Samaila Dalhat Zubairu

Samaila Zubairu has been a leading advocate for African value creation, industrialization, and job creation through transformative infrastructure investment for over three decades. As President and CEO of Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) for the past seven years, Mr. Zubairu has overseen a doubling of country membership, a tripling of investments (including the continent’s largest renewable energy acquisition) and more than a tripling of profits by year-end 2024. 

Under his leadership, AFC has earned multiple accolades, including Pan-African Champion at the 2024 Africa CEO Forum Awards; Financial Adviser of the Year at the 2024 IJ Investor Awards, Local Impact Champion in 2023, Equity Deal of the Year, and DFI of the Year for Europe & Africa.  Previously, Mr. Zubairu served as the pioneer Chief Financial Officer of Dangote Cement Plc, where he launched Africa’s largest syndicated project finance facility. At Africapital Management Limited, he co-developed the Nigerian Infrastructure Investment Fund. 

Mr. Zubairu chairs the Alliance for African Multilateral Financial Institutions (AAMFI), co-chairs the World Economic Forum’s Network to Mobilize Clean Energy Investment in EMDEs, as well as the B20 Task Force on Finance & Infrastructure. 

He is an Eisenhower Fellow and holds a B.Sc. in Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University.