Latest news with #AfricaInvestmentForum
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Africa Investment Forum partners sign partnership framework agreement at AfDB Group's 2025 annual meetings
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast/ -- On the sidelines of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings ( founding partners of the Africa Investment Forum signed a Partnership Framework Agreement, reinforcing their collective commitment to mobilize transformative investments across the African continent. The new framework creates a clearer partnership model that sets out the roles and benefits for the founding partners. It also opens the door for expansion to new partners, ensuring everyone benefits while increasing the Forum's overall impact. Launched in 2018, the Africa Investment Forum platform has solidified its standing as Africa's premier investment marketplace for global investors and has garnered nearly $225 billion in investment interest to date. Principals of the African Development Bank Group, Africa50, Africa Finance Corporation, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) signed the agreement. The other partners are Trade and Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Afreximbank. Speaking at the signing ceremony, President of the African Development Bank Group and chairperson of the Africa Investment Forum, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said: "This agreement is a testament to our shared vision: that Africa will not be developed by aid, but by investment. The AIF has changed perceptions and proven that Africa is indeed a bankable destination." Dr Fahad Abdullah Aldossari, Chairman of BADEA's Board of Directors said: 'The signing of the AIF Framework Agreement marks a remarkable milestone to ascertain both effectiveness and efficiency as well as financial sustainability for AIF 2.0 in a bid to advance more projects to bankability and crowd-in transformative investments to the continent.' Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa 50 said: 'This signature marks our renewed commitment to support the objectives of the Africa Investment Forum, launched under the visionary leadership of President Adesina. It is a much-needed deal-making platform that helps strengthen collaborations and leverage innovative models to unlock private capital to accelerate the delivery of bankable projects on the continent. It is critical for African Institutions to support it'. 'As a Founding Partner, we are proud to see this initiative formally take shape. Through AIF, we've proven what Africa can achieve when we collaborate — building the continent's first investment platform that truly mobilizes capital for bankable, high-impact projects,' said Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of Africa Finance Corporation. "We have to continue leveraging the AIF as a platform for capital mobilisation in Africa, to bridge the infrastructure funding gap in the continent," said DBSA's CEO Boitumelo Mosako. The signing of the Partnership Framework Agreement takes place ahead of what is expected to be an expanded and impactful Market Days 2025, to be held from 26 to 28 November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco. Market Days, the centerpiece of the Africa Investment Forum platform, brings together investors, deal sponsors and heads of government to advance transformational African projects toward financial close. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB). Media Contact: Hafsa Dia-Enoh Communication and External Relations Email: media@ SOURCE African Development Bank Group (AfDB)
Zawya
6 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Africa Investment Forum Partners Sign Partnership Framework Agreement at African Bank Development Bank Group's 2025 Annual Meetings
On the sidelines of the African Development Bank Annual Meetings ( founding partners of the Africa Investment Forum signed a Partnership Framework Agreement, reinforcing their collective commitment to mobilize transformative investments across the African continent. The new framework creates a clearer partnership model that sets out the roles and benefits for the founding partners. It also opens the door for expansion to new partners, ensuring everyone benefits while increasing the Forum's overall impact. Launched in 2018, the Africa Investment Forum platform has solidified its standing as Africa's premier investment marketplace for global investors and has garnered nearly $225 billion in investment interest to date. Principals of the African Development Bank Group, Africa50, Africa Finance Corporation, Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) signed the agreement. The other partners are Trade and Development Bank, European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Afreximbank. Speaking at the signing ceremony, President of the African Development Bank Group and chairperson of the Africa Investment Forum, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina said: "This agreement is a testament to our shared vision: that Africa will not be developed by aid, but by investment. The AIF has changed perceptions and proven that Africa is indeed a bankable destination." Dr Fahad Abdullah Aldossari, Chairman of BADEA's Board of Directors said: 'The signing of the AIF Framework Agreement marks a remarkable milestone to ascertain both effectiveness and efficiency as well as financial sustainability for AIF 2.0 in a bid to advance more projects to bankability and crowd-in transformative investments to the continent.' Alain Ebobissé, CEO of Africa 50 said: 'This signature marks our renewed commitment to support the objectives of the Africa Investment Forum, launched under the visionary leadership of President Adesina. It is a much-needed deal-making platform that helps strengthen collaborations and leverage innovative models to unlock private capital to accelerate the delivery of bankable projects on the continent. It is critical for African Institutions to support it'. 'As a Founding Partner, we are proud to see this initiative formally take shape. Through AIF, we've proven what Africa can achieve when we collaborate — building the continent's first investment platform that truly mobilizes capital for bankable, high-impact projects,' said Samaila Zubairu, President and CEO of Africa Finance Corporation. "We have to continue leveraging the AIF as a platform for capital mobilisation in Africa, to bridge the infrastructure funding gap in the continent," said DBSA's CEO Boitumelo Mosako. The signing of the Partnership Framework Agreement takes place ahead of what is expected to be an expanded and impactful Market Days 2025, to be held from 26 to 28 November 2025 in Rabat, Morocco. Market Days, the centerpiece of the Africa Investment Forum platform, brings together investors, deal sponsors and heads of government to advance transformational African projects toward financial close. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).
