By Mohamed Samir, ABIDJAN Côte
d’Ivoire
The Africa Investment Forum
(AIF) 2022 concluded on Friday, collectively mobilizing about $31bn of
investment interests in projects.
The third edition of the
Africa Investment Forum (AIF) Market Days started on
Wednesday in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
It ran from 2 to 4 November.
“I was impressed to see heads
of state and ministers acting as CEOs of their countries to attract
investments,” President of the African Development Bank Group Akinwumi Adesina
said.
Adesina stressed that what
makes AIF different, is that it is about excellent projects.
Despite the geopolitical
developments around the world, AIF managed to mobilize $63bn of investment
interest this year alone in this edition and the previous one which was in
March, he continued.
“Next year we will work on
agri-industrial zones across Africa. Our lower bar is that Africa feeds itself,
the high bar is that Africa feeds the world.”
He revealed that AfDB will
launch a $20bn programme to create the largest solar zone in the world, across
11 countries providing electricity for 250 million people.
“To do so we need to manufacture poly-silicon here on the continent, which is used to build solar panels and we will support that.”
The bank will also work to
develop value chains for lithium batteries which are used in electric vehicles.
The Africa Investment Forum
2022 is Africa’s largest transactional investment marketplace, bringing
together deal sponsors, deal brokers, and dealmakers from around the world.
This year’s edition witnessed
the participation of several African heads of state, namely presidents of
Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia. Also, vice presidents of Liberia, Tanzania, and
Côte d’Ivoire attended the forum.
The leaders vowed to continue
working to strengthen the economic resilience of their countries against
external shocks.
Since its inception in 2018,
the Africa Investment Forum platform has mobilized investment interests of over
$100bn, which now will hit the $131bn mark.
AIF is
an initiative of the African Development Bank; Africa 50; the Africa Finance
Corporation; the African Export-Import Bank; the Development Bank of Southern
Africa; the Trade and Development Bank; the European Investment Bank; and the
Islamic Development Bank. - Africa
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