In his opening address, H.E. Moses Vilakati, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development of the African Union, representing newly appointed AU Commission President H.E. Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, stated, 'Africa is not merely adapting to global transformations; we are actively shaping them.' He also emphasized Africa's potential to address global food security challenges through innovation and development."

A central theme throughout the summit was the urgent need to overhaul international financial architecture. Camilla Brückner, Director of the UNDP Brussels Office, highlighted an alarming gap in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with only 17% currently on track globally. She urged action to close the financing gap through 'innovative mechanisms that attract sustainable investment and ensure reliable energy access—a critical enabler of the broader SDG agenda. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt's Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, criticized governance structures in global financial institutions. She noted that while developing countries constitute 75% of membership in institutions like the IMF, they hold only 37% of voting rights. 'This disparity is not just an abstract issue,' she argued. 'It is a call to move beyond rhetoric about inclusion and toward meaningful power-sharing.'

The summit also featured robust discussions on Africa's triple transformation in agricultural sovereignty, energy transition, and sustainable industrialization—dubbed the "Great Green Leap." Ambassador Al-Moustafa Kouyateh, Special Envoy of Liberia's President Joseph Nyumah Boakai on international investments, outlined Liberia's vision for agricultural self-sufficiency through its National Agricultural Fund—a model uniting local farmers, investors, and public resources to achieve sovereignty by producing what the nation consumes.

Against the backdrop of significant shifts in international development, speakers called for a fundamental paradigm shift in North-South relations. As Papa Amadou Sarr, director of partnerships for the French Development Agency, Europe now must "change the paradigm to: invest, invest, invest." The donor-recipient logic must be left behind, emphasized EU representatives discussing the Global Gateway initiative, which aims to mobilize €150 billion for infrastructure investment through innovative public-private partnerships. Younous Omarjee, Vice-President of the European Parliament, delivered a powerful call for a new perspective: "Today, we must see Africa for what it truly is: a continent of the future, a geopolitical power in the making, and a key player of the 21st century. No longer should it be viewed through the outdated lens of condescension, dependence, or paternalism."

The Summit also addressed specific and forward-looking sectoral topics, such as Africa's role in the artificial intelligence race. Samson Itodo, Member of the African Union Working Group on AI in Peace, Security and Governance & Executive Director at Yiaga Africa, shared how grassroots initiatives are leveraging the power of AI to improve governance. Ambassador Bitenge Ndemo made a passionate plea for accelerating AI adoption in Africa: "We need to emphasize that we need to leverage AI to move faster". He highlighted that AI is being utilized across Africa, especially in areas of health, agriculture, and education.

The Africa Political Outlook Prize for Leadership, Governance & Impact recognizes three outstanding leaders contributing significantly to Africa's advancement across peace, inclusive prosperity, and local development. This year's recipients include Myriam Dossou d'Almeida—Vice-President of Togo's National Assembly and former Minister of Grassroots Development—for her work advancing health insurance; Dr. Rania Al-Mashat—Egypt's Minister of Planning—for promoting inclusive prosperity; and Jean-Yves Ollivier—of Foundation Brazzaville—for his historic peace mediation efforts in ending apartheid in South Africa and resolving conflicts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.