The African Development Bank Group’s External Representation Office for Asia hosted a seminar in the Japanese capital to present the upcoming Africa Investment Forum, which is expected to excite investor interest in bankable projects in the continent through a new de-risked transactional platform.
The event was organised on 2 August 2018 in Tokyo, under the theme “Pre-TICAD7”(Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development). Over 160 people from the public sector, private sector, embassies and international organisations attended the event. TICAD7 will be held next year in Yokohama, Japan.
During the seminar, which was opened by Tadashi Yokoyama, Head of Asia External Representation of the African Development Bank, Stella Kilonzo, Senior Director of African Investment Forum, introduced the Africa Investment Forum (AIF), which will facilitate structuring of bankable projects. Zambia’s Ambassador to Japan, Ndiyoi Muliwana Mutiti, presented a wide range of investment opportunities available on the continent and welcomed the initiative of the Forum.
In his presentation, Timo Bollerhey, Bank Division Manager, Strategic Private Sector Relationships, explained the New Deal on Energy for Africa and the products offered by the Bank. He explained the Bank’s approval processes and investment opportunities on the continent. Naoshige Kinoshita, Chief Investment Officer, provided an analysis on energy markets in Africa discussing potential and risk as he invited Japanese companies to invest.
Also speaking at the event, Shinichi Saida, Deputy Director-General of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented TICAD7.
Following the seminar, Kilonzo and other Bank officials held a number of back-to-back meetings about the Forum and investment opportunities on the continent.
There has been keen interest within the Japanese business community in the AIF, which is scheduled for November 7-9 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The Bank is committed to working with other multi-lateral development partners, private equity funds, sovereign wealth funds, insurance funds, private sector and stakeholders to ensure that the Forum becomes Africa’s key springboard for African investment and for meeting the continent’s massive infrastructure and development needs.