Podcasts about african development bank group

Dora: First of all, thank you so much for your willingness to connect and speak with us today. And to start off, do you mind briefly introducing yourself? Sijh: Yes. So my name is Sijh Diagne. I am a Weinberg class of 2010, did Economics and International Studies at Northwestern. Today I work as the advisor to the CFO of the African Development Bank. It's the largest multilateral development bank in Africa. Before that, I used to be in the Senegalese government as a senior advisor to the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation. So the last five years I have found myself being at the intersection of policy and finance in Africa. Really enjoy playing some of my hobbies. I enjoy playing tennis. I enjoy playing a little bit of basketball, love watching tennis as well. Had a chance to travel quite a bit. So I enjoy traveling and trying out some new foods. So that's a little bit in a nutshell about myself. Dora: Sounds great. I'm actually going to play tennis and basketball later today. Sijh: Ah, fantastic. Dora: It's very nice out. Yeah, I'm a big fan of tennis and basketball too. Sijh: Very good. Dora: Thank you so much for introducing yourself. So I think my first question is that we're wondering how did you end up working at the African Development Bank Group and being where you are right now? Sijh: Yes. So my mentor I've had since I graduated from college when I joined Oliver Wyman as a consulting, he was an investment bank at the time in Dubai, Senegalese named Amadou Hott, and he became the Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation of Senegal in 2019. So I sent him a text message when he became minister. At the time I was at Harvard Business School. I finished my MBA and I was working at Credit Suisse in New York. And I said, "Congratulations." And he said to me, "You should think about joining the government, you'd be good to come home and serve your country." And I said, "Yeah, yeah, it's okay. No problem. I'm enjoying banking, but I wish you the best." And long story short, he did contact me and came to New York and said, "I need you. I'm building a team. I want you to join the ministry as my advisor. You're going to be in charge of private sector development." This was at the end of 2019, had decided thinking about everything personally and professionally, that this was going to be a really cool opportunity to serve your country, contribute to policy, especially something that I've always wanted to do since my days at Northwestern. And he took me on board and I became his advisor. We did a lot of interesting things in Senegal, COVID-19 pandemic economic recovery plan, an emergency youth jobs plan, PPP law, and really put Africa on a map, at least Senegal on a map, especially when we were sharing the African Union. And subsequently, he then moved on from government, went to the African Development Bank as advisor to the president, special envoy. And when the CFO of the bank was looking for somebody, had asked him and he suggested my name as somebody who had the profile, given my investment banking background, coupled with my policy and government background. And that's how I ended up at the African Development Bank. So it's a quite combination of personal interests, luck, but also relationships given the fact that it was a mentor who had recommended me. And this is a lot of times how the world works at a certain level. It's word of mouth, its connection, its relationships. And that's how I ended up where I am today. Dora: That's really cool. I think it's really cool that you ended up contributing to your own hometown by using your interest and skills and expertise. That sounds very cool to me. And you've also mentioned that you started off as a consultant at Oliver Wyman. What led you to decide that you want to do consulting when you first graduated? Sijh: So consulting was a little bit by accident, I would say. At the beginning when I was a junior at Northwestern, I had an undergraduate research grant to do studies. I was doing a thesis on China's economic involvement in Africa because I was surprised that when I went on vacation in Senegal, I saw a lot of people from China in Senegal. And Senegal was not a resource-rich country at the time. We did subsequently find oil and gas, but that was much later. And I was just quite interested in that new phenomenon. And so while I was doing that project, I started talking to merchants and consumers about business, about trade, and I got very interested in maybe the business of giving advice on strategic advice. Instead of maybe going for a master's in international relations and doing diplomacy, I maybe thought maybe I should explore deep field in management consulting, especially in emerging markets because it was one of the fastest growing markets in the world and I wanted to get exposure to that, given my Senegalese background, the fact that I also had chance to spend also a study abroad in Egypt and wanted to also develop my Arabic. So I looked at opportunities that will place me in the Middle East where I can be focused on at the time Middle East and Africa. And Oliver Wyman was recruiting in their Dubai office, and that was my top choice. Now remind you that this was in 2009. It was at the