Papa Amadou Sarr, former Director of Resource Mobilization and Partnerships at the French Development Agency (AFD) and now CEO of Porteo Group, shared his views on African industrialization with Ecofin Agency at the Choiseul Africa Business Forum, held on November 4-5, 2025, in Morocco. As head of the pan-African construction and infrastructure group, Sarr argues that Africa needs major efforts to reduce investment risk, reforms to the way infrastructure is financed, and a significant expansion of African joint ventures to build stronger regional value chains.

Ecofin Agency: Mr. Sarr, you spent several years overseeing resource mobilization and partnerships at the French Development Agency (AFD), a key strategic role. How has that experience shaped your perspective on the African private sector, particularly at Porteo?

Papa Amadou Sarr: Thank you. I spent three years leading the department in charge of financing, resource mobilization and partnerships at the French Development Agency (AFD). That experience showed me just how essential the private sector has become for Africa’s development.

The private sector […] needs stronger backing and a more conducive business environment, which remain the responsibility of governments.

It is the private sector that creates most jobs, raises funding for infrastructure, water, sanitation and education, and supports governments through public-private partnerships. But for the African private sector to thrive, it needs stronger backing and a more conducive business environment, which remain the responsibility of governments.

By joining Porteo, a major construction and infrastructure company in Côte d’Ivoire, I am drawing on the lessons I learned at AFD and during my time in the Senegalese government. That experience will be valuable in strengthening the group’s performance and helping it meet international standards.

By joining Porteo, you are moving from a public financing institution to a company focused on project delivery and investment. How do you combine the discipline of the public sector with the competitiveness of the private sector?

I think the two approaches are closer than they seem. In both the public and private sectors, the priority is to deliver projects efficiently, especially now that funding is harder to secure. Development aid budgets have fallen, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, and African governments are competing more fiercely for available financing.

The private sector, meanwhile, has to expand into new markets. It’s worth noting that 90 percent of our clients are national or local governments, so we face the same pressures: working with tighter budgets, managing resources carefully, improving coordination, and staying competitive.

Porteo positions itself as a pan-African player in construction and infrastructure. What are your priorities in the short and medium term for expanding your presence across the continent?

I joined the company only a month ago, but Porteo already operates in eight countries. Over the next three to four years, our goal is to be active in most ECOWAS countries and to expand further in East Africa, particularly in Anglophone markets.

Our strategic plan, which we will finalize in early 2026, aims for a footprint in 10 to 15 countries. We also intend to surpass one billion euros in annual revenue and eventually double or even triple that amount. Reaching these targets will require stronger, better-trained teams to support our growth.

Africa seems to be entering a new phase of industrialization, driven in part by the AfCFTA and regional integration efforts. In your view, which projects should be given priority to build on this momentum?

Industrial parks, special economic zones and free zones are expanding across Africa. Governments increasingly recognize that industrialization is what drives job creation, value creation and economic growth.

Africa needs to process more of its own raw materials, whether agricultural, mineral or extractive. For too long, the continent has exported its resources without adding value.

The priority is straightforward: Africa needs to process more of its own raw materials, whether agricultural, mineral or extractive. For too long, the continent has exported its resources without adding value. Today, governments are working with multinational companies to build local industries, retain more value on the continent and strengthen African firms.

Porteo is fully part of this push. We have already begun integrating our supply chain vertically by producing our own timber, aluminum, concrete, and other key materials used in our construction operations. This approach aligns with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and with the AfCFTA, which aim to strengthen Africa’s position in global value chains.

You worked closely with international donors. What needs to change in the way infrastructure projects are structured in Africa to attract more private capital?

We need to de-risk, again and again. Country risk in Africa is simply too high, and in many cases, it is overstated, which discourages investors. This perception is shaped by rating agencies, banks, and export credit agencies, and it directly affects the availability and cost of long-term financing.

We need to de-risk, again and again. Country risk in Africa is simply too high, and in many cases, it is overstated, which discourages investors

Infrastructure projects require financing over 15, 20 or even 30 years, and very few investors are willing to take on that level of exposure. Governments, therefore, have to improve the business environment, while bilateral and multilateral institutions need to rethink how they assess African risk and make it easier for African countries to obtain affordable financing.

Which projects do you see as most important for shaping Africa’s development in the years ahead, particularly looking toward 2030 and 2060, for example logistics corridors, regional power interconnections or cross-border industrial zones?

I would highlight three key corridors. The first is the East African corridor between Nairobi and Mombasa. The second is the southern corridor that links South Africa to the rest of the continent. The third is the north-south corridor led by Morocco, particularly through Dakhla and extending toward Mauritania, Senegal and Mali.

These corridors are essential not only for building industrial and transport infrastructure, including roads, highways and bridges, but also for moving manufactured and mineral goods to ports for export. Many African countries are landlocked, and ore extracted in Mali or Burkina Faso must transit through Dakar, Abidjan or Conakry.

Africa needs roughly 100 billion dollars a year to close its infrastructure gap. Governments have to invest heavily in this sector, with support from their financial partners.

For these projects, does Porteo intend to establish itself as a key partner, either as part of a consortium or by developing projects directly?

Absolutely. We are already doing this in West and Central Africa, including in Gabon. We now plan to expand into East Africa, starting with Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda. As a pan-African company, we aim to develop partnerships, joint ventures, and alliances with major African and European groups that share our confidence in the continent’s potential. We want to build roads, highways, bridges, airports, ports, and industrial infrastructure. We are fully engaged in this momentum, and we have no intention of slowing down.

Interview in French by Moutiou Adjibi Nourou,

English adaptation by Mouka Mezonlin