How Sustainable Funding Models Can Enhance African Multinational Growth- Obiajulu Morah

By Korede Omololu-David

When African companies plan to expand beyond their home markets, they often struggle with one simple question: how do we pay for long term growth without losing control. It is this question that Obiajulu Morah has spent his career answering through sustainable funding models that blend patience, discipline and innovation.

Morah argues that many African multinationals rely too heavily on short term borrowing that exposes balance sheets to currency swings and interest rate shocks. In his view, the real opportunity lies in building layered financing structures that combine retained earnings, local capital markets, development finance and strategic partners who understand African risk.

He explains that sustainable funding is not just about raising money. It is about aligning capital with business strategy, governance and social impact. He often tells boards that cheap money with the wrong conditions can destroy value. Smart money that rewards transparency, good accounting and responsible expansion can protect companies when turbulence hits.

Obiajulu Morah put it simply in a recent briefing. “If African champions want to compete globally, they must treat capital as a long term partnership, not a quick transaction,” he said. His models encourage firms to strengthen internal controls, upgrade audit systems and adopt clear reporting standards that reassure both local regulators and global investors.

In another session with regional bankers he stressed the importance of robust scenario planning. “Boards that only plan for the best case are inviting crisis,” Morah noted. “You protect growth by testing funding plans against currency shocks, political change and commodity swings before they happen.”

For African treasurers and chief financial officers, his approach offers a way to move from survival tactics to deliberate strategy. By linking sustainable funding to risk management, Morah helps companies design capital structures that support long term projects such as regional manufacturing hubs, cross country logistics and digital platforms. His playbook gives corporate finance and accounting teams clear rules for matching funding tenors to asset lives and for embedding stress tests into regular performance reviews.

He also reminds executives that sustainable models must work for employees and communities. “Capital is sustainable when it supports jobs, innovation and trust in the financial system,” he added. For banks, auditors and corporate strategy leaders, his frameworks offer a practical roadmap to build stronger balance sheets, cleaner books and more resilient African multinationals that can stand beside global peers.