height of the economic crisis. So it was extremely challenging to find a job, and I just remembered applying to so many jobs at the time and just feeling completely agonized that what if I don't get it? Because a lot of my classmates were not getting jobs, people were getting laid off, were not recruiting as much. And I really thought that this is the only chance I have to differentiate myself because the US market was just quite challenging. And I practiced many, many hours a day. I only took three classes when I [inaudible 00:06:37] Northwestern versus four just to give myself a chance to get to that job. And so by God's grace, I got the job and then I moved to Dubai. And that's what I ended up doing for a few years. Dora: That sounds really cool. So you've mentioned that it was really hard to find a job back in 2009. And I'm sure it got a lot better now, but it's still a little hard for us because I'm a junior, so I'm also applying for jobs. It's still hard, especially for international students to find jobs. So is there any advice or suggestion you can give to the students seeking for a job in financial service or just seeking for a job in general? Sijh: Do not underestimate the power of the alumni network and in your relationships. When I was applying for jobs at the time at Oliver Wyman, most of the people who were interviewing me were from the Chicago office, Northwestern alum. And so I really tapped into that network at the beginning. It's the only network really I'd had at the time, frankly. And so in any job you have to look at what is required of the job in terms of skill set. Does it match currently the skill sets that you've been building or working on? And then number two, just really talk to alumni, talk to your network who work in those fields. Because oftentimes what might make a difference is just a person at the right time saying, "Oh, I know this person. I've worked with this person, I've interacted with this person. I can tell this person's character. I can tell this person's work ethic. I can tell about how assiduous they are. I can tell about how much integrity, how good communicator they are, and how consistent they have been in terms of reaching out, following up, asking the right questions and really putting in the work." Because at the end of the day, that might be what differentiates one or two candidates, what you do well, what you can control, having a good GPA applying for the job, but tailoring your CV, preparing for the interviews. But at the end of the day, sometimes the decisions are being made based on other emotional quotient. What were the interactions like with the people who you've met? Have you been very consistent at reaching out at talking to them? What has been your demeanor? I found that these interactions really made a difference, and so I made it a point in my career to just continue to reach out to mentors, continue to reach out to people in my different circles. This interview that we're having today would not have been possible if it weren't for a Northwestern alum, my sister Nikki Okrah, who gave a brilliant commencement speech last year and to whom I'm being very, very grateful for to open doors. And these are the ways in which the Northwestern alumni has been used. Nikki and I have been friends for almost 17, 18 years, since freshman year of college. She's back in Ghana building Chaku Foods, which is a startup in the agricultural space. And so my point is just leverage the network, build genuine relationships with people, your colleagues, your peers, and these things will pay dividends over time. Dora: I definitely agree because I've been doing networking and coffee chats with a lot of alumni as well, and I know that they have also been reaching out and talking to a lot of students. But I don't know if this question might be a little repetitive. Do you have any advice or suggestion for students to maybe stand out in those conversations? Like you mentioned being consistent and always follow up, but is there any more things or specific strategies we could use to... Sijh: Yeah, and I think these times are very challenging times as you can see given what's happening at the global environment. Quite challenging, quite complex, but it's also a tremendous time of opportunities and growth. One way in which I differentiated myself at the time when I was graduating is that I knew I had a language differentiator. I was fortunate to speak five languages, including Arabic, which was a differentiating factor when I was applying for jobs in the Dubai office. Being from Senegal, having had good quality education from Chicago at Northwestern and making sure that you had a good academic performance, those were things that at least I could differentiate myself. So I also already felt like I was competitive on the international front. I could make sure that I may not have been competitive on the local front in a Chicago office front because I think they were much stronger candidates. But for sure, I used my skillset, my international background, the fact that I did an international studies degree sort of understood some of the geopolitical implications at the time, to my advantage. And even when I was transitioning into investment banking, I gave myself that opportunity. So when I was at