Building on the success of its official launch ceremony last year in Rabat under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God Assists him, The African Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF) held its second annual meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, on July 6-7. Under the theme “Strategic Partnerships: Driving Africa’s Resilience and Sustainable Development”, this year’s edition was hosted by Rwanda’s sovereign wealth fund Agaciro Development Fund.
Among the participation of ASIF’s sovereign wealth funds executives, this second meeting hosted the Republic of Rwanda’s Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente, as well as members of his government, naming Mr. Eric Rwigamba, Minister of Public Investments and Privatization, and Mr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. This event also witnessed the attendance of the Director General of the African Union Commission, the Vice-President of the African Development Bank in charge of the Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialization, as well as high-level representatives of sovereign investors, along with multilateral, regional and local financial institutions.
This edition was also marked by a signing ceremony in honor of new African sovereign wealth funds memberships, including the Ethiopian fund – Ethiopian Investment Holdings – and the Mauritian fund – Mauritius Investment Corporation (MIC) Ltd. Both funds joined ASIF’s founding members, thus sparking a positive growth dynamic throughout the continent’s geography, which was confirmed by the ongoing accession process of several other sovereign and strategic investment funds.
ASIF members and other participants engaged in discussions tackling the development and investment prospects in Africa, along with other topics of common interest such as the challenges facing the continent, growth opportunities, sovereign and strategic partnerships, as well as sustainable development. The forum also provided an opportunity to address the question of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the importance of collaboration between local stakeholders in achieving them. This second edition also marked the 10th anniversary of Rwanda’s sovereign wealth fund, a signatory member of ASIF.
