All set for Africa Investment Forum virtual boardroom sessions supporting gender-influenced transactions and inclusive growth

International Women’s Day is being commemorated with a plethora of messages of solidarity. Rightly so. But given how COVID-19 has worsened the plight of women and reversed some of the hard-won pre-pandemic gender equity gains, some policymakers and organisations are also using this special day to spotlight fresh approaches to women empowerment, as the world learns to live with COVID-19. One such is the Africa Investment Forum (AIF), which is boosting its commitment to uplift African women as investment champions. Find out how:

In Africa, where 50% of its population is female, “resources opportunities, and decision-making are still heavily swayed towards men, in all sectors”, according to the African Development Bank Group Gender Strategy 2021 –2025 report.

Further research also shows that women’s economic empowerment has significant macroeconomic impacts, boosting productivity and increasing economic diversification and income equality. Yet even with all this data and proof points, women entrepreneurs too often are over mentored but undercapitalized.

The continent also puts claim to the unenviable record of a $42 billion gap between men and female entrepreneurs, according to the African Development Bank studies. In addition, data reveals that businesses run by women in emerging markets, and in particular Africa, receive less than half of the funding made available to their male counterparts, be it venture capital, private equity, or even traditional bank loans.

This is despite overwhelming evidence that these businesses deliver greater returns and with lower default rates.

Women entrepreneurs too often are over mentored but undercapitalized.

Initiatives such as AIF’s Deal Books and Boardroom Sessions, aimed at accelerating inclusive growth by investing in African women, are therefore commendable and key to breaking the cycle.

As such, and in solidarity with today’s International Women’s Day, the African Investment Forum (AIF) is not only underscoring its commitment to elevate women as investment champions, but is also highlighting the importance of celebrating, as well as supporting women-owned, women-led and gender influenced transactions – which are some of the key areas that inform the upcoming AIF’s virtual boardroom sessions, taking place next week, from 15 to 17 March.

“As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we are reminded of the hurdles that women and women-led businesses face in Africa. At the AIF, we are doubling down on curating deals that are women-owned, women-led and gender influenced,” said AIF’s Head and Senior Director, Chinelo Anohu (main image above), a highly accomplished gamechanger herself, with a formidable track record in formulating investment strategies.  

An international corporate lawyer, Anohu served as Director-General of the National Pension Commission of Nigeria for five years until 2017. Under her leadership as Director-General of the Nigerian Pension Commission, the number of contributors rose from 5 million to close to 8 million, while assets under management grew from $19.3 billion to a record $42 billion. She also introduced innovative micro pension structures that created opportunities for informal sector workers to be included in the contributory pension scheme. She was appointed to her current role in 2019.

Photo credit GCIS

Soon after settling in the new position, the AIF launched the Women as Investment Champions initiative. Its inaugural event took place during the 2019 Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg and was attended by high profile speakers including Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (pictured above) – the former and first-ever and hitherto only female, elected as the African Union Commission Chairperson. She is currently South Africa’s Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Other notable names at the event were Daphne Mashile-Nkosi, Executive Chairperson of Kalagadi Manganese; and Leila Bouamatou Managing Director of the Générale de Banque de Mauritanie. (pictured below, left and right respectively).

Boardrooms sessions

Last year, the Women as Investment Champions initiative, led to the establishment of a standalone pillar for transactions that are not only founded and led by women, but also have a significant gender impact.

And in February this year, during AIF’s Partners Meeting, the AIF unveiled 45 projects worth up to $50 billion that will be moving into its virtual boardrooms next week.

Of these projects, nine are women-led with a potential value of $5 billion.

These deals cut across a variety of Africa’s critical sectors, from a billion-dollar energy project in East Africa to an array of projects focused on health, textiles, and Africa’s emerging creative sector.

Explains Anohu: “The AIF has prepared Deal Books on these women-led projects going into the boardrooms next week to share with investors and impact funders. They include both projects that require capital and those that are in the pre-development stage.”

These projects range from an investment value of USD 2 million to USD 4.5 billion, in sectors such as Textile Printing Processing Plant, tannery Project, an Integrated Telemedicine Platform and a Regional Refinery Project.

 “I am enthusiastic about these opportunities and investment interests received so far to take these projects to the next phase,” adds Anohu.

The transactions are not only founded and led by women, but also have a significant gender impact.

Championed by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and its partners, the AIF is Africa’s investment marketplace, seeking to close the continent’s investment gaps. It operates as a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary platform dedicated to advancing projects to bankable stages, raising capital, and accelerating the financial closure of deals.

Its strategic vision is to tilt the balance of capital towards the aim of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2063 and the African Development Bank’s AFAWA initiative. Within this mandate, is a strong focus on improving African women’s access to financing and capital.

The AIF is eager to continue supporting women on the continent both at its upcoming virtual boardroom sessions on March 15 to 17 and the 2022 Market Days in November, which will be held in-person in Abidjan, Côte d’ Ivoire.