Harvard, when I was applying for my internship at Credit Suisse, again, the differentiating factor made it that I did an international degree, I had an international experience having worked in many different countries, being based in Dubai, covering Middle East and Africa. Having done consulting as somebody who's transitioning into financial services gives you the problem-solving skills, give you the ability to just synthesize dense information into small, consistent and simple messages to be able to tailor messages based on your audience. And those were a few skillsets that I picked up from my consulting background that were really helpful not only for investment banking, which you're transitioning to the financial services, but even beyond, skillsets such as communication, skillsets such as the ability, like I said, to look at complex problems and breaking them down into smaller pieces that can take you from point A to point B, and your ability to explain to different audiences the key messages. If you're meeting with a senior executive, what is the message that he needs to hear? How are you able to explain that to him? When you're meeting with more technical people, what level of information do you need and how do you communicate that effectively? Those are skillsets that are going to be very important no matter what you do, especially in financial services as well, because what happens is you're taking a lot of data from very, very different data sets and you're trying to synthesize them into something that can be actionable, recommendable for senior executives to make a decision about his company, his business, or for a country in the case of government. Dora: That sounds really cool and very helpful, all the skillsets you've mentioned. So how is working in consulting and financial service, for example, investment banking, different to you? Sijh: Yeah, so consulting and investment banking, those are both advisory businesses. So in that way they're kind of similar. You are always looking at what are your client's most pressing issues, and you're trying to solve them. Maybe in a consultant you might be more thinking about the strategic issues, market entry strategy, cost-cutting strategies. Maybe if you're doing corporate finance and investment banking, you are advising them on what is the optimal financial structure that you have, maybe what are the acquisitions that you need to do in order to generate the shareholder return and meet your fiduciary duties towards your shareholders. Those are in a way similar but also different skill sets. What I love about investment banking in particular as a great training is that you're still problem solving. You become very financially savvy and you really pay attention to details. It is about having strong attention to detail that will really make a difference in a way. You have to be able to understand the financial implications of your decisions of the data, while at the same time still have to communicate in a way that the senior executive in front of you, the CEO or the CFO or the head of business development, understand and also take your recommendations and action them. At the end of the day, the strategic advice needs to be actionable. And I really want to put an emphasis on the action part because you're getting paid to provide a service that he can take and say, "I can make this happen and I can generate returns and I can generate a results." So that's what I would say the similarities, but also the differences and what skill sets you need to pay attention to in order to move up the financial services ladder. I didn't stay very long in investment banking. I only did it for a little under three years. But the skill sets that I picked up there in terms of just understanding finances, reading the balance sheet, the income statement, the cash flows, being able to quickly analyze that and then also help make a decision. When I came to government, one of the things that I really picked up, because we were doing the COVID-19 response for Senegal, we had to move really fast. We didn't know how the world was going because there was no playbook on how to do a COVID-19 response. But the investment banking and the consulting approach made it so that I knew how to take data that was happening from different parts of the world, the benchmarking that was being done. If you're doing comparable transactions in banking, similar things. What's happening in France, what's happening in Germany, what's happening in Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Brazil, et cetera? And then thinking about in your country, in Senegal, how would some of these fiscal or monetary policies actually be useful, be actually be easily implementable and will have the intended results for your population? So thinking very critically about those problems, analyzing data, large data and synthesizing them into simple, actionable items, that's what enabled us to move quickly to make recommendations directly for the president, for him to take action and for us to mobilize the resources from our partners, the World Bank, the IMF, the other bilateral and multilateral partners, for us to have a plan that can fight against COVID-19 response. So that experience was a combination of the consulting skillset, problem