Addis ababa: Unlocking green investment is vital for Africa, which has been emerging as a land of opportunity and hope for investors amid climate challenges, Planning and Development Minister Fitsum Assefa said.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the minister emphasized that Africa is not merely a recipient of charity but a destination for smart, high-return investments. In an article published on Project Syndicate on 28 August 2025, titled ‘Africa’s Green Economy Is a Good Investment,’ she highlighted the upcoming Addis Ababa Climate Summit as a pivotal moment to declare Africa’s green economy a burgeoning opportunity for investment.
The summit aims to bring together heads of state and government, scientists, private-sector leaders, civil-society and youth representatives, alongside global development partners, to forge a new path for climate action and green investment on the continent.
The minister referenced the African Development Bank’s findings that Africa faces severe climate threats, with drought
s, floods, and extreme weather reducing GDP by 5-15 percent annually. She noted that although Africa holds 60 percent of the world’s best solar resources, it accounts for only 1 percent of global solar capacity and receives a mere 3 percent of global energy investments.
She pointed to Ethiopia as a leading example, where the national grid is powered almost entirely by renewable energy, primarily hydropower. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is currently generating 2,350 megawatts and will reach 5,150 MW at full capacity, also supplying power to neighboring countries such as Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, and Tanzania.
Within the article, she also spotlighted renewable projects across the continent, including Gambia’s 23 MW Jambur Solar Power Station, South Africa’s 330 MW Impofu Wind Complex, and Kenya’s solar-powered green ammonia production initiative.
According to the minister, the forthcoming Africa Green Industrialization Initiative and ACS2 Flagship Report will offer frameworks for scaling up such
projects, supported by governments, the private sector, and development finance institutions.
Challenging the perception of Africa as aid-dependent, Fitsum stated that Africa is not seeking rescue but rather investment. She emphasized the continent’s young demographics, abundant resources, and innovation as making green investments highly promising globally.
She further highlighted Africa’s crucial role in global climate solutions, asserting that the path to a stable climate and fair economy runs through Africa. As world leaders and investors prepare to meet in Addis Ababa in September, they face a choice: invest in Africa’s green economy for sustainable growth or allow climate change to exacerbate instability and missed opportunities.