Expert Voices - Investing in sustainable urban mobility: The role of the private sector

In this edition of Expert Voices, we welcomed Anta Dieng (Meridiam), who shared her perspective on how private investment can help transform urban transport systems, particularly in rapidly growing African cities. Drawing on her experience in project finance and public–private partnerships, Anta highlighted how the private sector can align commercial interests with social and environmental goals. The conversation touched on the balance between impact and profit, the transformative potential of large-scale infrastructure projects, and the importance of financing models that make sustainable mobility possible.

Key Takeaways from the Session

• Impact matters most: For private sector actors, projects become meaningful when they deliver tangible improvements in people’s daily lives.

• Finance is a driver of change: Structuring and financing transport projects is as important as their technical design in making them viable and scalable.

• Public–private partnerships are key: Collaboration between governments and investors is essential to deliver inclusive, resilient transport systems.

• Africa’s urban mobility is at a turning point: Innovative projects like Dakar’s electric BRT demonstrate how private investment can accelerate low-carbon, people-centered mobility.

Our Guest Speaker – Anta Dieng

Anta Dieng is a Senior Associate at Meridiam, based in Dakar, Senegal. She specializes in infrastructure and energy project finance, with a focus on sustainable urban mobility in Africa. Anta plays a key role in the development and implementation of the Dakar Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project — West Africa’s first fully electric BRT system. With a background in finance and expertise in public–private partnerships, she works at the intersection of impact investing, climate resilience, and inclusive urban development.

About Expert Voices

At MobiliseYourCity, we love talking about sustainable mobility – especially with the people driving real change. Expert Voices is our 30-minute interview format where we sit down one-on-one with people shaping urban mobility. These are not lectures or speeches, but open, thoughtful conversations that explore what experts are thinking and how they tackle complex, day-to-day challenges in the field.

The recording of the session has been uploaded to our YouTube channel.