More than 500 personalities participated in the sixth edition of the Africa Investment Forum. Experts and leaders in their sector from France and several African countries shared their visions and perspectives at this event which aims to be « the business hub between Africa and Europe. »
By Yousra Gouja, in Paris
Read more : Africa Investment Forum&Awards: investors look to energy
« The African continent is rich in resources. I invite you to look at the return it can give. We need an African Marshall Plan. We want to create value chains. Africa is not just a supplier of raw materials.” Hugues Mbadinga Madiya, Gabon’s Minister for Investment Promotion, set the tone from the outset.
« Exchange platform »
The Zambian Minister of Trade, Chipoka Mulenga, further recommends the establishment of an exchange platform. The idea is to provide public officials, companies, investors from the continent and Europe with the opportunity to meet and work on common projects. This is the focus of the Africa Investment Forum, the sixth edition of which was held on February 7 at the InterContinental Hotel in Paris. Despite strikes in the public and private sectors, more than 500 of the 600 registered participants attended this year’s event: CEOs, managing directors, African and international directors, investment directors, financiers, experts and institutional players.
The novelty of this edition was that political figures were invited. “We started with a plenary session with ministers. We hadn’t thought about it before, but members of government can have a big impact on investment,” says Chloé Gilles, project manager and director of the event.
Energy, at the heart of discussions
The discussions focused on energy, a priority for both continents. « There is a willingness to engage commit, but we need a vision to be visible, » said Damien Barbiche, Director of the Governance of Sustainable Development program at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI). Idesbald Chinamula, Director General of ANSER in the Democratic Republic of Congo, points out that « 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity. What we lack is technology. We still cook with wood. We need to follow the recent example of mobile phones. We have to do the same with electricity. 30% of the household budget is spent on mobile phones. For Heba Samir, from Elsewedy in Egypt, « we need to educate people on how to use electricity better at home ». And for Jean-Baptiste Lenoir, co-founder of Qotto: « It’s the service that needs to be reviewed.”
“Resilience is key for us all”
Beyond discussions, a highlight of the Forum was the recognition of the initiatives through the awarding of prizes. Several awards were given to small and large companies, depending on the project. This year, more than 70 companies and experts were honored for their outstanding achievements. The winners of the Golden Trophy in each category were selected by an independent jury of over 50 experts in their field. The award for Best African CEO went to Rita Maria Zniber, CEO of Diana Holding. She commented: « Despite the commitment, the conditions are difficult. Resilience is key for us all. The Best Growing International Award went to Edenred. Special mention went to Youscribe, which was quick to comment on its good progress: « We have just passed one million readers in almost 12 countries. Bank of Africa was named best bank. For the jury, the most innovative startup was E-santé Cameroun, which is almost four years old. Dr Philippe Ohandja Ayina, founder, said: « We are a young startup that is just getting off the ground and is now on the podium. Baobab +, which has provided « 300,000 households with solar energy », won the Best Energy Project award. Moon received a special mention. The best renewable energy project went to Kemit ecology and the best mining project to New Japan Mining Company. In infrastructure, Façade maritime du Champ triomphal was awarded the prize for the best infrastructure project and Ohel international was awarded the prize for the best infrastructure project for a sustainable city. Besides these companies, the following personalities were honored as Best African Personalities: Gilles Yabi Wathi and Othman Benjelloun.
