Washington DC: Dr. Sandrine MUBENGA highlights the « Business for Peace » concept at the 10th Powering Africa Summit

Invited to represent the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the 10th Annual Powering Africa Summit, held from March 6 to 7, 2025, in Washington, DC, USA, Dr. Sandrine Mubenga Ngalula, Chief Executive Officer of the Electricity Sector Regulatory Authority (ARE), emphasized the « Business for Peace » concept.
Taking the floor as a keynote speaker at this forum, the Chief Executive Officer of ARE explained that this concept is based on three key elements: the minerals possessed by the DRC, which must be locally processed to maximize added value; and electricity, for which the grand Inga project must be built, providing 44,000 megawatts to power not only the DRC but also the Great Lakes countries and other African nations. »These three pillars—locally processed critical minerals, electricity, and education—will drive sustainable development for both the DRC and the Great Lakes region. That is why we call this concept  » Business for Peace, » she stated.
Taking advantage of the platform, Dr. Mubenga also highlighted the numerous investment opportunities available in the DRC. This two-day forum, held at the JW Marriott hotel under the theme « Capital Flows Underpin the Energy Transition, » provided her with an opportunity to engage with top-tier global investors eager to deploy capital in the country.
Washington DC, home to some of the world’s most influential financial and policy institutions, offered a strategic setting to forge partnerships with key stakeholders, including U.S. government agencies.
During these high-level discussions, Dr. Mubenga engaged with key figures, including African Ministers of Energy, Finance, and Mineral Resources, heads of public utilities, power transmission and distribution companies, and regulatory authorities. The event also gathered leading private sector stakeholders, including senior U.S. government officials, institutional investors, private financiers, and technology service providers.
A Pan-African Perspective
This year’s summit adopted a regional approach, examining energy cooperation across Southern, Eastern, Western, and Northern Africa. Stakeholders explored the unique characteristics of each region, leveraging lessons from the past decade to strategize for the next.
At the 9th Powering Africa Summit in 2024, also held in Washington, DC, Dr. Mubenga had already highlighted the DRC’s critical role in Africa’s energy transition