The Africa Infrastructure Roundtable (AIR) is built on a simple but urgent observation: while the African diaspora remains deeply invested in the continent’s future, there are still very few intentional, credible spaces where that interest can translate into structured dialogue, coordinated thinking, and long-term development outcomes. AIR exists to begin addressing this gap; creating a platform where capital, policy, and enterprise can be meaningfully aligned through focused,
high-quality conversations.
This edition of the Roundtable will be held in Manchester, United Kingdom, on April 24th, 2026, under the theme:
Building African Futures: Diaspora Capital, Infrastructure & Long-Term Impact
At its core, the conversation will explore how diaspora leadership, investment, and institutional engagement can move beyond remittances and sentiment toward more structured participation in
Africa’s infrastructure and economic systems. It will examine how capital can be coordinated for long-term value creation, how trust between diaspora actors and home institutions can be
strengthened, and what sustainable, community-aligned development should look like over time.
To ensure the Roundtable is both intentional and deeply engaging, the theme will be explored through two structured conversations:
- Community Capital & Infrastructure for Collective Growth
This session focuses on how trust can be built within African and diaspora communities to enable more coordinated, community-driven investment ecosystems. It will explore how these systems can translate into credible infrastructure development, and what it takes to move from fragmented efforts
to collective, scalable participation. - Institutional Bridges & Future Pathways
This session builds on the first by examining how diaspora professionals can connect capital, policy, and enterprise into structured impact.
It will explore the kinds of platforms, partnerships, and institutional frameworks required to enable sustained collaboration between the diaspora and the
continent.
The Roundtable will also feature keynote addresses designed to frame and deepen the conversation:
Timi Olagunju, a policy expert, lawyer, and governance strategist, will deliver a keynote titled “From Diaspora Potential to Institutional Impact.” His address will explore how diaspora professionals can
move beyond individual success to build structured bridges between capital, policy, and enterprise, and what systems are required to translate influence into measurable, long-term impact.
Sally Amoasah, an impact and investment professional, will deliver a keynote titled “Funding What Matters: Lessons from Impact Investment for Diaspora-Led Development.” Her keynote will focus
on how capital can be redirected toward meaningful outcomes, and how funding models can be structured for sustainable and scalable development impact.
The conversations will be guided by experienced moderators with backgrounds across governance, law, business, policy, and leadership, ensuring the dialogue remains structured, insightful, and
outcome-oriented.
A number of speakers will be contributing to the discussions, including:
- Cameroonian changemaker Paul M. Laka, founder and managing partner of Fuest Construction Brokers, also a diaspora investment and development advisor focused on diaspora engagement and sustainable finance
- Jeffrey Williams-Edem, a strategy and investment professional focused on connecting capital, enterprise, and cross-border opportunities. His work centres on building
pathways for sustainable investment and fostering partnerships that drive long-term economic growth across African markets. - Henry Adebisi, a finance leader and investor focused on unlocking capital and building scalable businesses across Africa. He is the founder of AfriStakes, a platform connecting African enterprises with local, diaspora, and global investors to bridge capital gaps and
drive long-term economic growth - Seun Odusanya, a communications and engagement professional working across public policy, community insight, and youth-focused development initiatives
— among other professionals, founders, and ecosystem leaders contributing diverse perspectives
to the dialogue.
The event is being supported by a growing network of Nigerian, African, and Caribbean diaspora communities in the UK, alongside student organisations, unions, and ecosystem groups, reflecting
the collective nature of the conversation and the importance of broad-based participation.
AIR will be a hybrid event, taking place in person in Manchester while also being livestreamed to a wider Africa-based and global audience through Langovest’s digital platforms and those of its media
partners, ensuring the conversation extends beyond the room and continues to engage a broader
community.
Overall, the Africa Infrastructure Roundtable is designed not just as an event, but as a starting point and a deliberate step toward building more structured, collaborative, and sustained diaspora participation in Africa’s long-term development.