CBE Governor proposed pointing 10% of African banking liquidity and 5% of international reserves into investments within the continent

CBE Governor Hassan Abdalla proposed directing 10% of African banking liquidity and 5% of international reserves toward investments within the continent, part of a broader push for structural reforms to unlock intra-African investment and retain domestic capital continent-wide, according to a statement from the central bank. The CBE has signed at least 15 MoUs with African central banks covering training and governance, the statement adds.

The rationale: African capital often leaves the continent for developed markets only to return as expensive foreign credit, Abdalla told attendees at the Alamein Africa Forum, emphasizing the need for expanded local-currency trade and an African credit rating agency to improve the continent’s access to financing on better terms.

IN CONTEXT- His calls were well-timed. The African Union-backed Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA) launches tomorrow in Mauritius with a mandate to rate sovereigns, sub-sovereigns, and corporates. The thing to watch is its first ratings: whether AfCRA lowers borrowing costs will depend on securing credibility with international investors, German think tank SWP argues.

IN OTHER FORUM NEWS- The Foreign Ministry inked an MoU with Chad’s Health Ministry on pharma, biologics, and medical supplies to bolster pharma integration between Egypt and the broader African region, according to a ministry statement. The agreement is one of several the government signed during the forum this week, including with South Africa and Equatorial Guinea.

Platform for a platform

Founding members of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) aim to launch the Alamein Investment Platform by the African Union summit in February 2027, according to the Alamein Declaration adopted by five heads of state on 3 October. President Abdel Fattah El Sisi announced the declaration at the closing of the Nepad founding members’ summit in New Alamein, saying it put the African private sector front and center.

How it works: The platform collects private capital pledges made at the Alamein Africa Forum and tracks the total value of projects in one place, with updates every two years. The five founding states — Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa — tasked the African Union Development Agency-Partnership for Africa’s Development (Auda-Nepad), the AU Commission, regional economic blocs, and African development banks with executing the initiative. It is one of four goals in the declaration. The others are a continent-wide SME fund by mid-2027, a list of investment-ready flagship projects, and an African-led risk-reduction tool within 18 months.

Why it matters: Member states have been cutting back on funding for Auda-Nepad, and the declaration flags “deep concern” over the agency’s budget squeeze. On top of that, development financing across Africa is tightening. The platform is an attempt to plug that gap using African private money instead of waiting for donors or outside funds. At the summit, El Sisi said: “True development does not come from outside; it is built through the will of the people of the continent.”

Hassan Allam investing in its people

Hassan Allam Holding partnered with Spain’s IE University to set up leadership and talent-development programs for the group’s high-performing employees, according to a press release seen by EnterpriseAM. The partnership introduces two programs, a high-potential career progression module for top performers within the group’s talent program, and an executive leadership framework designed to train current and emerging managers. The initiative aims to strengthen internal leadership capacity as the construction and engineering group expands its regional project pipeline.