African Union’s WYFEI 2030 Ramps Up Private Sector Drive to Mobilize $100 Billion for Inclusive Growth

Since its launch in 2022, the Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI 2030) Initiative has become a cornerstone of the African Union’s Decade on Financial and Economic Inclusion (2020–2030), driving collaborative platforms to deepen financial access for women and youth across the continent.

In a recent high-level convening led by the African Union Commission’s Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate—partnering with Sterling One Foundation and supported by Germany’s BMZ through GIZ—stakeholders renewed their resolve to engage the private sector in bridging critical financing gaps. The gathering, which took place ahead of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS 2025), set an ambitious new goal: unlock $100 billion to benefit at least 10 million African women and youth by 2030.

Prudence Nonkululeko Ngwenya, Director of the AU Commission’s Women, Gender, and Youth Directorate, emphasized the need for structural change, calling for women and youth to be prioritized in policies, budgets, and accountability systems.

“The private sector is not a guest at this table, but a co-owner of the agenda,” she stated. “WYFEI 2030 is a blueprint for co-investment, innovation, and scaled impact.”

Sterling One Foundation CEO Olapeju Ibekwe echoed this sentiment, asserting that real inclusion must go beyond dialogue to measurable delivery.

“Women and youth are central to Africa’s future. Delayed investment in them is delayed development for the entire continent,” she said, urging for actionable partnerships tailored to Africa’s unique realities.

Dr. Tobias Thiel, Director of GIZ African Union, described the initiative as a dual imperative—moral and economic—and reaffirmed GIZ’s backing for WYFEI 2030’s bold vision of equity and access.

Accelerating Inclusive Impact

The event featured a cross-sector panel exploring key strategies for scaling up financial inclusion:

• Mobilizing private capital for underserved demographics
• Developing financial products tailored to women and youth
• Strengthening infrastructure and data systems to improve bankability
• Providing targeted business development services to young and women-led enterprises

One of the day’s key announcements came from Dr. Nadi Albino of UNICEF, who introduced EmpowerHer Africa—a new initiative under the WYFEI 2030 umbrella. The program aims to equip 50 million adolescent girls and young women with access to finance, technology, and entrepreneurship tools.

Looking ahead, the AU Commission and Sterling One Foundation plan to roll out a series of public–private dialogues across Africa. These engagements will focus on:

• Unlocking strategic finance for inclusive ventures
• Building co-investment frameworks to scale gender-responsive innovations
• Addressing systemic financial and institutional barriers
• Driving measurable outcomes to transform Africa’s economic landscape

By focusing on ecosystem-level solutions, WYFEI 2030 is positioning Africa as a model of inclusive, sustainable development—where women and youth are not just included, but empowered to lead.