Africa Investment Forum 2019: Nigeria expected to be major player

African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
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Nigeria will feature significantly in the 2019 Africa Investment Forum scheduled to take place in Johannesburg, South Africa this November, business leaders and government heard at a roadshow event held in the capital Abuja.

Following the hugely successful inaugural edition held last year, the African Development Bank’s innovative investment marketplace set up to accelerate investment into the continent, will convene for its second meeting from 11-13 November.

The Nigerian roadshow, held 9th July, was organised by the Nigeria Country Department of the Bank in collaboration with the Africa Finance Corporation. It was attended by key industry players, including, policy makers and representatives of state governments.

Speaking at the event, Ekiti State Governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi emphasized the role of private capital to deliver the infrastructure required to grow Nigeria’s economy and provide jobs for millions of young Nigerians.

“With the support of the African Development Bank and the African Finance Corporation, and the quality of investors that attended the inaugural edition in South Africa last year, I am confident that if we put our best foot forward, we will receive significant funding commitment for investments across Nigeria and the continent,’’ Fayemi said.

Senior Bank Director for the Nigeria Country Office Ebrima Faal, highlighted Nigeria’s prominence during the 2018 Forum. Nigeria was very visible. Out of the 63 boardroom deals presented at the Forum, Nigeria had 5 deals worth $7 Billion. This represents 14.9% of the total deals accounted for on the continent, and 43% of the deals accounted for the region.

“The African Development Bank and its partners are excited to present you with … the only platform that allows you to instantly pitch and close monumental deals on the spot. We encourage you to engage early and wholesomely to be a part of re-writing Africa’s economic history,’’ he urged.

According to Africa Finance Corporation Senior Director Taiwo Adeniji, “building on the success recorded in 2018, it is expected that Nigeria will be a major participant at the 2019 Forum. The Africa Finance Corporation is keen to support Nigerian businesses across sectors to ensure effective project implementation to boost economic development.’’

The Nigeria roadshow included highlights and key lessons from the 2018 forum, project preparation guidelines as well as presentations on selected pipelines.

“We are now seeing positive momentum in building transparent and durable institutions to anchor the political economy, promote and support development of the private sector, in order to increase the pace, depth and spread of economic growth,’’ Faal said.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media Contact:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg
Communication and External Relations Department
African Development Bank
Email: a.mpoke-bigg@afdb.org

About the African Development Bank Group:
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) (https://www.AfDB.org) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

For more information: j.mp/AfDB_Media

About the Africa Investment Forum:
The Africa Investment Forum, a flagship event of the African Development Bank, is dedicated to advancing projects throughout Africa to bankable stages, raising capital, and accelerating the financial closure of deals. This unique multi-stakeholder platform offers the following groundbreaking pillars to fast-track African investment: it matches investors and public infrastructure projects; and presents de-risking tools, designed by the Bank and other development partners, in order to offer investors a safety net. The Forum also advocates for regulatory reforms in order to facilitate a more conducive investment climate.

The Forum’s lead partners include: Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), African Export Import Bank (AfreximBank), Trade and Development Bank (TDB), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Africa 50, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), and European Investment Bank (EIB).

Source: Apo-Opa

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