African leaders urged to drive sustainable funding

The Group Managing Director of AA & R Investment Group, Abdullahi Haske, has called on African leaders to push for deeper regional integration and sustainable financing at the Africa–Gulf Cooperation Dialogue.

According to a release from AA & R Investment Group, he made the call recently on the sidelines of the Doha Forum in Qatar, which brought together policymakers, investors, and industry leaders to examine a central pillar of Africa–Gulf cooperation: strengthening trade corridors, modernising port hubs, and integrating logistics systems.

Haske emphasised that greater regional harmonisation is essential for Africa to leverage its trade potential fully, drawing parallels with the Gulf Cooperation Council’s unified structures.

He highlighted how aligned systems across central banking, visa regimes, and trade facilitation would accelerate the continent’s economic transformation.

Referencing the African Continental Free Trade Area, he noted its role in reducing trade barriers but cautioned that intra-African mobility remains constrained by restrictive visa processes.

“A unified visa system similar to what exists in the GCC would significantly increase intra-Africa travel and, ultimately, boost trade and investment flows,” Haske said.

“People flow, and capital flow remain fragmented, but with the right reforms, Africa can fully unlock its potential,” he mentioned.

Discussions also focused on enabling low-interest, long-term financing to de-risk and expand Africa–Gulf trade opportunities. Haske underscored that sectors such as agriculture and export manufacturing require patient capital and infrastructure investments.

“Africa remains the place to be; full of opportunity, full of risk, and full of returns,” he noted.

“But to realise this potential, we must design financing structures that match Africa’s realities, including longer gestation periods for investments, especially in agriculture and strategic value chains,” he added.

The Africa–Gulf Cooperation Dialogue represents a significant step toward crafting a shared blueprint for enhanced trade, investment, and connectivity between both regions.

AA&R   Investment Group is an emerging conglomerate with a diversified portfolio of investments and operations across multiple sectors of the Nigerian economy.