Ahunna Eziakonwa speaks at a conference during the fourth CAETE in Changsha, Hunan Province, on 12 June (COURTESY) 

Representatives from numerous international organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), attended the fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE), held in June in Changsha, Hunan Province. Among them was Ahunna Eziakonwa, UN assistant secretary general and director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, who took part in several activities at the expo. Her mission focused on promoting sustainable development across Africa through trade, innovation, and responsible investment.  

In an interview with ChinAfrica, she shared her insights on a wide range of topics, including China-Africa economic relations, the continent’s sustainable development goals, and regional integration. The following is an edited excerpt from that conversation. 

ChinAfrica: What message are you bringing to the fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) on behalf of UNDP and the African continent? What outcomes are you hoping to achieve through UNDP’s participation this year? 

Ahunna Eziakonwa: My message is clear: Africa is not just open for business; it is shaping the future of business. I came to the fourth CAETE with a call to action: invest not only in Africa’s resources, but in its ideas, its youth, its innovation, and its green industrial transformation. 

The UNDP is here to broker bold partnerships: those that deliver fairer capital, co-create value chains, and localise solutions in energy, health, and digital tech. We are not here to transact; we are here to transform. 

The outcome is to move from potential to power. Africa and China can build the industries of tomorrow, together. Let this expo be a launchpad for just that. 

How do you view the role of China-Africa trade and investment in advancing sustainable development in Africa, particularly in green energy and industrial transformation? 

China-Africa trade and investment can be a game-changer, but only if it drives shared prosperity, not just profits. We need an equitable partnership that builds industries in Africa, powered by green energy and inclusive innovation. 

Africa has the sun, wind, youth, and ideas. China has the technology, capital, and experience. Together, we can leapfrog into a new era of climate-smart industrialisation - creating jobs, boosting value chains, and protecting our planet. 

This is not just trade; it is transformation. 

The question is no longer why invest in Africa, but how to do it in ways that are sustainable, just, and locally led. 

UNDP’s timbuktoo initiative has gained attention for supporting youth innovation. How does this programme align with CAETE’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship? 

Timbuctoo is Africa’s answer to global innovation questions, and it speaks directly to CAETE’s focus on entrepreneurship, trade, and transformation. 

It is not just a programme; it is a movement to unleash the power of Africa’s youth. With timbuktoo, we are building the largest startup ecosystem on the continent - anchored in universities, fuelled by capital, and driven by purpose. From fintech to healthtech, from agritech to greentech, timbuktoo is turning ideas into industries and startups into job creators. 

This is where Africa’s talent meets global opportunity. And we are inviting partners - especially from China - to help scale it. The future isn’t imported. We build it, together. 

How is UNDP helping African governments to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and what role can Chinese partners play in making it a success? 

AfCFTA is Africa’s big bet on itself: 1.4 billion people, one borderless market, and unlimited potential. 

AfCFTA is Africa’s blueprint for self-driven growth, and the UNDP helps to make it real. We are supporting governments to move from vision to velocity, simplifying trade rules, boosting regional value chains, and supporting entrepreneurs, especially women and youth, to compete across borders. 

And trade doesn’t move on ambition alone. It needs infrastructure, digital systems, policies, financial resources, and trust. The UNDP is helping governments to lay that foundation. We are mapping value chains, digitising trade corridors, and backing the startups and women-led businesses that will fuel intra-African trade. 

And China has a key role to play. Not just as a trading partner, but as a co-investor in Africa’s industrial future. From building green logistics to co-developing industrial parks, Chinese partners can help Africa to trade more with itself, and with the world, on fairer, greener terms. 

You have strongly advocated for fairer credit ratings for African countries. Why is this important now, and how might China support reform in the global financial system? 

Credit ratings are choking Africa’s future. They inflate borrowing costs, drain public budgets, and punish countries for structural challenges they didn’t create. This is not just a financial issue, it is a development injustice. 

Right now, African countries pay 5 to 8 times more to borrow than others. That means fewer hospitals, fewer schools, and fewer green energy projects. 

China has an influential voice in global finance and can be a game-changer. By championing credit ratings reforms, supporting alternative risk assessments, and investing in African resilience, China can help to shift the system from extractive to equitable. 

This is about power and fairness. Africa doesn’t need favours; it needs a level playing field. 

Access to green technology remains a challenge for many African nations. What opportunities does South-South cooperation - particularly with China - offer to bridge this gap? 

Green technology is Africa’s lifeline to a sustainable future. However, right now, access remains uneven and costly. South-South cooperation with China isn’t just an opportunity; it is a necessity. 

China’s leadership in deploying affordable solar, wind, and clean energy at scale offers a blueprint, and a partner, for Africa’s green transformation. But we need more than just tech transfers. We need co-innovation, deep skills development, and financing solutions tailored to Africa’s unique contexts. 

This partnership can spark entire green industrial ecosystems, from manufacturing clean tech locally to training the next generation of engineers and entrepreneurs. It means millions of new green jobs, resilient communities, and economies that grow without destroying the planet. 

The stakes are high, and the clock is ticking. South-South cooperation with China can break down the barriers to green technology and unlock Africa’s vast clean energy potential, powering a future that is climate-smart, inclusive, and prosperous. 

What message would you like to convey to Chinese private sector investors looking to engage in Africa? How can their investments align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Agenda 2063? 

To Chinese private sector investors, I would like to say: Africa is not just a market, it is a partner for innovation, growth, and impact. Investing in Africa means tapping into a youthful, dynamic continent hungry for jobs, technology, and sustainable solutions. 

Align your investments with the SDGs and Agenda 2063 by focusing on green industries, digital transformation, and inclusive business models that empower women and youth. This isn’t just good ethics - it’s good economics. Sustainable investments build resilient markets, unlock new opportunities, and create lasting value. 

Africa offers scale, potential, and purpose. The time to invest, and to invest responsibly, is now. Let’s build the future together. 

In today’s changing global landscape, why is it crucial for African voices and priorities to be at the centre of international cooperation - and how does UNDP help to amplify those voices? 

African voices and priorities must drive international cooperation because Africa holds the keys to global challenges, from climate resilience to innovation and inclusive growth. Granting more attention to Africa and providing access ensure solutions are relevant, effective, and sustainable. 

The UNDP amplifies these voices by partnering closely with African governments, youth, and communities, helping to translate local insights into global action. We ensure Africa’s ambitions shape the development agenda, unlocking the resources and partnerships needed to turn vision into reality.