At the Imo State Economic Summit 2025 in Owerri on Thursday, former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared that Africa possesses some of the most essential tools needed to tackle the world’s most urgent challenges—especially climate change, inequality, and sustainable development.
Speaking before an audience of political leaders, investors, and policymakers, the former UN chief argued that meaningful global progress cannot be achieved unless the international community confronts and resolves the specific issues facing African nations.
Ki-moon, who reflected on previous visits to Nigeria, drew parallels between the continent’s turbulent history and the struggles of his native South Korea.
He noted that African countries, including communities in Imo State, continue to grapple with the long-term consequences of colonialism and conflict.
“Africa carries immense potential,” he emphasised, explaining that the continent’s natural resources, youthful population, and growing innovation sectors position it as a strategic force in solving climate-related and developmental challenges worldwide.
Ki-moon highlighted his long-standing advocacy for climate adaptation efforts in Africa, recalling his involvement in major events such as the Africa Climate Summit.
He stressed that the world cannot proudly claim to be moving toward sustainability while African regions remain vulnerable and under-resourced.
The former UN chief cautioned that the global community is “running out of time” to curb the worsening impacts of climate change, urging governments to recommit to the Paris Agreement despite political and economic pressures.
He described climate-related disasters already unfolding across the continent as a grave injustice, noting that African countries collectively generate a tiny fraction of global emissions yet bear the heaviest burdens.
According to him, the imbalance underscores the need for both increased global responsibility and stronger support for African-led adaptation initiatives.
The summit, themed “Unlocking Imo’s Economic Potential: Partnership, Investment, and Innovation,” drew a distinguished group of international and local figures.
Among those present were Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, former President of Mauritius Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, and Nigeria’s Minister of Finance Wale Edun.
Leading industrialist Aliko Dangote and representatives of AFREXIM Bank were also in attendance.
The gathering focused on strategies to transform Imo State into a competitive economic hub through investment, collaboration, and technological advancement—an ambition Ban Ki-moon said is firmly tied to the continent’s broader development trajectory.
