Africa attracted $70bn FDI in 2025 – UNCTAD
Orisemeke Benjamin
Africa secured approximately $70 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in 2025, marking the continent’s third-highest investment level since 1990, according to the latest UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) data.
While this represents a decline from the exceptional inflows recorded in 2024, the figures remain roughly one-third above Africa’s long-term average. Although the overall value of greenfield projects fell by nearly one-third, a notable surge in the number of announced projects indicates a shift toward broader economic engagement through smaller, targeted ventures.
Investors from the Gulf and Asian economies are emerging as pivotal capital sources, focusing heavily on strategic sectors like energy, logistics, real estate, and infrastructure.
Meanwhile, African Least Developed Countries (LDCs) pulled in $33 billion of the total FDI. However, benefits remain heavily concentrated within a few resource-rich nations, highlighting an urgent need to transition these targeted inflows into broader, continent-wide industrial development.
