Chairman of SIFAX Group, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, has called for greater integration of economic investment into global conflict prevention efforts, arguing that infrastructure, employment, trade and economic opportunities can help address conditions that make societies vulnerable to instability.
Afolabi made the call in New York, United States, at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Global Executive Roundtable on Diplomacy, Multilateralism and Conflict Resolution.
He urged the international community to move beyond responding to conflicts after they erupt and place greater emphasis on preventive diplomacy, sustainable development and economic inclusion.
According to him, peace and economic prosperity reinforce each other.
“Peace creates the environment for investment, investment creates opportunity, and opportunity strengthens the foundations of peace,” Afolabi said.
He identified geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, climate pressures, inequality and declining trust in institutions as some of the challenges confronting the global community.
Afolabi said addressing the challenges required a coordinated approach built around diplomacy, multilateralism, conflict resolution and sustainable economic development.
He said the link between peace and development was particularly important for Africa, where infrastructure deficits, financing constraints, trade barriers and limited economic opportunities continue to affect development prospects.
“Africa’s peace building agenda must be accompanied by an investment agenda. We need investment in transport infrastructure, ports, energy, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education and human capital,” he said.
Afolabi also called for stronger regional value chains and improved connectivity across African economies, stressing that the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) required more than trade agreements.
“Trade and connectivity can create shared interests among nations. The success of AfCFTA depends not only on trade agreements but on infrastructure, efficient logistics, digital systems, financing and political cooperation,” he said.
He highlighted the role of the private sector in creating economic connections capable of strengthening cooperation among communities, businesses and countries.
Drawing on SIFAX Group’s operations across maritime, logistics, aviation, financial services, oil and gas and hospitality, Afolabi said infrastructure and connectivity should be viewed not only as commercial activities but also as components of economic development.
“A functioning logistics system can connect farmers to markets, manufacturers to consumers, businesses to international value chains and countries to one another,” he said.
He added that such economic connections could create shared interests and incentives for cooperation, making infrastructure an important component of a broader peacebuilding strategy.