The Empower Africa Business Platform is Now Live !!!
The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and X Green Capital have launched the Africa Green Transition PPP Fund (AGTPF), a new investment platform designed to accelerate financing for green infrastructure projects across Africa.
Unveiled during the Ministerial Segment of the African Union’s Specialized Technical Committee on Trade, Industry and Minerals (STC-TTIM) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the fund is targeting $584 million (€500 million) in committed capital during its first phase to support projects that advance the continent’s energy transition and industrial growth.
The AGTPF has been established to address one of Africa’s biggest infrastructure challenges: moving well-prepared projects from the planning stage to financial close and construction.
The fund will invest in renewable energy, electricity transmission, water-energy infrastructure, industrial decarbonization, and climate-resilient infrastructure across the continent.
Structured as a Luxembourg SICAV-RAIF investment vehicle, it combines internationally recognized governance standards with African-led project origination and investment priorities.
The initiative aims to mobilize capital from governments, development finance institutions, institutional investors, and the private sector into commercially viable infrastructure projects that support Africa’s green industrialization, strengthen energy security, and promote long-term economic growth.
“Africa does not lack green projects. It lacks the platforms that turn preparation into investment,” said Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of AUDA-NEPAD.
“The Africa Green Transition PPP Fund is built to close that gap—African-owned, institutionally credible, and aligned with the African Union’s priorities.”
The fund is intended to bridge the financing gap that often delays infrastructure projects after feasibility studies have been completed.
It complements existing AUDA-NEPAD project preparation initiatives, including the NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility and the PIDA Industrialization Project Preparation Facility.
It also supports key continental priorities under Agenda 2063, the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the Continental Power System Masterplan, the African Single Electricity Market, and Mission 300, which seeks to expand electricity access across Africa.
Ukundi Baldwin Mushi Vanessa, General Partner at X Green Capital Luxembourg GP S.à r.l. and one of the fund’s initiators, said the platform is designed to combine institutional capital, public-private partnerships, and risk mitigation to finance bankable infrastructure.
“Our pathway to first close is focused on building a diversified pipeline of investment-ready assets, securing strategic anchor investors, and partnering with governments and development finance institutions to create scalable, commercially sustainable investment opportunities across the continent,” he said.
“This is intentionally designed as a partnership of equals, combining African market expertise with European asset management and financing capabilities.”
Wolfgang Kröpfl, also General Partner at X Green Capital Luxembourg GP S.à r.l., said the fund has been structured to meet institutional investor requirements while delivering measurable development outcomes.
“Our strategy is to build a diversified portfolio of bankable energy and sustainable infrastructure assets that deliver attractive long-term risk-adjusted returns while supporting Africa’s green industrial transformation,” Kröpfl said.
The launch also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Africa Green Transition PPP Fund and the Africa Social Security Association (ASSA).
Meshack Bandawe, Secretary General of ASSA, said the agreement reflects a shared commitment to mobilize African institutional partnerships and investment in support of sustainable development.
Holding the launch during the STC-TTIM ministerial meeting brought together ministers responsible for finance, trade, industry, and economic development, whose policy and regulatory decisions play a central role in making infrastructure projects attractive to investors.
The fund’s next major milestone will be the Africa Business Forum 2026, where it will seek to secure its first capital close and attract additional institutional investors.
The AGTPF was launched alongside AUDA-NEPAD’s Programme for African Developing Island Economies, with island nations expected to serve as early deployment markets for projects including renewable energy systems and the decarbonization of desalination infrastructure.
The launch comes as African governments and development partners seek new financing models to close the continent’s infrastructure investment gap and accelerate the transition to cleaner energy systems.
By creating a dedicated platform focused on bankable projects, the Africa Green Transition PPP Fund aims to unlock greater private capital for infrastructure that can strengthen energy access, improve industrial competitiveness, and support sustainable economic growth across Africa.
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