Juliet Ezeh
As African leaders convened in Addis Ababa for the African Union Heads of State Summit, the conversation around economic transformation shifted beyond policy declarations to a pressing question: who gets financed, and at what scale?
At a high-level Presidential Breakfast Meeting held on the margins of the summit, Sterling One Foundation amplified calls for structured, large-scale financing mechanisms targeted at women and youth—groups widely recognised as central to Africa’s long-term growth yet persistently underserved by capital markets.
The meeting gathered prominent leaders including Ghana’s President, John Mahama, the Vice President of The Gambia, Muhammed Jallow, ministers, development finance institutions and private-sector stakeholders. Discussions focused on strengthening financing frameworks capable of accelerating gender equality and inclusive economic development across the continent.
President Mahama described women as Africa’s most underutilised economic asset, warning that without embedding gender equity into macroeconomic planning and public finance systems, the continent’s development ambitions—particularly Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals—would remain incomplete. He noted that despite decades of commitments, gender-focused programmes often suffer budget cuts during fiscal tightening, undermining long-term impact.
Echoing concerns about implementation gaps, the Director of the Women, Gender and Youth Directorate at the African Union Commission, Prudence Ngwenya, challenged stakeholders to translate commitments into measurable financing outcomes. She questioned whether institutional gains made over the years were being consolidated or eroded, stressing the need for systemic reforms that position women and young people at the centre of Africa’s growth architecture.
Against this backdrop, Sterling One Foundation positioned inclusive finance not as a philanthropic initiative, but as a macroeconomic strategy. Chief Executive Officer Olapeju Ibekwe argued that Africa’s transformation depends on deliberately financing women- and youth-led enterprises at scale, particularly through blended finance structures and investment readiness programmes that de-risk opportunities for private capital.
She emphasised that the foundation’s strategy seeks to move beyond advocacy by building catalytic platforms capable of unlocking significant capital flows. According to her, bridging the capital access gap is essential to achieving Africa’s broader $100bn investment ambitions and strengthening enterprise ecosystems across sectors.
Development analysts note that women and youth entrepreneurs in Africa face disproportionate barriers to accessing credit, including limited collateral, high perceived risk and structural biases within financial systems. Closing this financing gap could unlock productivity gains, expand job creation and deepen regional trade integration.
Sterling One Foundation’s partnership with the African Union, particularly through the AU Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion initiative, underscores a growing recognition that financial inclusion must be institutionalised within continental frameworks rather than treated as standalone social programmes.
Through initiatives such as the Women Investment Readiness Accelerator Programme and investor engagement platforms, the foundation aims to prepare women-led enterprises for scalable funding while aligning investors with structured, impact-driven opportunities.
As Africa seeks sustainable pathways to economic resilience amid global uncertainties, stakeholders at the summit agreed that inclusive financing frameworks could serve as one of the continent’s most powerful levers for growth. The challenge, however, lies in converting high-level commitments into accountable capital deployment mechanisms.
With renewed emphasis on measurable outcomes, the Addis Ababa meeting signalled a shift in tone—from promises to performance—placing financing for women and youth at the heart of Africa’s long-term development strategy.
Juliet Ezeh is the founder and chief reporter at Westbridge Reporters with over 7 years of experience in journalism. She covers crime, industry, policy, and social developments, delivering timely and accurate reporting.