2016 LSE Africa Summit Presents ‘Financing Africa’s Future’
The London School of Economics and Political Science today announced the panelists leading a discussion on Financing Africa’s Future during the business conference of its third annual Africa Summit to take place on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 April 2016.
Financing Africa’s Future anticipates a look at the role of finance in enhancing Africa’s growth trajectory, and opportunities both within and outside the continent. The panel features Pratibha Thaker, Director of the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Africa department; Ibukun Adebayo, Co-Head of Emerging Markets, Equity Primary Markets at the London Stock Exchange Group; William Asiko, CEO of the Investment Climate Facility for Africa; Jonathan Rosenthal, Africa editor at the Economist’s London office; and Dr. Vera Songwe, director for West and Central Africa at the International Finance Corporation.
They will discuss Africa’s challenging portfolio and how the continent can manage continued external investment while fostering internal financing for sustainable development. They will cover theme’s such as inclusive economic management; the upcoming role of microfinance and foreign direct investment in Africa; and new financial structures and fiscal policies steering Africa’s engagement with the global economy.
According to Eki B. Izevbigie, Co-Director of the Business Conference, sourcing for finance to develop the myriad opportunities in Africa is more crucial now than ever before. While Africa potentially offers higher return on investment than most continents, the slump in the price of commodities, the drop in oil prices and the slow down in China requires innovative solutions to finance infrastructure and create growth that provides jobs and prosperity for the continent’s burgeoning population. This summit has inspiring speakers who are well-equipped to address these issues and proffer viable solutions.
The Business Conference
The business conference brings together a diverse assemblage of prominent business leaders and decision makers from an array of African governments, the private sector, as well as global collaborators working across Africa. The conference offers an unprecedented perspective on the current investment climate, framed around how to attract, retain and inspire future business leaders who can operate in an increasingly globalized world. The business conference aims to promote receptive dialogue in order to develop practical solutions to global and uniquely African trends like talent retention, youth unemployment, the emergence of an empowered middle class, and the conscious move towards impact investing.