Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Chairman of SIFAX Group, has called for economic investment to be built more firmly into global efforts to prevent conflict. He said jobs, trade and economic opportunity can help fix some of the underlying conditions that make societies prone to instability.

Afolabi spoke in New York at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Global Executive Roundtable on Diplomacy, Multilateralism and Conflict Resolution. He said the international community must stop reacting to conflicts only after they break out, and focus more on preventive diplomacy, sustainable development and economic inclusion.

He said peace and prosperity support each other.

“Peace creates the environment for investment, investment creates opportunity, and opportunity strengthens the foundations of peace,” he said.

Afolabi said the world today faces a mix of geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, climate pressures, inequality and falling trust in institutions. He said these problems need a joint response built on diplomacy, multilateralism, conflict resolution and sustainable economic development.

He said the link between peace and development matters most in Africa, where poor infrastructure, financing gaps, trade barriers and limited economic opportunities still hold back the continent’s progress.

“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.

He also called for stronger regional value chains and better links between African economies. He said making the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) work requires 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.

Afolabi pointed to the private sector’s role in building economic ties that can strengthen cooperation between communities, businesses and countries. Drawing on SIFAX Group’s work in maritime, logistics, aviation, financial services, oil and gas and hospitality, he said infrastructure and connectivity should be seen as key parts of economic development, not just commercial activity.

“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 these economic links create shared interests and reasons for cooperation, which makes infrastructure an important part of any wider peacebuilding plan.