Private Sector Infrastructure Development Opportunities in Africa
- Date
- 2022/8/24 (Wed)17:00-18:30(JST)
- Field
- Infrastructure, Investment
- Type of Event
- Online Webinar
- Co-Host
- African Development Bank (AfDB)
Background
African countries have been recording significant economic growth that has primarily been achieved by promoting private sector development. In accordance with this, greater importance has been accorded to urban and inter-city infrastructure such as waste water treatment and its reuse, transportation, and telecommunications. However, these projects require a great deal of investment, and mobilizing financial resources is not easily achieved. Moreover, projects in developing countries can be greatly affected by many external constraints such as macroeconomic instability, political disturbance, and an unclear regulatory framework on the part of the relevant authorities, and these can be often seen in Africa as well.
However, we can observe a couple of success cases where international developers overcame these challenges together with development financial institutions (DFIs) and other stakeholders and mobilized their knowledge and knowhow in the African infrastructure market. These successes might provide meaningful lessons for unlocking huge investment at scale opportunities for infrastructure development in the region.
Therefore, it is meaningful to discuss the primary obstacles international developers and DFIs faced during their infrastructure projects on the ground and derive implications that will be useful in unlocking private investment in Africa. A momentum of promoting investment in the private sector in Africa is highly anticipated amongst event participants.
Key Questions
- What are the major obstacles that international developers are facing on site in the process of forming infrastructure projects in Africa?
- What prevents DFIs and other financial institutions from financing infrastructure projects in Africa?
- What successful practices are being implemented on the ground in real projects and their financial transactions?
Objective
To identify actionable opportunities for African developers, investors, lenders, suppliers, and contractors in the African infrastructure sector, based on the following objectives:
① To derive positive implications by sharing both successful practices and obstacles on the real ground-level of projects amongst multiple stakeholders (i.e., developers, DFIs, other financial institutions)
② To bridge the technical and financial needs of African countries and potential investors among Japanese and non-Japanese private companies, which will boost private sector-driven infrastructure development in Africa
Speakers
- Mr. Keiichiro Nakazawa
- Senior Vice President, JICA
- Mr. Solomon Quaynor
- Vice President for the Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization Complex, AfDB
- Mr. Vivek Mittal
- CEO, Africa Infrastructure Development Association (AfIDA)
- Mr. Mike Salawou
- Acting Director for the Infrastructure and Urban Development Department (PICU), AfDB
- Ms. Sue Barrett
- Director, Head of Infra TMEA, Sustainable Infrastructure Group (SIG), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
- Ms. Chiharu Shirai
- Senior Investment Officer, Infrastructure Africa, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
- Mr. Shohei Hara
- Director General of Private Sector Partnership and Investment Department, JICA
- Mr. Rami Ghandour
- Managing Director, METITO UTILITIES LTD
- Ms. Tshepidi Moremong
- Chief Operating Officer, Africa50
- Mr. Vuyo Hlompho Ntoi
- Joint Managing Director, African Infrastructure Investment Managers (Pty) Ltd
- Mr. Yoshio Kushiya
- General Manager, Smart Infrastructure Business Department No.2, Sumitomo Corporation

*The deadline for registration is 17:00, Tuesday, August 23 (Japan time).