Ebrima N Ceesay, Vice President of Platform Automation
and Data Science at MasterCard, told theCooperator that Africa’s industrial development hinges on continental investment in digital infrastructure and energy. Citing strategic assets like the undersea cables that diffuse internet access that are built by tech giants such as Meta and Google, Ceesay argues that African states should not rely on such private players but rather build their own infrastructure to ensure sovereignty and universal access. He suggests that for example, Uganda can commit some of the proceeds of its vast mineral wealth to such strategic investments. In addition to financing investments in energy that powers this infrastructure.
On the subject of Africa’s energy needs Cristina Duarte, Special Adviser on Africa to United Nations Secretary-General, (UN-OSAA), believes that Africa’s industrialisation should not be delinked from its energy transformation. Tellingly, she holds the view that given 600 million Africans have no access to electricity, Africa should explore all forms of energy including fossil fuels to meet this need. At no pint should Africa be restricted to green energy or renewable energy sources in its drive to develop.
Tellingly, Duarte revealed that Africa’s industrialisation has not been a joint goal of Africa and her development partners who have vested interest in maintaining the existing order that exploits Africa. This a feature of the global trade system and not a bug. To illustrate her point, Duarte claimed that 70% of the world’s cocoa from Africa but the continent only retains 6% of the value of this billion dollar industry. As a way forward, Duarte stressed that Africa should prioritise import substitution regardless of past failures and this should be a continental consensus, stop positioning the African middle class as importers whereas in every other developed country the middle class drive consumption of locally produced goods and service. Further, export promotion should be a continental agenda.
John Walugembe, who heads the Federation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, locates the cooperative movement in Africa at this critical juncture where industrial development is the direction of travel, as an enabler of clustering. MSMEs are too small and are unable to compete on their own, because they can’t produce in the required volumes.
“If you say your are going to access markets on your own, if you say you are going to access finance on your own, you will find barriers. High interest rates, lack of collateral and so on. But as a cooperative, some financial institutions would be happy to adopt a group guarantee. SO cooperatives are therefore central to this conversation and the survival of SMEs.”
However for cooperatives to seize these opportunities they need to address internal governance challenges. Uganda Development Bank for instance offers financing and business development services to ensure top management or founder members don’t disenfranchise other members and robust accountability frameworks are established in addition to support that ensures their business project in bankable.
R-L: Cristina Duarte, Special Adviser on Africa to United
Nations Secretary-General, (UN-OSAA),Deogratius Masagazi, the Under Secretary, MTIC, Stephen Kargbo, UNIDO Representative, pose for a photo following a panel discussion at AIW2025 on 18.11.2025. Photo By Ceaser Mukasa
