The European Institution for Economic Cooperation and Development (EUCED) and ConstructAfrica have formed a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening infrastructure investment and business development across Africa by connecting project intelligence with international financial and strategic advisory expertise.
The agreement, announced in Lisbon on Sunday, will bring together ConstructAfrica’s knowledge of African construction and infrastructure markets with EUCED’s international network and capabilities in project preparation, investment structuring and institutional cooperation.
The partnership seeks to address challenges faced by companies and investors seeking to identify commercially viable projects, assess market conditions and prepare investment proposals across African economies.
Under the arrangement, organisations within EUCED’s international network will gain access to ConstructAfrica’s intelligence platform, which provides information on construction projects, infrastructure developments, companies and emerging commercial opportunities across the continent.
The intelligence will support decisions on market entry, business expansion, project development and potential investments, particularly in Africa’s construction and infrastructure sectors.
In return, project developers, sponsors and companies using ConstructAfrica’s platform will be able to explore specialist advisory services through EUCED, a European Economic Interest Grouping focused on international economic cooperation and development.
These services may include project feasibility assessments, business planning, financial modelling, investment structuring, funding advisory and the development of strategic partnerships.
The collaboration is intended to help bridge the gap between identifying infrastructure opportunities and preparing projects for potential commercial financing.
Africa’s infrastructure development needs have created opportunities for investors, construction companies and project developers, although turning proposed investments into commercially viable projects often requires detailed technical, financial and institutional preparation.
By combining sector-specific market intelligence with project advisory capabilities, the two organisations aim to improve the ability of businesses to evaluate investment prospects and develop structured proposals.
Professor Manuel Pereira, president of EUCED, said the partnership would support organisations seeking to expand their operations and develop investment projects in African markets.
“Africa offers significant opportunities for infrastructure development, industrial investment, and business expansion,” Pereira said.
“Through our partnership with ConstructAfrica, we aim to connect valuable market intelligence with the strategic, financial and project development expertise needed to help organisations assess opportunities, prepare investment initiatives, and build meaningful international partnerships.”
ConstructAfrica, a digital platform specialising in Africa’s construction and infrastructure industries, provides information on projects, companies and market developments to organisations seeking commercial opportunities across the continent.
Its partnership with EUCED will extend the potential application of that intelligence beyond project identification to include investment preparation and international business development.
Segun Faniran, founder and chief executive of ConstructAfrica, said the collaboration would help companies and investors move from market research towards more detailed project evaluation and planning.
“ConstructAfrica’s mission is to help organisations identify and understand opportunities across Africa’s construction and infrastructure markets,” Faniran said.
“By partnering with EUCED, we are bringing together deep market intelligence and specialised strategic advisory and investment expertise.”
He added that the arrangement would help organisations assess opportunities, establish partnerships and advance investment initiatives across African markets.
The partnership will also target companies considering new projects, greenfield investments, capital expenditure programmes and expansion into African markets.
Greenfield investments, which involve establishing new facilities or operations rather than acquiring existing businesses, typically require extensive planning, market assessments and financing arrangements before construction or commercial operations can begin.
EUCED’s advisory services could support such projects through financial modelling, investment readiness assessments and assistance in identifying potential funding sources.
The organisations said the collaboration would be supported by coordinated communications, institutional engagement and business development initiatives aimed at connecting project sponsors, investors and other interested parties.
Enquiries generated through the partnership will be assessed individually and directed towards relevant services, depending on the commercial and technical requirements of each project.
However, the agreement does not include a disclosed investment commitment, dedicated financing facility or guarantee that projects identified through the partnership will secure funding.
EUCED and ConstructAfrica said any subsequent advisory or investment-related engagement would require separate assessments, commercial agreements and clearly defined scopes of work.
The organisations also did not identify specific infrastructure projects, African countries targeted for initial implementation or a timetable for delivering investment transactions.
The partnership reflects an approach to infrastructure development that places greater emphasis on early-stage project preparation and access to reliable market information.
For businesses considering expansion into Africa, the availability of project intelligence alongside financial and strategic advisory services could help reduce uncertainty during the initial stages of investment planning.
The effectiveness of the collaboration will ultimately depend on its ability to translate market intelligence and advisory support into commercially viable projects, institutional partnerships and completed investments across Africa’s infrastructure and construction sectors.
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