Driving Foreign Direct Investment to Africa

Foreign private investment in Africa has fallen dramatically as a result of COVID-19, with foreign direct investment (FDI) flows to the continent dropping by some 16% in 2020. And yet, FDI can be transformative for the region and is crucial for helping Africa get on the path towards long-term sustainability and growth. What will it take to attract private investors to the region? What examples can we learn from that can be scaled? Join The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and an accomplished group of experts, investors, and thought leaders as we discuss what it will take to drive foreign direct investment into Africa, especially into sectors that contribute to a green, inclusive, and resilient recovery, and into countries experiencing fragility, conflict and violence. Learn more: http://wrld.bg/l4hU50H6uJZ

🗣️ Speakers
- David R. Malpass, President of the World Bank Group
- Amadou  Hott, Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, Senegal
- Cheryl Buss, CEO, Absa International
- David  Damiba, Managing Partner  and  Chief Investment Officer,  Kasada  Capital Management
- Hiroshi Matano, Executive Vice President, MIGA
- Ethiopis Tafara, Vice President and Chief Risk, Legal and Administrative Officer, MIGA
- Indermit Gill, Vice President, Equitable Growth, Finance, and Institutions, World Bank
- James X. Zhan, Senior Director of Investment and Enterprise, UNCTAD
- Nkem  Onwuamaegbu, Acting Regional Head, Africa, MIGA 
- Moderator: Esther Awoniyi, Journalist, CNBC

📑 Agenda
00:00 Intro (video)
00:22 Welcome and opening remarks
09:00 Current state of FDI in Africa
11:52 Countries and sectors where FDI levels have remained steady
14:02 FDI flows to vulnerable countries affected by fragility and conflict
15:21 Outlook for FDI for the African continent
19:14 The role of MIGA in Africa (presentation)
25:57 Stories from the frontlines: the impact of FDI in Africa (video)
30:13 How COVID-19 affected FDI flows to Senegal
33:09 Perspective of the private sector and investors in supporting development projects
37:29 What countries need to do to further drive investor interest
40:58 MIGA's role in driving Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Africa
42:39 What Senegal is doing to keep FDI flowing to the country
46:44 Prognosis of FDI trends in Africa going forward
49:45 Opportunities for investments between countries on Africa
53:10 Investing in climate related projects in Africa
56:09 Policies that governments can adapt to catalyze FDI in Africa
59:19 Live Q&A: free trade agreements, competitiveness, entrepreneurs
1:04:53 Closing remarks

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP The World Bank Group is one of the world’s largest sources of funding and knowledge for low-income countries. Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development. http://www.worldbank.org