NEWS
Ithmar Capital convenes African sovereign wealth funds to launch inaugural investors forum in Rabat
• Ithmar Capital ( Morocco )
• Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority ( Nigeria )
• Agaciro Development Fund ( Rwanda )
• Fonds Souverain d ’ Investissements Stratégiques ( Senegal )
Conscious of the importance of mobilising international capital to finance the future growth of the continent , a dozen African sovereign wealth funds and investors have come together at the initiative of Ithmar Capital , to create Africa Sovereign Investors Forum ( ASIF ), a platform dedicated to project development and investment promotion .
ASIF promotes collective and concerted action by African sovereign wealth funds and strategic funds for the development and growth of the continent for a more resilient , inclusive , sustainable and self-reliant Africa .
The attending members signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding are :
• Fundo Soberano de Angola ( Angola )
• Fonds Souverain de Djibouti ( Djibouti )
• The Sovereign Fund of Egypt ( Egypt )
• Fonds Gabonais d ’ Investissements Stratégiques ( Gabon )
• Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund ( Ghana )
The aim is to set in motion a new dynamic that will make it possible to address the challenges related to financing investment opportunities through project development and thus structure the attraction of international capital to Africa .
ASIF will also address key sectors for the continent , such as infrastructure , food security , industrialisation , urbanisation and climate change .
In addition , ASIF lays the foundation for building a multi-dimensional partnership that will strengthen existing inter-African relations and contribute to Africa ’ s progress .
The time to unlock the skills development potential of Fourth Industrial Revolution is now , says PBT Group
The potential the Fourth Industrial
Revolution ( 4IR ) will have on Africa is significant . Mobile technologies and services have already generated 1.7 million direct jobs . Digitisation is resulting in increased efficiencies bringing with it fresh opportunities for economic growth and job creation . But if the continent is to truly benefit from 4IR , the public and private sectors must rethink skills development and the way people work , said Andreas Bartsch , Head of Innovation and Services , PBT Group .
“ Advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence ( AI ), Machine Learning ( ML ), and robotic process automation ( RPA ) are starting to take over many repetitive tasks . Cynics argue that this comes at the cost of the very jobs that 4IR intends to create . However , as people can now focus more on the value they can bring an organisation , this presents the perfect opportunity to provide them with the skills necessary to be successful in a digitally driven world . It is now all about learning new things and embracing a more adaptable way of working ,” said Bartsch . Bartsch believes that the most important soft skills when it comes to 4IR are not necessarily technology-driven ones . Instead , it is whether a person is willing to learn continuously .
14 INTELLIGENTCIO AFRICA www . intelligentcio . com