El-Sisi made his speech before African heads of state participating in the AU summit in Equatorial Guinea's capital, Malabo. The summit gathers African leaders to discuss several continental priorities, including economic integration, regional cooperation, peace and security, and intra-African trade. It also focuses on addressing the impact of global crises.
The Egyptian president made his speech in the capacity of Chair of the Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) at the 7th Mid-Year Coordination Summit of the African Union.
He began by noting that many African nations have demonstrated remarkable resilience, achieving economic growth, reforming education and healthcare systems, and advancing cross-border trade, despite mounting regional and global crises.
According to the Egyptian Presidency, El-Sisi used the platform to outline Egypt's key achievements as leader of the NEPAD committee for two years, focusing on the feasibility study that was conducted for launching a NEPAD Development Fund to bridge Africa's critical development financing gap.
He urged the AU's relevant bodies to approve the fund to begin mobilising resources and stimulating investment across the continent.
Furthermore, the Egyptian president highlighted the progress in fast-tracking infrastructure projects under the AU's Agenda 2063, including advancing green infrastructure corridors and developing the continental energy master plan and the joint agricultural policy.
He praised NEPAD's efforts in education and health, noting that the agency secured $100 million for the African Population Grant Initiative for reproductive health programmes and an additional €100 million for the African Skills Initiative.
In addition, the Egyptian president addressed the existential threat of climate change.
He announced the imminent launch of NEPAD's Centre of Excellence for Climate Initiatives in Cairo, describing it as a vital step toward equipping African nations with tools for adaptation and resilience.
In conclusion, El-Sisi urged African leaders to turn this moment into a renewed commitment to the African development agenda and to reinforce support for NEPAD's growing role.
"Let us seize this summit as an opportunity to recommit ourselves to Africa's future," he said. "Together, we can transform our collective vision into reality and secure our people's rightful share of peace, prosperity, and progress."
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