Maroc
27-05-2025
- Business
- Maroc
AfDB President Hails Morocco's Progress Under Leadership of HM King Mohammed VI
The president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Akinwumi Adesina, praised on Monday Morocco's strides under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI. 'Thanks to His Majesty's enlightened vision, Morocco achieved major progress across multiple sectors', Adesina said during a press conference as part of the AfDB's annual meeting, held on 26-30 May in Abidjan. Regarding the Morocco-AfDB cooperation that he described as 'excellent', Adesina cited numerous projects financed by the African institution, notably the Tanger Med Port and the project of the Nador West Med port complex. 'The AfDB has always and will continue supporting Morocco in its endeavors', he affirmed, noting especially the Kingdom's achievements in matters of generalization of social protection. The AfDB president also commended Morocco's successful organization of the last two editions of the Africa Investment Forum. This year's Annual Meetings are held under the theme 'Making Africa's Capital Work Better for Africa's Development,' focusing on harnessing the continent's human, natural, financial, and commercial resources to fuel Africa's structural transformation. This gathering brings together over 3,000 participants, and marks the 60th annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the Bank and the 51st annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund. MAP: 26 mai 2025
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
LiFT Africa: turning strategy into delivery
Africa's challenge today is not a lack of priorities—it is a lack of performance. Projects take too long. Approvals stall. Coordination fails to translate into integration. My vision is not about continuity for its own sake—it is about correcting what doesn't work, and scaling what does. Image: Supplied. The African Development Bank has no shortage of vision. Its Ten-Year Strategy (2023–2032) sets a clear path for building sustainable, inclusive, and green economies across the continent. But strategy, on its own, is not enough. Impact depends on implementation. What matters now is not what the Bank intends—but what it delivers. This is where my LiFT Africa strategy comes in. It is not a break from the Bank's purpose—it is the engine to realize it. A shift in mindset. A platform for measurable results, faster execution, and deeper institutional discipline. Designed not to replace the Ten-Year Strategy, but to bring it to life—at scale. Africa's challenge today is not a lack of priorities—it is a lack of performance. Projects take too long. Approvals stall. Coordination fails to translate into integration. My vision is not about continuity for its own sake—it is about correcting what doesn't work, and scaling what does. Large-scale, integrated infrastructure is central to the Bank's long-term vision—and to LiFT Africa. But delivering it requires more than investment. It demands execution systems that connect regional plans to project pipelines, public budgets to private capital, and long-term priorities to local delivery. That means regional coordination platforms, simplified investment frameworks, and project delivery units that push past bottlenecks in real time. Financial innovation must now scale. During my tenure as Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, I led the design and introduction of hybrid capital instruments to stretch the Bank's balance sheet and crowd in private investment. Alongside co-financing platforms and blended tools like the Africa Investment Forum, these innovations demonstrated how development finance can be more catalytic. But pilot projects alone will not close Africa's $100 billion infrastructure gap. We must take these innovations from boutique to mainstream—crowding in capital at volume, with disciplined preparation, risk governance, and delivery assurance. Most critically, the Bank itself must transform. A high-performing AfDB must be faster, more accountable, and digitally enabled. LiFT will halve approval timelines, embed real-time tracking across projects, and build a culture where delivery is the metric that matters. Development is not about intention—it is about execution. Either the road is built, or it is not. Either the lights stay on, or they do not. The Ten-Year Strategy lays out the vision. LiFT Africa is how we operationalize it. From climate resilience and gender inclusion to food systems and regional value chains, the Bank's ambitions are clear. LiFT is how we meet them—not in PowerPoints, but