In a room full of industry giants and seasoned financiers, a simple question cut through the noise, posed by Premier Invest’s Founder and Managing Partner, Rene Awambeng , during his keynote at African Refiners & Distributors Association Week 2025:

“What if Africa financed its own energy future?”

It wasn’t a rhetorical thought. It was a call to action. And in the weeks since, that question has rippled through boardrooms, headlines, and LinkedIn feeds alike. Because beneath it lies a deeper truth: the capital is here. What’s missing is the structure.

Today, we explore that possibility. And why it’s not only feasible, it’s necessary.

The $250 Billion opportunity hiding in plain sight

Africa currently sits on more than $250 billion in pension assets and yet, our energy infrastructure is still largely financed externally, through eurobond markets, multilateral institutions, and donor-backed initiatives.

In his address, Rene proposed a bold shift: leveraging these local assets to fund strategic oil, gas, and energy transition projects. Imagine African pension funds helping build the gas pipelines, storage facilities, and hybrid power plants that will light our cities and fuel our industries.

The benefits?

• Currency risk is reduced by investing in local currency and regional projects.
• Returns are recycled within the continent.
• Ownership is retained, ensuring Africans shape the terms, not just sign the cheques.

From vision to execution: how it could work

To bring this vision to life, Africa needs more than capital, it needs architecture.

Rene’s proposal outlines three key enablers:

1. Innovative financing vehicles Structured instruments, like blended finance models, green bonds, and regional infrastructure funds, can help convert long-term savings into project capital.
2. Policy & regulatory reform To unlock domestic finance, governments must create frameworks that incentivise investment, reduce risk, and ensure transparency.
3. Strategic deal origination Institutions like Premier Invest serve as intermediaries: sourcing, structuring, and de-risking projects that align with the mandates of institutional investors.

“We are already supporting projects across Benin, Nigeria, and the Republic of Congo,” says Rene, “but if we can coordinate at scale, between public capital, private operators, and policy enabler, we can change the story of African energy forever.”

Leading the conversation in practice

At the Premier Invest Deal Room held during the Congo Energy & Investment Forum this thesis was put to work.

Over $250M in projects were unveiled, including:

• A clean gas project in Benin
• A regional $300M bond strategy to support downstream energy distribution in the Republic of Congo

These aren’t ideas. They’re transactions being pitched, structured, and financed, right now, with African stakeholders at the helm.

This isn’t just about oil & gas

While the initial focus may be energy, the long-term vision is broader.

From clean water access to power transmission lines, from solar mini-grids to industrial parks, the ability to mobilise African capital for African development is the only sustainable path forward.

It’s not about rejecting international funding. It’s about creating balance, resilience, and sovereignty.

So, what if?

What if African capital didn’t just sit in foreign banks?

What if pension funds powered pipelines?

What if sovereign wealth funds lit the lights in underserved communities?

At Premier Invest, we don’t just ask what if. We ask: how soon? Because if the last few months have shown anything, it’s this: the future isn’t waiting.