2025 Ibrahim Governance Weekend
Marrakech, Morocco
The Ibrahim Governance Weekend (IGW) brings together leading voices from across Africa and beyond to discuss issues of critical importance to the continent’s progress.
The 2025 Ibrahim Forum discussions focussed on the theme Financing The Africa We Want. The time has come for Africa to mobilise and leverage its own resources more effectively.
One month before the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville (30 June–3 July), the 2025 Ibrahim Forum and its surrounding conversations over the IGW sought to articulate a common African position on these critical issues, and position Africa as a decisive actor and stakeholder on the international stage rather than an expectant beneficiary.
This position and recommendations were presented in a research brief published after the IGW.
2025 IGW events
Leadership Ceremony
Sunday, 1 June
The ceremony included key interventions on current challenges for African leadership.
Ibrahim Forum
Monday, 2 June
The 2025 Forum theme was Financing The Africa We Want. The conversations built on the findings of the 2024 Forum Report Financing Africa: where is the money?, which underscored the widening gap between Africa’s growing development and climate finance needs and the current availability of external resources.
With declining volumes of international aid and structural shortcomings in the multilateral financial system, the case is clear: Africa must pivot away from an outdated model of dependency on external finance and raw commodity exports. The time has come to mobilise and leverage its own resources more effectively. This is not about Africa asking for more money – but rather seeking smarter money, and, more importantly, leveraging its own domestic resources and better attracting private sector capital.
Session 1 - Delivering The Africa We Want: amplifying Africa’s priorities
This opening session laid out Africa’s priorities – The Africa We Want – such as infrastructure development, regional integration, access to energy for all, digitalisation, universal healthcare and jobs for youth.
Session 2 - Africa’s resources and assets: maximising revenue from within
Exploring the ways and means available to maximise Africa’s domestic resources. These include: drying up capital flight, strengthening tax systems, mobilising remittances, sovereign wealth and pension funds, upgrading local value chains and monetising carbon and biodiversity credits.
Session 3 - Smarter money: making global finance work for Africa
Addressing the current shortcomings of the multilateral financial system and its expected reboot. Focus on pending issues such as debt restructuring, SDR reallocation mechanisms, innovative concessional and blended financial tools and risk guarantee mechanisms.
Session 4 - Africa’s investment pitch: attracting private capital
Uncovering the mismatch between high returns and limited private investment volume on the continent, outlining both the opportunities and hurdles to overcome – what works, what does not, and how to make Africa a more attractive and predictable investment destination.
Mo In conversation with... H.E. Moussa Faki Mahamat
Former Chairperson, African Union Commission, MIF Council member
Mo In conversation with... H.E. David Lammy
Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom
Now Generation Network
Sunday, 1 June
The Foundation’s Now Generation Network (NGN) is a coalition of African experts, practitioners and advocates committed to moving the development agenda forward.
The Mo Ibrahim Foundation aims at ensuring NGN members are called upon and heard on several platforms within Africa and Internationally, including the IGW. This year, the NGN held a series of events for members in advance of the main IGW events:
- Bretton Woods at 80 (BW80)/Policy Center for the New South (PCNS): Conversation with MIF Now Generation Network
- Innovators Roundtable
- Politics and Governance Session
- NGN Debate
Parallel events
Sunday, 1 June & Tuesday, 3 June
Under the umbrella of the Governance Weekend, the Foundation hosted a number of guest organisations, who held various events throughout the weekend.
Organisations that held events include:
- Africa-Europe Foundation
- Africa Philanthropy Forum
- The Africa Report
- Afrobarometer
- The B Team
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center for Women and Development
- Global Perspectives Initiative
- Pedro Pires Institute for Leadership
- World Bank Group
