The second edition of the West Africa Deal Summit is set to take place in Lagos, Nigeria, on November 12 and 13, 2024. This year’s event will be hosted at the Civic Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos. Organized by the Impact Investors Foundation (IIF) Nigeria and Impact Investing Ghana (IIGh), the summit aims to accelerate the deployment of catalytic capital across West Africa. Details about the event are available on its official website.
IIF and IIGh announced that the summit, held in collaboration with taskforces from Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire, will operate under the theme “Actions to Deepen Catalytic Capital in West Africa.” The event will review progress made since the inaugural edition, where the Catalytic Capital Africa (2CAfrica) campaign was launched to support SME growth across the continent.
Expanding on the previous year’s success, the summit will feature expert panels and discussions on topics such as financing Africa’s future, ESG integration, green financing, and impact measurement. Key sessions include deal rooms for enterprises to engage directly with investors, an impact fund showcase, and the celebration of trailblazers at the 6th Annual Impact Investing Awards. Participants will also have the opportunity to take part in a study tour to Ghana to explore its investment ecosystem.
“The summit will convene a diverse group of stakeholders, including impact investors, fund managers, development finance institutions, NGOs, and government representatives,” stated IIF. Notable partners for the event include LEAP Africa, SIPA, Ford Foundation, the UK’s RISA Fund, British International Investment, and Sterling One Foundation.
At the first summit, more than 300 attendees pledged commitments to bridge the $331 billion SME financing gap in the region. Etemore Glover, CEO of IIF Nigeria, noted that hosting the summit emphasizes the foundation’s commitment to advancing investments that fuel innovation and economic growth in West Africa.
Nigeria’s focus on economic diversification and fostering a favorable business climate makes Lagos the ideal venue for such a summit, Glover added. Amma Lartey, CEO of Impact Investing Ghana, emphasized the summit’s role in shaping a resilient and inclusive economic future for the region.
The expanded agenda for 2024 reflects a unified vision among stakeholders to enhance the flow of catalytic capital for sustainable growth, according to Yacouba Ouedraogo of Burkina Faso’s Impact Investing Taskforce. Meanwhile, Senegal’s Bowel Diop highlighted the need for action-oriented strategies to overcome financial barriers and foster collaboration within the region.
