H.E. Dr. Rajeshwar Jeetah
High Commissioner of the Republic of Mauritius
📍 UK–Africa Business, Trade & Investment Summit 2025
📅 12 September 2025 | The Royal Horseguards Hotel & One Whitehall Place, London
In a landmark announcement during the Geopolitics, Trade & Investment Reform session, H.E. Dr. Rajeshwar Jeetah, High Commissioner of the Republic of Mauritius, confirmed that Mauritius has been officially designated as the host nation of the Africa Rating Agency (ARA) — a continental institution under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).
The decision, endorsed by the African Union and approved by the Cabinet of Mauritius, represents a decisive milestone in Africa’s pursuit of financial sovereignty, credibility, and independence in global capital markets.
“This is a historic step in strengthening Africa’s credibility in global capital markets and ensuring that our risk ratings reflect the realities of our economies — not external bias.” — H.E. Dr. Rajeshwar Jeetah
The Africa Rating Agency will serve as the continent’s central credit assessment platform — an African-led mechanism to evaluate sovereign and corporate risk based on data integrity, contextual understanding, and economic realities. By replacing external bias with balanced, evidence-based ratings, the ARA will help reduce Africa’s borrowing costs, attract fairer capital flows, and empower African economies to negotiate investment on equitable terms.
Dr. Jeetah highlighted that this step toward data ownership and analytical independence signals Africa’s transition from being evaluated to being evaluators — an evolution that places African expertise at the heart of global finance.
Responding to earlier remarks by Lord Dolar Popat, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy, Dr. Jeetah noted that while countries such as Uganda are advancing in renewable energy, industrialisation, and infrastructure, Africa’s collective reform pace must intensify to remain globally competitive.
“Africa’s progress depends on the speed and coherence of reform — not just in policy, but in performance.” — H.E. Dr. Rajeshwar Jeetah
He pointed to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as examples of nations demonstrating how efficiency, innovation, and leadership can accelerate industrial growth and regional integration.
Dr. Jeetah called for a renewed partnership between the United Kingdom and African nations, grounded in shared accountability and institutional efficiency. He urged governments to streamline regulatory frameworks, reduce entry barriers for investors, and strengthen public–private dialogue to create inclusive, growth-driven economies.
“Africa is rich in resources and full of opportunity. But to realise this, we must work collaboratively to create a truly enabling environment for investment and growth.” — H.E. Dr. Rajeshwar Jeetah
He reaffirmed Mauritius’s readiness to serve as both a financial hub and policy incubator — bridging Africa’s ambition for self-reliance with global capital networks.
The establishment of the Africa Rating Agency in Mauritius marks a turning point in Africa’s financial history — shifting the continent from dependency to autonomy, from external assessment to internal validation. By coupling institutional reform with transparent data and regional cooperation, Africa is building a financial architecture that reflects its true potential. With Mauritius leading this transformation, African data will now drive African development — and African credibility will command global capital.
