UK West and Central Africa Trade Investment Francophone 2022 London

EVENT SYNOPSIS
The inaugural UK-Francophone West and Central Africa Trade and Investment Forum is a major intergovernmental and private sector summit convened by DMA, DIT and UKEF.

Plenary sessions, vertical and geographic roundtables, deal rooms and a series of bilateral meetings between government and industry will take place over two packed days in central London.

The many French-speaking West and Central African countries have been historically underrepresented by British industry and underserved by diplomatic cover. This, however, has been a trend in reverse for several years, culminating in June’s ascension to the Commonwealth of Gabon and Togo.

In total, eight countries including the West Africa power houses of Senegal and Cote d’Ivoire are joined by Central Africa’s Cameroon and the extraordinarily diverse economies of Benin, Niger and mineral-rich Guinea.

UK Export Finance has a significant appetite for French-speaking West and Central Africa – an appetite which has seen consistent year on year increases, and recent successes in these non-traditional markets include a wide-ranging, award-winning and record financing facility for primary healthcare in Cote d’Ivoire and an innovative infrastructure financing facility in Cameroon.

In addition to governmental presence, 300-500 well-capitalised, multi-disciplinary British companies with an interest in West and Central Africa and expertise in banking, finance, infrastructure development, healthcare, education, clean energy, clean agri-tech, legal services, pharmaceuticals, de-carbonisation, ICT, creative sectors and FMCG are going to be present to promote their own skills, expertise and promote their historical investment, and present activity on the continent.

The eight countries represented invite one to one meetings with their visiting governments and UK Export Finance will offer both business and governments bespoke financing and insurance assistance for these fascinating emerging markets.

The event is free-to-attend but by invitation only and central London venue details will be provided closer to the Forum date.

DRAFT PROGRAMME

DAY ONE

08:00 – 09:00: Registration & Refreshments

09:00 – 09:15: Welcome Address & Opening Comments

Office of the Secretary of State, Department for International Trade (DIT)
Samir Abhyankar, Managing Director and Head of Private Equity, British International Investment (BII)

09:15 – 09:30: Keynote Addresses

Tim Reid, Head of Business Group, UK Export Finance (UKEF)

09:30 – 10.30: The Unique Francophone Offer, Regional Economic Outlook and Investment Opportunities

Chair: Laurence Robertson MP, Chairman, Westminster Africa Business Group (WABG)

Office of the Minister for Africa, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Dr Mabouba Diagne, Vice President, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)
West African Development Bank (BOAD)
Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG)
Steve Gray OBE, Regional Head, West Africa, UK Export Finance

Q&A Session

10:30 – 11:00: Refreshments Break

11:00 – 11:50: Insight into Benin and Cameroon and the UK Public and Private Offer

Benin	Cameroon
Chair: HM Ambassador Benin, Harriet Thompson	Chair: Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Cameroon, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Hon. Romuald Wadagni, Minister of Finance	Hon. Alamine Ousmane Mey, Minister of Economy, Planning and Regional Development
Riham Mansour, Business Manager Infrastructure and Construction, UKEF	Simon Buckenburg, Business Manager Infrastructure and Construction, UKEF
Mireille D’Oliveira Richards, Managing Director, Benin Connect	Brice Beumo, CEO, Beko Capital Advisory
	Dr Diane Acha-Morfaw, Board Chairperson, Cameroon Investment Promotion Agency (IPA)
*Q&A Session*	*Q&A Session*

11:55 – 12:45: Insight into Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon and the UK Public and Private Offer

Côte d’Ivoire	Gabon
Chair: HM Ambassador to Côté d’Ivoire, Catherine Brooker	Chair: HM Ambassador to Gabon, Christian Dennys
Hon. Souleymane Diarrassouba, Minister of Commerce, Industry and SME Promotion	Government Representative
	Akim Daouda, CEO, Gabonese Sovereign Wealth Fund
Michele Dee, Regional Head Africa and India, UKEF	Yasmine Siddiqi, Business Development Officer, UKEF
Kady Doumbia Coulibaly, President, Côté d’Ivoire Chamber of Commerce (CICCGB)	Olam Group of Companies (tbc)
	Sarmad Lone, Regional Head, Client Coverage, AME, CCIB, Standard Chartered Bank
*Q&A Session*	*Q&A Session*

