Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank, will join African leaders and global experts at the Africa50 Infra for Africa Forum and General Shareholders Meeting, scheduled to take place in Lomé, Togo, from today July 3 to 4, 2023.

As the Chairman of the Africa50 Board of Directors, Dr Adesina’s presence adds significant weight to the event.

On the theme: “Bankable, Scalable, Replicable,” this year’s forum aims to address the infrastructure gap that still persists in many parts of Africa, particularly in areas such as energy, transport and logistics, and railways.

Bridging this gap is crucial for both the continent’s development and global progress, as it contributes to poverty reduction, promotes regional integration, and helps combat climate change.

Over 50 notable speakers are expected to participate in the forum, including Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé, Sani Yaya, Minister of Economy and Finance, Tidjane Thiam, Executive Chairman of Freedom Acquisition 1 Corporation, Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation of Rwanda, Seedy K. M. Keita, Gambian Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Amadou Hott, Special Envoy for the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa, and Africa50 CEO Alain Ebobissé.

Distinguished Guests

Joining them will be distinguished guests such as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Rachel Balsham, Director-General of East and Southern Africa at Mobile Financial Services Africa, and Chinua Azubike, Director-General of Infra Credit.

The forum will focus on several key thematic areas, including unlocking Africa’s infrastructure opportunity, highlighting the critical role of transport and logistics in delivering on the vision of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), spotlighting Togo as a rising star on the African continent, mobilizing institutional capital with African investors taking the lead, making the investment case for transmission-line public-private partnerships to boost Africa’s power systems, and addressing Africa’s tech challenge by connecting the next 1 billion people.

In addition to the forum, the Africa50 General Shareholders Meeting will convene, bringing together board members, shareholders, and senior staff to set priorities for the year ahead.

This year’s event will mark the inaugural Infra for Africa Forum, providing a platform for thought leaders from the public and private sectors to share their expertise and insights on infrastructure investments that are vital to Africa’s development needs.

The Africa50 Infra for Africa Forum and General Shareholders Meeting promise to be impactful gatherings, driving discussions and actions that can contribute to transforming Africa’s infrastructure landscape and fostering sustainable development across the continent.

Africa50 is an infrastructure investment platform that contributes to Africa’s growth by developing and investing in bankable projects, catalyzing public sector capital, and mobilizing private sector funding, with differentiated financial returns and impact.

Africa50 was established by African governments and the African Development Bank to help bridge Africa’s infrastructure funding gap by facilitating project development, mobilizing public and private sector finance, and investing in infrastructure on the continent. Africa50 focuses on medium- to large-scale projects that have a significant development impact and that provide an appropriate risk-adjusted return to investors.