Africa is entering a critical decade in which infrastructure, technology, finance, and energy are expected to shape the continent’s next phase of economic growth. At the same time, the relationship between Africa and the Gulf is evolving beyond traditional investment models toward deeper cooperation in technology, financial infrastructure, regulation, and institution building.
In this exclusive interview with AfricanGulf.ae, Femi Adegolu, a specialist working across fintech, digital assets, policy, and ecosystem development, shares his perspective on where Africa’s greatest opportunities lie and how Gulf countries can become strategic partners in building the infrastructure behind the continent’s digital economy.
Adegolu identifies digital financial infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and energy as three key sectors with the potential to drive Africa’s next growth story. He also examines the role of digital assets in financial inclusion, the importance of regulatory clarity, and the need for governments, investors, universities, regulators, and entrepreneurs to work together to build sustainable innovation ecosystems.
A central theme of the conversation is the future of Africa–Gulf cooperation. Rather than viewing the relationship simply through the lens of capital and investment, Adegolu argues for a model based on co-creating digital infrastructure, interoperable payment systems, AI innovation hubs, tokenised capital markets, and modern regulatory frameworks.
Looking toward 2035, he outlines a vision in which Africa and the Gulf move from a traditional investor–market relationship toward becoming equal partners in shaping the future of global finance, technology, and innovation.
This exclusive conversation explores what that future could look like—and what needs to be built today to make it possible.
You have worked closely with fintech, blockchain, and digital asset ecosystems across Africa. Which three sectors do you believe will create the greatest economic opportunities over the next decade, and why?
Africa’s next decade won’t be defined by a single breakthrough industry. It will be defined by the
infrastructure that enables every industry to grow.
If I had to identify three sectors that will create the greatest economic opportunities, they would be digital financial infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and energy Africa remains one of the world’s most fragmented financial markets. Millions of businesses still face expensive cross border payments, limited access to credit, fragmented financial systems, and regulatory uncertainty. The companies that solve payments, digital identity, stablecoins,
tokenisation, digital assets, and financial interoperability won’t simply build successful businesses.
They will build the rails on which Africa’s future economy operates.The first sector is digital financial infrastructure.
Nigeria’s digital asset economy has been operating informally for years, processing an estimated US$92 billion in annual on-chain value, yet very little of that activity is connected to the compliance infrastructure governments, financial institutions, and regulators need. The moment you build that bridge, you transform an underground market into one that is taxable, investable, and bankable. That isn’t a niche opportunity. It’s the foundation upon which the next generation of African digital finance will be built.
The second sector is artificial intelligence. Africa has an opportunity to become far more than a consumer of AI. We can build solutions tailored to African agriculture, healthcare, education,
logistics, financial services, and public administration. AI has the potential to dramatically improve productivity while helping governments deliver better services at scale.
The third is energy. Industrialization cannot happen without reliable and affordable power. Whether we’re talking about manufacturing, AI infrastructure, data centres, or digital economies, energy remains the foundation. The countries that solve energy access will unlock opportunities across every other sector.
These three sectors are deeply connected. AI needs computing power. Computing power needs
energy. Businesses need modern financial infrastructure to scale. Together, they form the
backbone of Africa’s next growth story.
For me, the future isn’t simply about building more startups. It’s about building the infrastructure that allows African businesses, governments, and global investors to participate in a more connected, transparent, and inclusive digital economy.
The UAE and other Gulf countries are increasingly investing across Africa. What makes this partnership different from traditional foreign investment, and where do you see the greatest opportunities for collaboration?
The relationship between Africa and the Gulf is entering a new phase. One that has the potential to move beyond traditional investment and toward long-term institution building.
Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of working at the intersection of fintech, digital assets, policy, and ecosystem development across Africa. Whether advising founders, engaging regulators, building industry communities, or to bridge the gap between digital assets and compliant financial infrastructure, one lesson has remained consistent: capital alone does not transform economies.Institutions do.
That is why I believe the Gulf’s engagement with Africa is fundamentally different from many
traditional investment models.
The UAE, in particular, has demonstrated how regulatory clarity, strategic policymaking, and
public-private collaboration can transform a country into a global hub for finance, technology, and innovation. Those lessons are incredibly valuable for Africa as many of our markets mature.At the same time, Africa brings something equally powerful to the table.