12:45 – 13:40: Networking Lunch/Food Security and Job Creation Networking Lunch

13:40 – 14:30: Insight into Guinea and Niger and the UK Public and Private Offer

Guinea	Niger
Chair: HM Ambassador to Guinea, Guy Harrison	Chair: HM Ambassador to Niger, Catherine Inglehearn
Hon. Moussa Cisse, Minister of Economy, Finance and Planning	Hon. Dr Ahmat Jidoud, Minister of Finance
	Hon. Alkache Alhada, Minister of Commerce

Ismael Nabe, Advisor to the Prime Minister in charge of Investments and Partnerships	Paul Ling, Senior Underwriter, UKEF
Boris Medimorec, Senior Underwriter, UKEF	Mr Moussa Sidi Mohamed, President, Niger Chamber of Commerce
Rio Tinto (tbc)
*Q&A Session*	*Q&A Session*

14:35 – 15:25: Insight into Senegal and Togo and the UK Public and Private Offer

Senegal	Togo
Chair: HM Ambassador to Senegal, Juliette John	Chair: HM High Commissioner to Togo, Harriet Thompson
Government Representative	Hon. Kodzo Adedje, Minister of Trade, Industry and Local Consumption
Government Representative	Hon. Rose Mivedor, Minister of Investment Promotion
Adam Harris, Head of Civil, Infrastructure and Energy, UKEF	Carla Senatore, Senior Origination Officer Africa/Asia, UKEF
Paul Woodman, Managing Director, ASGC	Private Sector Speaker
Sarangi, Sujithav, Executive Director, Project & Export Finance, Standard Chartered Bank	Private Sector Speaker
*Q&A Session*	*Q&A Session*

15:25 – 15.45: Tea and Coffee Break

15:45 – 15:55: DIT’s Commitment to Francophone Africa

John Humphrey, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Africa, Department for International Trade

16:00 – 16:40: UK Expertise – Spotlights i.

Spotlight on Infrastructure	Spotlight on Agriculture
Chair: Dr Nick Westcott, Director, Royal African Society Elizabeth McCrory, Senior Export Finance Manager, UKEF Sylvie Fekeram Wanogho, Finance Director, ERG International Nabil Saimi, Head of Business Development, InfraCo Africa	Chair: Lord Henry Bellingham, Former Minister for Africa Richard Hill, Export Finance Manager, UKEF David Burton, Sector Director Agriculture – Africa, DIT Hon. Antoine Lekpa Gbegbeni, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Togo Private Sector Speaker

16:45 – 17:25: UK Expertise – Spotlights ii.

Spotlight on Energy	Spotlight on Blue Economy/Water
Chair: Michael Tchenga Wanchi, Country Director Cameroon, DIT DIT/UKEF Alex Douglas, Managing Director, Business Development, Head of West Africa, Globeleq Gridworks	Chair: Lauren McEvatt, Managing Director, Morpeth Consulting Eddie Malone, Head of Water, DIT Philip Foster, Founder and CEO, Aqua Africa Uzi Sezer, General Coordinator, Water Infrastructure Projects, ERG International Lina Osman, Head, Sustainable Finance West, CCIB, Standard Chartered Bank

17:30 – 18.10: UK Expertise – Spotlights iii.

Spotlight on Financial Services	Spotlight on Health and Education
Chair: Atam Sandhu, CEO, DMA Invest Tom Attenborough, Head of International Business Development, Primary Markets, Capital Markets, London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) De La Rue	Chair: Roger Martin, Advisory Board Member, DMA Invest David Sheppard, Deputy Head of Healthcare: Infrastructure, Education and Training, DIT Jonathan Ledger, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Specialist, International Education Team, DIT Dr David Johnson, Academic Director, Planet One Group

REGISTRATION & SPONSORSHIP

To register for this event, please click through the link and follow the instructions https://www.delegateselect.com/event/uk-francophone/(link is external

18:15: Closing Ceremony and Gala Reception

DAY TWO

One-on-one meetings with the delegation taking place at individual Embassies/High Commissions/missions