Harnessing the Investment Climate

Moderator:  Mr. Charles Onyango-Obbo, Executive Editor, Nation Media Group

Panelists:

• H. E. Benjamin Mkapa, Former President of Tanzania and current co-chair of ICF
• Mr. Lionel Zinsou, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,  PAI Partners, France
• Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair, Mo Ibrahim Foundation
• Hon. Mrs. Yvonne Adelaide Mougany, Minister in Charge of SMEs, Republic of Congo
• Ms. Claire Akamanzi, Chief Operating Officer, Rwanda Development Board
• Ms. Helen Hai, Vice President, Huajian Group, Ethiopia

Rapporteur:  Mr. Ndoumbe Lobe, Director, Governance, Economic & Financial Management Department, AfDB

Description:

African countries continue to pursue business-friendly policies geared towards the attainment of economic transformation and inclusive growth. These efforts are beginning to show results as evidenced by glaring improvements in the continent’s investment climate. The African Development Bank and the Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF) continue to be at the forefront of efforts to support Regional Member Countries (RMCs) in their quest to achieve such investment climate improvements. The objective of this event is to underscore the importance of partnership between the public and private sector to enhance competitiveness, achieve economic transformation and socio-economic development. It will serve as an effective platform to highlight major strides being taken by the Bank and ICF individually and collectively to support investment climate improvements in Africa, which are critical to achieving inclusive growth, employment creation and poverty alleviation. The event aims to share experiences in investment climate improvements; showcase projects and reforms supported by ICF and the Bank which have positively transformed the investment climate and yielded positive impact; and provide an interactive platform for the public and private sector to exchange ideas and discuss ways of enhancing partnership.