We are home to one of the world’s youngest populations, a rapidly expanding digital economy,
resilient entrepreneurs, and some of the fastest-growing fintech and digital asset ecosystems
anywhere in the world. More importantly, African entrepreneurs have become experts at building solutions for real-world problems—from cross-border payments and financial inclusion to digital identity and informal commerce.
I believe the next chapter of Africa–Gulf cooperation should focus less on exporting capital and
more on co-creating infrastructure.
That means jointly building digital financial infrastructure, interoperable payment systems, AI
innovation hubs, tokenised capital markets, digital trade corridors, and modern regulatory
frameworks that enable businesses to scale seamlessly across borders.
Through my weekly newsletter called “The Boardroom” where I write about digital asset policy and financial infrastructure and the Onchain Festival, which brings together policymakers, regulators, founders, investors, and financial institutions to shape Africa’s digital economy, I’ve seen firsthand how meaningful dialogue between the public and private sectors can accelerate innovation.
Sustainable ecosystems are built when government, industry, and investors move in the same
direction. Ultimately, I don’t believe the future of Africa–Gulf relations should be measured by the number of investment announcements we make.
It should be measured by the strength of the institutions we build together, the infrastructure we leave behind, and the opportunities we create for the next generation of entrepreneurs. That’s the kind of partnership capable of shaping not just Africa’s future, but the future of global innovation itself.
Investment alone is not enough to build sustainable innovation. What role should governments, regulators, universities, and the private sector play in creating stronger technology ecosystems across Africa?
Capital is essential, but capital has never been enough to build a thriving innovation ecosystem.
The world’s most successful technology hubs weren’t built solely because investors showed up.
They succeeded because governments, regulators, universities, entrepreneurs, and private
industry aligned around a shared vision for long-term economic development.
Governments must focus on creating predictable policy environments that encourage investment
while protecting consumers. Regulatory certainty is one of the most valuable incentives a country
can offer entrepreneurs and international investors.
Regulators also have a responsibility to evolve beyond traditional supervision. They should actively engage innovators through regulatory sandboxes, structured industry consultations, and risk-based frameworks that encourage responsible experimentation without compromising market integrity.
Universities must become engines of innovation rather than simply centres of academic instruction.
Africa’s future competitiveness will depend on how effectively our higher education institutions connect research with industry, commercialise new ideas, and prepare graduates to solve real-world economic challenges.
The private sector must also think beyond writing cheques. Businesses should invest in talent
development, mentorship, research partnerships, and procurement opportunities that allow startups to secure their first customers not just their first round of funding.
This philosophy is one of the reasons I founded Onchain Festival. The festival was designed to
bring regulators, policymakers, financial institutions, investors, founders, developers, and global
technology companies into the same room. Too often, these stakeholders work in parallel when
they should be working together. Sustainable innovation ecosystems are built through dialogue,
trust, and collaboration not in silos.
Ultimately, ecosystems are not built by startups alone.They are built when governments provide vision, regulators provide clarity, universities produce world-class talent, investors bring patient capital, and entrepreneurs transform ideas into scalable businesses.
Africa has become one of the world’s fastest-growing regions for digital payments and digital asset adoption. How can policymakers encourage innovation while ensuring consumer protection, and what lessons can Gulf countries learn from Africa’s experience?
Africa has become one of the world’s fastest-growing digital asset markets not because people are chasing speculation, but because they are solving real economic problems.
Across the continent, entrepreneurs, freelancers, exporters, SMEs, and families are using digital
assets to overcome expensive cross-border payments, limited access to banking services,
currency volatility, and inefficient settlement systems.
In many cases, digital assets are functioning as financial infrastructure rather than simply
investment products.Through my work advising organisations on digital asset policy, regulatory strategy, and ecosystem development. I’ve come to believe that the future of this industry will not be determined by who builds the next exchange or wallet. It will be determined by who builds trust.
Trust is created when innovation and regulation evolve together.For policymakers, that means moving beyond the false choice between encouraging innovation and protecting consumers. The objective should be to build regulatory frameworks that achieve both.
Clear licensing regimes, risk-based supervision, strong anti-money laundering standards,
consumer education, and ongoing public-private dialogue are essential ingredients of a healthy digital asset ecosystem.
