Experts at the 2026 Africa Social Impact Summit have called for stronger and more innovative investment models to accelerate Africa’s economic transformation and address the continent’s growing development challenges.

According to a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Thursday, the call was made during the summit in Lagos, where stakeholders stressed the need for sustainable financing frameworks that can support industrialisation, create jobs, and build resilience across African economies.

Chairman of the Africa Social Impact Network, Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, said Africa must move beyond policy discussions and develop practical financing solutions that can drive structural transformation.

He said sustainable financing was critical to industrial growth, infrastructure development, and innovation, warning that without effective funding mechanisms, Africa’s development goals would remain difficult to achieve.

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka highlighted the continent’s rapidly expanding workforce, noting that more than 620 million people are expected to join Sub-Saharan Africa’s labour force between 2025 and 2050.