Under the stewardship of Samaira Zubair, the African Finance Corporation became a powerhouse of industrialization, clean energy and pan-African prosperity.
Samaira Zubair, President and Chief Executive Officer of African Finance Corporation (AFC), has established herself as one of the continent’s most effective champions of value creation, industrial development and strategic infrastructure investment. With over 30 years of experience in finance and development, Mr. Zubair has consistently driven a bold vision of Africa-led growth centered on long-term infrastructure, job creation and economic self-sufficiency.
President and CEO: Samaira Zubair
Since taking the helm at AFC in 2018, Mr. Zubair has driven significant growth in the company’s footprint, financial strength and influence. Under his leadership, AFC has doubled its sovereign membership base, quadrupled its investments and more than tripled its profits as of the end of 2024. He oversaw the largest acquisition in the company’s history, the landmark acquisition of renewable energy producer Lekera Power through Infinity Power, Africa’s largest pure renewable energy provider. This single deal expanded access to clean electricity to more than 1 million homes and avoided millions of tons of CO2 emissions.
Mr. Zubair’s results-oriented leadership has garnered attention. In 2024, AFC was named Pan-African Champion at the Africa CEO Forum Awards and Financial Advisor of the Year at the IJ Investor Awards. Last year, AFC won the Local Impact Champion award at the 2023 Africa CEO Forum and won the African Banker Award’s Equity Deal of the Year award for its Lekera acquisition. AFC also won DFI of the Year in the European and African category at the 2022 Infrastructure Journal Global Awards. Zubair himself was named Africa CEO of the Year by AsiaOne Magazine, cementing his reputation as a visionary leader in African finance. In recognition of his contributions to African development, he was also awarded Senegal’s highest national honors, the National Order of the Lion and the Order of the Commander.
Beyond the accolades, his legacy is firmly rooted in that realization. A chartered accountant by training, Mr. Zubair was the pioneering CFO of Dangote Cement Plc, where he led the creation of the largest syndicated project financial institution in African history. He also managed the demerger of Dangote Industries and played a fundamental role in establishing the Nigeria Infrastructure Investment Fund 1 in partnership with African Infrastructure Investment Management Company (AIIM).
He also plays a leading role in shaping financial cooperation on the continent. Mr. Zubair chairs the African Alliance of Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), a coalition of Africa’s top development financial institutions committed to harmonizing regional development efforts and increasing Africa’s voice on the world stage. Additionally, he co-chairs the B20 South African Finance and Infrastructure Task Force, contributing to the development of private sector policy recommendations for the G20.
His commitment to sustainability is deeply embedded in his work. As co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Network for Mobilizing Clean Energy Investment in Emerging and Developing Economies (EMDE), Zubair is shaping the global standard for climate finance. Through AFC, he has championed ground-breaking clean energy projects that drive regional development while building resilience to climate change, from wind farms in Djibouti to integrated industrial platforms in Gabon.
Zubair is a regular keynote speaker at major global forums such as the United Nations Climate Summit and the World Economic Forum, and continues to position Africa as a key investment destination with global relevance. He is an Eisenhower Fellow and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University. He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Through her strategic vision and tireless execution, Samaira Zubair is not only redefining infrastructure finance on the continent, but also helping to write a new chapter in Africa’s development story.
