Wednesday, November 3rd

15:00 - 16:30

*Note: Please meet in the green room 30min prior to the session start time be mic’d up

About the Africa Investment Forum:

Africa Investment Forum 2022 is the continent’s largest transactional investment marketplace. It brings together deal sponsors, deal brokers and deal makers from around the world. This year’s Market Days event will be the first face-to-face gathering since 2019.

Launched in 2018 by the African Development Bank, AIF provides investors with access to a deal platform, offering bankable and de-risked projects with strong support from Africa’s leading development finance institutions.  It is this transactional focus that distinguishes AIF from other African business summits. In addition to the public plenaries and the panel sessions, there will be private boardrooms that focus on specific deals at the Market Days. 

Session Description: Enhancing Strategic Partnerships Among African Sovereign Wealth Funds and International Partners

In the wake of COVID-19, opportunities abound for Sovereign Wealth Funds' investments in Africa. SWFs have long been key investors in projects across the continent and have the potential to play a major role in the continent’s post-COVID-19 economic revival. But what are the challenges and what are the opportunities? This panel will address the role of Sovereign Wealth Funds in Africa and the extent to which they can be utilized to drive growth and development.

Session Goals: 

1. Discuss the role of sovereign wealth funds in Africa's broader investment landscape and the role SWFs can play in aiding the continent's post-COVID-19 economic revival.
2. Discuss how SWFs can achieve profitability while promoting social responsibility and environmental sustainability on the continent.
3. Discuss challenges and opportunities to advancing the role of SWFs in Africa and internationally.

Session Format:

This is a 90-minute session, consisting of opening remarks from Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank Group, and a moderated panel discussion. 15 minutes will be reserved at the end for Audience Q&A. The panel will be one lively conversation with a moderator who knows the topic instead of a set of sequential monologues. Answers and interventions should be short and example-rich, with everyone speaking in sentences rather than paragraphs.  Long introductions will not be made for panelists as full bios and background information is available to the audience.

Opening Remarks:

1. Akinwumi Adesina, President, African Development Bank Group

Moderator:

1. Wole Famurewa, Anchor, CNBC Africa

Panelists:

1. Alain Ebobissé, CEO, Africa50
2. Thierry Déau, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Meridiam
3. Denise Charles Kouassi, Director General, Caisse Nationale de Prevoyance Sociale (IPS-CNPS)

Questions for Discussion:

1. How can African countries create new structures for managing their assets and wealth for future generations? What innovations are you seeing?
2. What role do sovereign wealth funds play in Africa's broader investment landscape?
3. How are African SWFs partnering with global SWFs?
4. How do SWFs balance assuring profitability and promoting social responsibility and environmental sustainability?