On 24 April 2023, the African Development Bank, KEIZAI DOYUKAI and the United Nations Development Programme will host a special business event for Japanese business leaders. The theme of the event is “the co-creation of an investment ecosystem and business opportunities in Africa, to achieve sustainable growth with strong partnership with Japan.”

As part of the programme, African Development Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina will give a lecture, which will be followed by a panel discussion between distinguished speakers from Africa and Japan. Dr. Adesina will join the panel.

During the 8^th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) held in August 2022, Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Fumio Kishida announced that the government of Japan would continue to work as “a partner growing together with Africa,” and would help realize sustainable development focusing on “people.” Japan also promised to provide further development support and to enforce investment with a focus on startups from Japan to Africa.

Also during TICAD8, Dr. Adesina met with Mr. Mutsuo Iwai, Chairperson, Africa Project Team, KEIZAI DOYUKAI; Chairperson of the Board, Japan Tobacco Inc. and Mr. Ken Shibusawa, Vice-Chairperson, Africa Project Team, KEIZAI DOYUKAI; CEO of Shibusawa and Company, Inc. The parties exchanged views on an “Africa Impact Investment Fund” proposed by KEIZAI DOYUKAI to foster co-creation of an investment ecosystem between Africa and Japan.

In November 2022, the African Development Bank and KEIZAI DOYUKAI signed a “Statement of Intent” to strengthen cooperation and business ties between Africa and Japan. Further to this, on 6 January 2023, a fund management company, “&Capital Inc.” (Mr. Shibusawa as the Founder and CEO) was established in Japan to promote implementation of the “Africa Impact Fund”.

Africa continues to hold massive potential as an investment destination, with growing entrepreneurs engaging a market of 1.3 billion people. These young entrepreneurs are emerging to solve social issues by implementing the latest technology or leapfrogging. To support start-ups and create innovative business models and technologies, the event will focus on developing an investment ecosystem to strengthen the collaboration among start-ups, private sectors, funds, and international organizations in Africa and Japan.

Event Agenda 

Part 1 (13:00-14:00): Lecture - Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of African Development Bank Group 

Theme: Co-creating an Investment  Ecosystem between Africa and Japan

13:00-13:05 Opening Remarks    

Vice Chairman, Executive Director, KEIZAI DOYUKAI; 

13:05-13:10 Remarks from our honored guest

              Mr. Ichiro Aisawa     

President, Japan-AU Parliamentary Friendship League;

Member, House of Representatives

13:10-13:15 Introductory Remarks

              Mr. Ken Shibusawa

              Vice-Chairperson, Africa Project Team, KEIZAI DOYUKAI; 

CEO of Shibusawa and Company;
  Founder and CEO of &Capital Inc.

13:15-13:30 Lecture               

Dr. . Akinwumi Adesina

President, African Development Bank Group

13:30-13:55 QA

              Moderated Mr. Mutsuo Iwai

Chairperson, Africa Project Team, KEIZAI DOYUKAI; Chairperson of the Board, Japan Tobacco Inc 

13:55-14:00 Closing Remarks           

Mr. Mutsuo Iwai

Chairperson, Africa Project Team, KEIZAI DOYUKAI; Chairperson of the Board, Japan Tobacco Inc 

14:00-14:15 Break

Part 2 (14:15-15:30): Panel Discussion

Theme: Creating Impacts in Africa -through collaboration among startups, private sectors, funds and international organizations

Moderator   : Mr. Satoshi Shimoda

                Senior Staff Writer, Nikkei Inc.

Presentations and Discussion by Distinguished Panelists

[Multilateral Development Bank]

• Dr. Akinwumi Adesina

President, African Development Bank Group

[Impact Fund]

• Dr. Ayodele Odusola

Resident Representative of UNDP South Africa (Online participation)

• Mr. Ken Shibusawa

Vice-Chairperson, Africa Project Team, KEIZAI DOYUKAI; 

CEO of Shibusawa and Company, Inc.;

Founder and CEO, &Capital Inc

[Startup Company]

• Ms. Palesa Motaung

COO of Agrikool (Online participation)

• Mr. Makoto Gouda

CEO of Noppon Biodiesel Fuel Co., Ltd.

[Japanese Corporation]

• Mr. Hajime Kawamura

Special Advisor of Marubeni Corporation

Please click here to register.

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Contact: 

Asia External Representation Office, African Development Bank Group

Naoshige KINOSHITA    n.kinoshita@afdb.org

Yoshifumi TOKUSHIGE  y.tokushige@afdb.org

Mayumi FUJITA        m.fujita@afdb.org

Reika HAYAKAWA   r.hayakawa@afdb.org