The African Development Bank (AfDB) held its inaugural Annual Syndications and Co-financiers meeting in London on 24th April, 2012. The event was intended to broaden and deepen the pool of AfDB's co-financing partners for private sector operations, primarily among commercial investors, but also other development financial institutions and export credit agencies.
Over 120 delegates attended. Speakers and panelists included senior AfDB management and representatives of major institutions active in Africa. Sessions covered: market trends; future opportunities for investment and co-financing; regional, economic and political developments in the continent; and a number of more specific topics, from sustainable energy to risk management products.
Participants exchanged views on how official and commercial investors can best work together to increase investment into the continent. A consensus emerged on the opportunities and benefits of both sets of investors working together and the need for the AfDB and other DFIs to facilitate the "crowding-in" of commercial investors in frontier markets. The speakers and the audience discussed potential ways to build on the continent's recent economic performance and outlook to fund Africa's needs in areas such as infrastructure, natural resource management, energy, or financial services.
Tim Turner, director of the Private Sector Department of AfDB, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the meeting. "This event is an excellent platform to reinforce the links with those commercial institutions that already work with us in projects across the continent as well as to engage with other players that may be considering expanding their African business," he said, adding: "one of our priorities is to leverage own resources by catalyzing further investment for the continent and teaming up with commercial investors and our sister DFIs. This Meeting is an excellent testimony to this effort."
The Syndications and Co-financiers Meeting was held in the boardroom of the London offices of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) who kindly provided support for the organization of the event. The Meeting's agenda and the different presentations can be found on this site.
Contacts
Anton Leis Garcia
