US president Barrack Obama’s African Leaders Summit has shown the world that Africa is open for business. African leaders will now visit London to secure the investments that can transform their economies.
Presidents from Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Togo and Ghana, all countries with strong prospects in oil and gas and strong demand for increased power generation, will highlight those projects that they believe will deliver the most value for their countries.
Projects ranging from pipelines to hydropower will be presented to an audience of some of the world’s most prominent investors, including representatives from sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, private equity and corporate financing.
Obama recently declared that African governments must look to the future for economic development, rather than making excuses based on the past. The Global African Investment Summit provides the platform for forward thinking African governments to secure the deals that will lead to genuinely transformative social and economic development.
The Global African Investment Summit (TGAIS) is working with African governments to bring those bankable projects to the international market. Organised by former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and led by the Presidents of Rwanda, Uganda, Ghana, Tanzania and Togo. TGAIS will present major projects from across the continent including natural resources and critical infrastructure.
With Uganda licensing new oil exploration blocks in 2015, finding the right investors is critical to the country looking to maximise local benefits in the nascent sector. Amama Mbabazi, Ugandan Prime Minister highlighted the significance of finding the right investors for his country; “we have a number of important projects that will help the Ugandan economy grow substantially. Finding the best investors for those projects is crucial to knowing that they will be undertaken in a way that creates shared value and promotes long-term sustainability.”
Rwanda is looking to finance the Ruzizi III Hydropower plant and is also well represented at TGAIS. Claver Gatete, Rwandan Minister of Finance and Economic Planning was keen to highlight the significance of being able to meet international investors at the summit.
“It’s great that our government gets to go to events like The Global African Investment Summit in London to profile investment opportunities in Rwanda. What we want investors to know is that we need their investment and that we provide the right incentives and have created one of the best business environments that can be found anywhere in the world.”