17/03/2019
*The time to invest in Africa is now – VP Bawumia*
The Vice President of the Republic, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has challenged investors to constructively engage their African counterparts as the governments and peoples of the continent gear up to take their destinies in their own hands and assume their rightful places in the comity of nations.
According to Dr Bawumia, “Africa is on the move; a continent eager to shake off past failures due to blind colonial and cold-war alignments and sheer bad governance. The new scramble for Africa, according to the Economist Magazine, is now being led by a new generation of Africans determined to make a difference through technological innovations and the development of enterprise and markets.
“The Africa we want can only be built by Africans in partnerships with countries and investors who also believe in this paradigm for change.”
Vice President Bawumia issued the challenge when he addressed delegates at the ongoing 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership in New Delhi, India on Sunday 17th March, 2019.
The three day Conclave, under the theme “Partners in Development, Building New Synergies,” and organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in collaboration with the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India, is bringing together over 500 delegates including 33 Ministers and Heads of Government from 41 African countries.
Over the past 13 editions, the CII- EXIM Bank Conclave on India Africa Project Partnership has emerged as the pioneer event for Indian and African governments and industry to meet and explore new avenues of partnerships, and enables the Indian and African leadership to take stock of the progress of the partnership and address future needs.
Outlining a number of areas which would make an investment in Africa an attractive proposition, Vice President Bawumia urged participants to “Let our conversation about the future move outside old boxes of doing business, and old government-business engagements”.
“Africa’s emerging markets offer great opportunities for economic growth and prosperity with over 1.2 billion people and a combined GDP @ Taj Palace, New Delhi