Equally important is investing in compliance infrastructure that enables governments, financial
institutions, and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) to operate within a transparent and
accountable financial system.
That challenge is one of the reasons I co-founded TradePal AI.Our vision is to help bridge that gap connecting innovation with regulation so that digital asset activity becomes more transparent, investable, bankable, and ultimately more valuable to the broader economy.
I also believe there are important lessons the Gulf and Africa can learn from one another.
The Gulf has demonstrated how regulatory clarity, institutional coordination, and long-term strategic planning can attract global capital and position jurisdictions as international financial hubs.
Africa, meanwhile, has demonstrated how necessity drives innovation. Our entrepreneurs have
built practical solutions for remittances, informal commerce, financial inclusion, and cross-border
payments under some of the world’s most challenging operating environments.
The greatest opportunity lies in combining these strengths.
If Africa’s entrepreneurial ingenuity can be matched with the Gulf’s institutional capacity, regulatory sophistication, and investment ecosystem, both regions can help shape the next generation of digital financial infrastructure.Ultimately, I believe digital assets should not be viewed as an alternative to the financial system.
They should be viewed as an opportunity to modernise it—making finance more accessible, more efficient, more transparent, and more inclusive for millions of people across emerging markets.
If you were advising both African governments and Gulf investors on a long-term strategy, what would be your top three priorities for building a stronger Africa–Gulf economic partnership over the next decade?
If I were advising both African governments and Gulf investors on a long-term strategy, my
recommendations would extend beyond individual investment opportunities. I would focus on building the institutions and infrastructure that can sustain economic growth for decades.
First, build shared digital infrastructure—not just digital businesses.
The next phase of economic cooperation should focus on creating interoperable payment systems, trusted digital identity, modern digital public infrastructure, and efficient cross-border trade corridors.
These are the foundations that allow businesses to scale, reduce the cost of doing business, and
attract long-term investment. This is a principle that has guided much of my own work. Whether through **TradePal AI**, where we’re building compliant digital financial infrastructure, **The Boardroom**, where I write about policy and institutional reform, or the **Onchain Festival**, which brings together regulators, financial institutions, founders, investors, and policymakers, my focus has always been on strengthening the systems that enable innovation to flourish—not simply celebrating innovation itself.
Second, invest in human capital and institutional capacity. Africa’s greatest competitive advantage is not its natural resources. It is its people.Over the next decade, governments and investors should prioritise entrepreneurship, technical education, research, and leadership development while creating stronger partnerships between universities, industry, and government. At the same time, regulators and public institutions need continuous investment in digital skills, regulatory technology, and policy capability so they can govern increasingly sophisticated financial systems.
Technology ecosystems are ultimately built by talented people working within trusted institutions.
Third, make regulation a competitive advantage rather than a barrier.The countries that will attract the greatest investment are not necessarily those with the fewest regulations—they are those with the clearest, most predictable, and most collaborative regulatory environments. Across Africa, I have seen how uncertainty can slow investment, while thoughtful regulation can unlock entirely new markets. The most successful jurisdictions are those where governments engage the private sector early, regulators provide clarity, and innovation is encouraged within well-defined guardrails.
That is why I believe the future of Africa–Gulf cooperation should be built on partnership rather than transactions.The Gulf brings patient capital, world-class infrastructure, and experience in building globally competitive financial and innovation hubs.
Africa brings entrepreneurial talent, demographic strength, rapidly growing digital economies, and an extraordinary capacity to innovate under challenging conditions.
Together, these strengths can create far more than investment deals.
They can create new financial corridors, modern trade networks, digital infrastructure, and
innovation ecosystems that connect two of the world’s fastest-evolving regions.
As someone who has spent my career working across fintech, digital assets, policy advocacy,
ecosystem development, and institutional partnerships, I remain optimistic about what is possible when governments, investors, and innovators work towards a shared vision.
By 2035, I hope we are no longer talking about Africa as an “emerging market” and the Gulf as an “investor.” I hope we are talking about two regions that have become equal partners in shaping the future of global finance, technology, and innovation.
Because ultimately, the most valuable investments are not measured only by financial returns. They are measured by the institutions we strengthen, the opportunities we create, and the lives we improve.
(C) africangulf.ae 2026
