Just a few days before the 7th AU-EU Summit scheduled for November 24 and 25, 2025 in Luanda (Angola), the Africa-Europe Foundation (AEF) has released its report “The State of Africa-Europe 2025 – Financing Our Future,” a document that aims to fundamentally reorient cooperation between the two continents. Produced with AUDA-NEPAD and over 50 African and European institutions, the report calls for a clear break from the traditional logic of aid to build a partnership based on investment, equity, and tangible results.
According to the AEF, Africa and Europe together represent over 1.8 billion citizens and nearly 30% of UN member states. Yet, their common potential remains largely untapped. The report emphasizes the need for a renewed financial framework combining public and private capital to address the challenges of a changing global economy. “If Africa and Europe want to have an impact on the world stage, they must demonstrate through tangible results the benefits of their partnership,” warns Paul Walton, executive director of the AEF.
The document highlights persistent weaknesses: Africa loses $90 billion annually due to illicit flows, while key sectors such as health, renewable energy, and the maritime economy remain underfunded. Conversely, African sovereign wealth funds and pension funds – with over $330 billion in assets – represent a major source of capital that is still insufficiently mobilized.
The report lists three sectors that demonstrate the potential of a new pact: health, with the rise of African vaccine production capabilities; green energy, where the continent only attracts 3% of global investments despite immense solar potential; and the blue economy, through the Africa-Europe Ocean Roadmap, which proposes joint maritime governance.
Mo Ibrahim, co-founder of the AEF, advocates for “smarter financing, based on co-creation and risk sharing,” while Nardos Bekele-Thomas (AUDA-NEPAD) emphasizes the need to turn commitments into action.
Finally, the report calls for the establishment of a permanent AU-EU monitoring mechanism to ensure that Summits remain connected to the realities on the ground. The goal is clear: to finance the future differently – together.
