The recent Global Gateway Forum in Brussels was billed as a milestone for Europe’s external investment strategy. The announcements that Team Europe had already mobilized more than €300 billion ahead of schedule; that a new strategic partnership with the World Bank would back 18 new connectivity projects globally; that flagship corridors, digital initiatives, and health infrastructure would feature prominently in the next phase were bold initiatives.

These are welcome signals. Yet, if the promise is to be more than optics, what was said must now lead to substantive shifts in how investment in Africa and beyond is framed and delivered. Below are the real challenges that must accompany ambition.

What must change in mindset and method

1. Move from pilots to platforms, not isolated experiments

Too many pilot projects end up as islands. They are well-intentioned, but disconnected, unsustainable, and ultimately stranded. What Africa needs is infrastructure built on interoperable systems, coordinated governance, data commons, and shared investment vehicles. Platforms enable scaling; pilots do not. If each corridor, cable, or grid is designed in isolation, the fragmentation will stifle the very synergies Global Gateway promises.

2. Think scale, not just projects

A single project such as a hydro plant is necessary but insufficient. The guiding lens must be: What system emerges? What is the network effect? Investments should be evaluated not by their individual returns but by how they interlock. For example, how do transport corridors link regions, energy grids spanning countries, digital backbones enabling cross-border data flows. Without that, we risk ending up with multiple flagships that do not deploy at continental scale.

3. Co-design with African governments and private sector, not prescribe to them

Partnership cannot mean that Europe defines priorities and hands them over to Africa for execution. Real co-design demands shared agenda-setting, joint pipeline creation, and inclusive deliberation with governments, communities, regulators, and local entrepreneurs. Infrastructure is political and social, not just technical. It must therefore be embedded in local strategy and legitimacy.

4. Harmonize EU and AU standards; invest in data, capacity, credibility

If projects are to plug into broader continental systems, procurement, environmental, labour, digital, and data standards must be aligned or at least mutually recognized. The Forum spotlighted the Data Governance in Africa initiative as one of the building blocks. But standards alone will not suffice without concerted investment in regulatory agencies, national project units, data systems, monitoring capacity, and institutional credibility. True ownership means that African institutions and not external contractors can steer and regulate.

5. Acknowledge that Africa demand justice, not charity

The continental call is for fair terms, shared risk, mutual accountability, and dignity. Ambitious headlines must be underpinned by clarity: what portion of funds is new? Which are grants, which are loans, and under what conditions? What is the debt burden, and how is sustainability assessed? Transparency and independent scrutiny must be non-negotiable features.

What the Forum delivered—and where the gap remains

The Forum did deliver substance. Among its most significant outcomes was the new agreement between the European Union and the World Bank to jointly support 18 connectivity projects across energy, transport, and digital infrastructure. This collaboration marks a meaningful step toward bridging the gap between political promise and tangible execution, with projects spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America, and beyond.

Equally noteworthy were major project-level memoranda such as the Kambarata-1 hydropower plant in Central Asia, backed by nearly €900 million in commitments from the European Investment Bank and partners. These announcements underscored that the Global Gateway’s ambition extends beyond Africa to position Europe as a global development actor across multiple regions.

The Forum also introduced scale-up sessions focused on cross-cutting themes such as transport corridors, digital connectivity, and health sovereignty. This emphasis suggested a genuine effort to move from isolated pilot projects to systemic platforms that can deliver long-term impact. Additionally, discussions centered on how to accelerate delivery through improved coordination between European capitals, national development agencies, and international financial institutions—acknowledging that institutional alignment is as crucial as capital itself.

Still, these advances are steps, not destinations. Execution risk looms large: regulatory bottlenecks, institutional capacity gaps, fragmented coordination, debt concerns, and questions of legitimacy could all derail what currently looks promising on paper. Without stronger governance and a renewed focus on shared accountability, the vision outlined at the Forum may struggle to translate into sustained progress on the ground.

What must follow—with urgency

Africa’s partnership with the EU must now focus on regionally anchored platforms, not temporary project units. These should coordinate delivery, track standards, and link governments, investors, and communities across borders. Only platforms—not scattered pilots—can sustain impact and scale.

Equally vital is the creation of joint EU–AU standards and clear dispute-resolution systems. Shared rules on procurement, labour, data, and the environment would cut duplication and speed delivery. Alignment between European and African frameworks is essential for trust and efficiency.

There must also be deeper investment in institutions and data systems. Building credible regulators, digital infrastructure, and project-management skills matters more than hardware alone. Governments must have the capacity to lead, not just host, these initiatives.

Transparency and accountability must underpin every commitment. Europe’s mobilized capital should be openly classified into how much is new, how much is debt, and what terms apply. Independent oversight will keep ambition grounded in fairness.

Finally, adaptive governance is key. Projects should evolve with evidence and local feedback, learning from what works and changing when needed. That is how partnerships mature—from ambition to real, lasting results.

In closing, bridging continents, enhancing connectivity and powering resilience. These are important components. The Global Gateway Forum cast a hopeful shadow over infrastructure investment in the coming years. Yet in the months ahead, the real test will be whether that ambition yields partnerships built on equality, institutions built on competence, and development built on justice.

If the Forum’s promises are translated into platforms that deepen co-ownership, scale across borders, anchor legitimacy in local institutions, and keep accountability front and centre, then it might reshape how large powers and developing states walk together. If not, it risks echoing past patterns under a new label.

The moment is no longer about launching bold commitments but about delivering them in a different mode: one of justice, equal partnership, and lasting capacity.