Samaila Zubairu: Championing Africa’s Economic Transformation Through Infrastructure Investment

Under the stewardship of Samaila Zubairu, the Africa Finance Corporation has become a driving force for industrialisation, clean energy and pan-African prosperity.

Samaila Zubairu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), has established himself as one of the continent’s most effective champions of value creation, industrial development, and strategic infrastructure investment. With more than three decades of experience in finance and development, Zubairu has consistently advanced a bold vision of African-led growth—one centred on long-term infrastructure, job creation, and economic self-sufficiency.

Since taking the helm at AFC in 2018, Zubairu has driven exponential growth in the Corporation’s footprint, financial strength, and impact. Under his leadership, AFC has doubled its sovereign membership base, quadrupled its investments, and more than tripled profits as of year-end 2024. He has overseen the Corporation’s largest acquisition to date: the landmark purchase of renewable energy producer Lekela Power through Infinity Power—Africa’s largest pure-play renewable energy provider. This single transaction expanded clean power access to over a million homes and avoided millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Zubairu’s results-driven leadership has not gone unnoticed. In 2024, AFC was named Pan-African Champion at the Africa CEO Forum Awards and Financial Adviser of the Year at the IJ Investor Awards. In the preceding year, AFC received the Local Impact Champion award at the 2023 Africa CEO Forum and was recognised for Equity Deal of the Year by African Banker Awards for the Lekela acquisition. AFC was also awarded DFI of the Year for Europe & Africa at the 2022 Infrastructure Journal Global Awards. Zubairu himself was named African CEO of the Year by AsiaOne Magazine, cementing his reputation as a visionary leader in African finance. He was also conferred Senegal’s highest national honour, the Ordre National du Lion – Commandeur, in recognition of his service to African development.

Beyond accolades, his legacy is firmly grounded in delivery. A trained chartered accountant, Zubairu was the pioneer CFO of Dangote Cement Plc, where he led the creation of Africa’s largest-ever syndicated project finance facility. He also managed the unbundling of Dangote Industries and played a foundational role in establishing the Nigerian Infrastructure Investment Fund 1 in partnership with African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM).

He also plays a leading role in shaping continental financial cooperation. Zubairu chairs the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), a coalition of Africa’s top development finance insitutions working to harmonise regional development efforts and amplify Africa’s voice on the global stage. He additionally co-chairs the B20 South Africa Task Force on Finance & Infrastructure, where he contributes to crafting private sector policy recommendations for the G20.

His commitment to sustainability is deeply embedded in his work. As co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Network to Mobilize Clean Energy Investment in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs), Zubairu is shaping global standards for climate finance. Through AFC, he has championed groundbreaking clean energy projects—from wind farms in Djibouti to integrated industrial platforms in Gabon—building climate resilience while advancing regional development.

A regular keynote speaker at major global fora including the UN Climate Summits and World Economic Forum, Zubairu continues to position Africa as a serious investment destination with global relevance. He is an Eisenhower Fellow and holds a BSc in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

Through his strategic vision and tireless execution, Samaila Zubairu is not only redefining infrastructure finance on the continent—he is helping to write a new chapter in Africa’s development story.