in projects. That also means delivering on the African Continental Free Trade Area—through corridors that connect, ports that move, and policies that align. And it means aligning with Agenda 2063 by making long-term transformation bankable, investable, and visible. Africa doesn't need another strategy. It needs performance. LiFT Africa is that performance engine—anchored in delivery, fueled by trust, and designed to make this decade one of visible progress. Under my leadership, the African Development Bank will be measured not by what it proposes, but by what it builds. Swazi Tshabalala is a candidate for President of the African Development Bank and former Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Bank. Swazi Tshabalala Image: Supplied. BUSINESS REPORT
Zawya
09-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
African DFIs push ahead with joint securitisation project: IFR
The African Development Bank and the Development Bank of Southern Africa published on Monday a request for consultants to help them with a proposed first-of-its-kind multi-originator synthetic securitisation programme first announced in December. By transferring credit risk associated with the development banks' loan portfolios to third-party private-sector investors, the programme is intended to unlock lending capacity for new development projects. The project builds on AfDB's "Room2Run" synthetic securitisation, which closed in 2018. The development banks first unveiled the project in December at the Africa Investment Forum 2024 Market Days in Rabat, Morocco, where they signed a letter of intent with investors Academy Securities, Africa50 and Newmarket. "The proposed multi-issuer securitisation vehicle we are shaping – just like with [special drawing rights] rechanneling through hybrid capital and other innovations we continue to explore – exemplifies how collaboration between multilateral development banks and private sector investors can unlock transformative capital flows to address Africa's financing gaps," said Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank, in a press release at the time. At first, AfDB and DBSA intend to securitise a combined reference portfolio of roughly US$2bn of their loans, according to a request for proposal published on Monday. By pooling loans originated by multiple development finance institutions, they say they will be able to create larger-scale pools of diversified assets to appeal to institutional investors. According to the RFP, the development banks are looking for advice on how best to structure the multi-originator transaction, which is expected to feature a special purpose vehicle that would consolidate cashflows from the reference portfolios and issue collateralised loan obligations to institutional investors. The banks are looking at a revolving structure that would allow the portfolio to be replenished with new assets over time, rather than a static transaction. Consultants looking to bid for the advisory role have until May 23 to send proposals to the two development banks. Growing momentum The project is part of a broader push by multilateral lenders to mobilise private capital to boost their lending firepower. AfDB has been a trailblazer in this area, kick-starting development bank securitisation when it sold the mezzanine risk associated with a US$1bn portfolio of 47 loans to private-sector borrowers with its Room2Run transaction. Since then, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the West African Development Bank (known as BOAD) and IDB Invest have also carried portfolio risk transfers, sometimes with donor governments and sometimes with insurers, but increasingly also in the form of securitisations. In 2023, BOAD carried out a CFA Fr150bn (US$250m) securitisation called BOAD DOLI-P, underwritten by NSIA Finance, SGI Togo and Impaxis Securities, and the following year IDB Invest completed its "Scaling4Impact" transaction, transferring US$100m of mezzanine risk on a US$1bn portfolio to Newmarket Capital and insurers AXA XL and Axis. Also last year, the World Bank's private sector lending arm, the International Finance Corp, revealed more details of its Warehouse-Enabled Securitization Platform. The up to US$2bn platform (US$1bn from IFC) will co-finance Paris Agreement-aligned emerging market loans by MDBs and hold them until packaged into securities, according to a tender document last year seeking a financial adviser to WESP. BlackRock's independent financial markets advisory business won the tender. Recasts, adds reference to December announcement, investors and structural features.
