By 
When I assumed leadership of the Africa Prosperity Network in January 2025, I did not simply step into a new role—I embraced the culmination of everything my professional journey has prepared me to under take. What compels me most about this inspiring mandate is its timing. Africa stands at one of the most consequential crossroads in our post-colonial history.
Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and a founding father of Pan-Africanism, was a staunch advocate for a united and economically independent Africa—the unity that integrates our continent and charts our journey to prosperity. He famously declared, “Africa must unite or perish,” pushing for the creation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, the precursor to the African Union (AU). Africa is now realising a positive turnaround. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents an unprecedented opportunity to redefine our economic destiny and recast our place in the global economy.
Mr. Sidig Eltoum, CEO, Africa Prosperity Network (APN)
My approach to this role is guided by three convictions that have taken shape over years of practice and reflection. The first is that policy only matters when it reaches people. The second conviction is that infrastructure must be the great enabler of integration. Roads, ports, railways, and digital networks are not merely means of transporting goods—they are instruments of peace and engines of opportunity. The third is the most personal: no amount of economic growth is meaningful if it leaves people behind. My experience with UNICEF reinforced Indian philosopher Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach, which emphasises that true progress is best measured by people’s real freedoms—what they are genuinely able to do and become.
These principles shape the work we do at the Africa Prosperity Network, where we seek to build a platform that facilitates solutions, fosters partnerships, and accelerates the realisation of continental ambitions. We believe the state cannot—and should not—act alone. Governments, businesses, and civil society must act in concert if we are to unlock the scale of opportunity the AfCFTA represents. Our task is to be the convener, the catalyst, and the connector in this transformative
effort. The challenges are significant, but they pale in comparison to Africa’s collective potential.
This moment is not about any one individual’s leadership—it is about a shared responsibility to future generations. The Africa Prosperity Network will succeed when governments see us not as petitioners but as partners; when businesses recognise us not as
intermediaries but as enablers; and when African citizens feel that this continental project belongs to them. Africa’s youth—the world’s youngest and fastest growing population—represent the continent’s greatest asset in driving sustainable prosperity. With over 60% of Africans under 25, this dynamic demographic is a powerhouse of innovation, digital fluency, and
entrepreneurial energy, capable of transforming challenges into opportunities.
The Africa Prosperity Network stands ready to chart an ambitious course, one that will redefine Africa’s economic landscape and usher in a future of shared prosperity for generations to come. The time for Africa’s prosperity is now.
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