admin Africa’s first coordinated Family Office movement advanced in Lagos as the 7 Generations Institute continued its Pan-Africa Family Office Awareness and Engagement Tour. The Lagos convening, held at the United Nations Development Programme Innovation Centre in collaboration with the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa, the Africa Prosperity Summit, the African Philanthropy Forum and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, brought together families, business leaders, investment institutions, philanthropic groups, development partners and policymakers.
The gathering examined how True Family Offices are emerging as governance systems that help families organise relationships, values, decision-making, well-being and next-generation readiness. Participants discussed how these structures influence the creation, preservation and use of capital.
Barry Johnson, Founder and Executive Chairman of 7 Generations Africa and 7GI, said a “True Family Office” supports families to govern both financial and non-financial capital. He noted that “well-governed capital” supports entrepreneurs, strengthens national systems and aligns with development priorities across the continent.
7GI presented a theory of change linking family governance to economic outcomes. The model proposes that when families govern themselves well, their capital is better organised. When capital is organised with purpose, it is deployed locally and in ways that support long-term national goals. This approach positions African families as contributors to development, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Participants also explored how Family Office capital carries local knowledge, long-term orientation, blended capital capacity and independence from formal structures. Speakers discussed barriers to Family Office development in the region, including limited awareness, lack of technical guidance, low public understanding, regulatory uncertainty and the movement of African wealth to offshore financial centres.
The dialogue noted that stronger family governance can reduce capital flight and support investment in entrepreneurs, infrastructure and innovation. It can also guide families that invest abroad to do so in ways that return value to African economies.
Sarah Stephen, Executive Director of the 7 Generations Institute, said the organisation creates spaces where families can connect and understand their role. She explained that many families worldwide lose wealth within three generations, and that True Family Offices help African families retain wealth and reinvest it. She said the Lagos convening showed growing interest in developing “African solutions for African ambitions”.
The Lagos meeting followed a Nairobi convening on 3 November 2025. It is the second stop in a 15-country tour aimed at building awareness, capacity and policy support for True Family Offices. Upcoming stops include Cape Town, Kigali, Rabat and Abidjan, along with a continental Family Office Learning Network for ongoing peer learning and technical development.
