Voters in more than 17 African countries made up a sizable portion of the estimated 3.7 billion people who cast ballots across the globe in 2024. Now, with the year of elections drawing to a close, many Africans are looking ahead to 2025 as a “year of momentum.”

For starters, Africans across the continent will be marking a slew of landmark occasions with which to propel that momentum forward. Mozambique, Cabo Verde and Sao Tome and Principe will celebrate 50 years of independence from Portuguese colonial rule, while Gambia will commemorate the 60th anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom.

Later in the year, the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, will turn 50, while the East African Community will mark the 25th anniversary of its reestablishment.

Next year will also see a number of momentous occasions on the political and diplomatic agenda. The African Union will formally appoint a new set of leaders, including the chairperson of its standing commission, at its leaders’ summit in February. At that same meeting, Angolan President Joao Lourenco will assume the organization’s one-year rotating chair.

AU leaders will also gather with their counterparts from the European Union for the seventh AU-EU summit, while African states will join the collective festivities to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

The African Development Bank, or AfDB, will elect a new president to replace Akinwumi Adesina, who will step down after serving two terms. And South Africa, which assumed the G20 presidency on Dec. 1, will close out its term by hosting the group’s summit next fall. WPR