Wednesday, November 3rd
16:30 - 17:45
*Note: Please meet in the green room 30min prior to the session start time to meet your fellow speakers and 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: African Ports & Logistics for accelerated economic development
Over 90% of Africa’s international trade is maritime. However, the continent only contributes minimally to global seaborne trade, with around 7% and 5% of exports and imports, respectively. These challenges are amplified by trade imbalances and a high level of empty container return traffic given the limited export trade. Africa’s competitiveness and positioning in the global supply chain defines the continent’s ability to export, while improving international and regional trade capacity will drive greater economic resilience and growth. This session will focus on challenges and opportunities in investing in Africa’s ports, transport, and logistics sector, as well as the steps needed to ensure it drives forward growth and development across the continent.
Session Goals:
- Discuss the challenges and opportunities in investing in Africa’s ports, transport, and logistics sector.
- Identify key funding gaps and the role of DFIs in filling them
- Discuss ways to reduce pollutant emissions in the sector, complementing the continent's just energy transition.
Session Format:
This is a 75-minute session, consisting of a moderated panel discussion and 15 minutes 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.
Moderator:
- Marie-Angele Toure, TV Journalist
Panelists:
- Mehdi Tazi Riffi, CEO, Tangier Med
- Phillipe Labonne, CEO of Africa, Bolloré Logistics
- Amadou Wadda, Head of Project Development, AFC
Questions for Discussion:
- What are the opportunities and challenges in investing in the African transport sector?
- There is much talk of a lack of bankable projects. How are DFIs working with project developers to fill this gap?
- Where are the remaining financing gaps?
- How can African countries build climate smart infrastructure?
- What is attracting global investor interest in transport in Africa? What kind of innovative public private partnerships are you seeing?