Africa at the Center of Delivery
by Rodrigo Manso, CEO, Mitrelli Group
As the United Nations turns 80, this year’s UNGA is more than annual gathering, it is a test of global credibility. The world no longer measures progress by declarations but by delivery. Nowhere is this test more urgent, or more consequential, than in Africa.
With over 1.4 billion people and a median age under 20 – expected to grow to nearly 2.5 billion by 2050 – Africa holds the key to the world’s shared future. Its mineral corridors, renewable energy potential, and human capital are central to global growth. This is the proving ground where the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will either succeed or fail.
Africa isn’t asking for aid, it is asking for scale. What it needs are executable models, trusted partnerships, and financing that enables progress. From food security and energy to youth employment and digital innovation.
Blueprints for Growth: Driving Corridor-Scale Infrastructure and Opportunity
One initiative that exemplifies Africa’s central role in global development is the Lobito Corridor — connecting Angola, the DRC, and Zambia through integrated transport, energy, and industrial development. It’s a blueprint for regional integration, sustainable industrialization, economic resilience, and climate-aligned growth.
The recently signed MOU for the HYDRO-LINK–Mitrelli $1.5 billion project, anchored in the corridor ecosystem, exemplifies how clean energy, workforce development, and economic opportunity can converge to strengthen both local resilience and global stability. The project aims to deliver hydropower that will supply reliable electricity to mining operations in the DRC. Beyond powering industry, it is designed to create jobs, build local skills, and unlock cross-border growth opportunities—one of many “fast lanes” we see for advancing the SDGs at scale.
Why Delivery Is the New Diplomacy
Delivery has become the most credible form of diplomacy. It is the currency of trust. For investors, this means capital must follow models that work – structured, investable programs with clear outcomes and predictable environments. For governments, delivery is a strategic asset: the speed and scale of implementation now define national competitiveness. And for the international community, trust is built through action, not ambition.
Africa’s next generation of leaders already understands this. They are building coalitions, leveraging technology, and driving progress. The world must match that ambition with financing that enables, partnerships that endure, and cooperation rooted in shared outcomes.
Delivery is no longer a byproduct of diplomacy; it is diplomacy in action.
From Intent to Investment
If the SDGs are falling short, it’s not for lack of ambition but for lack of executable models.
We need capital to follow what works: financially viable models with measurable outcomes and stable currency mechanisms that give investors confidence. We need public-private cooperation that is practical, predictable, and designed to deliver.
Africa cannot be invested in remotely. The only way forward is through partners who know the terrain, understand policy dynamics, and commit for the long haul. Delivery requires presence, proximity, and persistence.
A Clear Invitation
Mitrelli is proud to be part of this movement, as a long-term partner committed to delivery. Over the past few decades, we’ve worked alongside governments, development banks, and strategic investors to deliver over 100 national-scale solutions that are inclusive, bankable, and measurable.
From vision to implementation, our work turns SDG goals into concrete sustainable solutions that generate results and scalable success.
More than 85% of our teams are locally based. Our impact is grounded in proximity —presence, relationships, and progress.
In Angola, Mitrelli is part of one of the continent’s most dynamic development stories — from supporting urbanization growth, in housing, expanding water access to electrifying municipalities that benefit millions, to building large-scale agricultural systems, vocational training centers, and health infrastructure.
In Côte d’Ivoire, our health projects include 349 rural clinics – reliable, tangible services that people can see, access, and trust. We are also expanding accessibility of water in rural areas and developing agropoles.
In Senegal, professional education is a strategic pillar for future employment — and we are a trusted partner in advancing that development.
In Mozambique, the new Nacala Grain Port is unlocking a critical food security value chain—cutting vessel waiting times from 60 days to 3.5, reducing turnaround by 75%, and enabling 600 tons/hour processing and 75,000-ton storage—minimizing post-harvest losses, lowering costs for landlocked nations, and boosting resilience to climate and supply shocks.
At UNGA 2025, we share a clear belief: Africa’s growth is the world’s return on investment. Let’s deliver — together, and where it matters most.