African Leaders Call for Increased Investment and Local Value Capture

At the 25th annual conference of Women in Management, Business and Public Service in Lagos, business leaders called for greater investment and increased value capture from Africa's resources. Tony Elumelu argued that the continent must move beyond resource extraction to create and retain more value locally, while Olalekan Olude stressed the importance of collaboration and understanding business growth fundamentals. The conference also highlighted that women entrepreneurs face systemic barriers, including limited access to capital and business support systems, when trying to scale globally.

The calls from leaders like Tony Elumelu and Aliko Dangote reinforce the need for African economies to shift their structure toward local manufacturing and value retention. This push for greater capital mobilization and scaling directly impacts the financial institutions and development bodies supporting the continent's growth.