solving, and the financial services, attention to detail, understanding financial statements, thinking about client implications that made us have the results, and those are very invaluable skill sets no matter what industry you choose to always have. Dora: That sounds really cool to me. All of your experiences, either from consulting or investment banking are so helpful to your current role and your job. That sounds very cool to me. So thank you so much for sharing about the student alumni connection and your career. So another question as a student we have is that how do you stay motivated? Because we're still pursuing a job and seeking for a job, and sometimes it can be very overwhelming. So I'm just curious if you have any strategy or approach. Sijh: Look, the reality is you have to tell yourself it is hard. It is hard to recruit in these times that are very challenging where there's a lot of uncertainty, and understanding that it is hard first, and acknowledging is really first of all important. I probably applied to about 60 or so jobs and barely got more than five interviews. So you have to stomach the ability of rejection. I hear so many nos. It can be very disappointing. You can feel low about yourself. You can have, am I good enough? You can feel like, are you good enough? Were you smart enough? Did you work hard enough? You can really doubt yourself in these moments. But the key is just to think about is to stay optimistic. Stay optimistic that after the bad times, good times will come. You just stay the course. You just have to have an objective in mind. You want to recruit for this type of position, and you just give yourself the best chance for you to do this. Recruit, stay consistent. Have maybe a peer to peer review so that your peers can also keep you in check. I had a very good friend of mine at Northwestern named [inaudible 00:19:38] in my class. We were recruiting together. We used to practice our cases together. We used to check in on one another. "How are you doing?" We were spending many, many hours together every day, but keeping each other in check, keeping each other accountable. Having an accountability partner in this journey is also very, very helpful. And I found having that was really helpful for me to stay motivated. Leaning into your support system, your family, your loved ones, your friends, your professors, some alumni who can maybe give you comfort that, "Hey, tough times is part of life, but if you stay the course, things will work out." That there's always going to be bumps along the road, and I had my fair share of bumps along the road and continue to have bumps. But it's just the ability to keep at it, to stay, to be optimistic, to have a goal in mind, and just to give yourself a chance to work towards it while leaning on your support system, I think is what is going to carry you through some of the tough times you face as a student. And I think the last thing I would say is just to keep perspective, because you might seem like this is the worst things, but at the end of the day, you're giving yourself a chance to have a great education. The Northwestern brand is really strong. To this day, 15 years out, I haven't reached the peak of my career yet. I still have ways to go, but I'm finding that how powerful it has been, how helpful it has been based on the resources that I tapped into when I was in undergrad, the connections that I made that enabled me to get to where I am today. As I mentioned, my friend, Nikki Okrah, who's building a fantastic company, who gave me this opportunity to speak to these students as a Northwestern alum, as a friend and a sister. Those are things that will stay with you. So stay the course. Tell yourself it's hard. You understand. But you will get to the other side. Dora: Thank you so much. Sijh: And this too shall pass, as we say. Dora: Thank you so much for saying all of this. It's really motivating and so nice of you to say all of this to students. I feel like it's very helpful for everyone who's seeking jobs or underclassmen figuring out what they want to do after graduation in general. But yeah, just thank you so much again for your willingness to connect with all the students and for coming to the Weinberg in the World Podcast interview. We hope to stay in touch with you. Thank you. Sijh: It is my pleasure.  

The African Development Bank Group has conceded its annual meeting in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, with a key focus on electing new leadership. South Africa is throwing its weight behind Bajabulile Swazi Tshabalala, to replace outgoing President, Akinwumi Adesina, of Nigeria. The high-stakes gathering unfolds against a backdrop of global uncertainty. Delegates aim to strategise Africa's economic transformation, leveraging its capital potential. Established in 1964, the AfDB continues its mission to power, industrialise, and uplift Africa through its High 5 development priorities. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC News Reporter, Khayelihle khumalo in in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire

In this episode of IFC Audio Stories, we explore Mission 300, an ambitious initiative to connect 300 million people in Africa to clean, affordable, and reliable electricity by 2030. Led by the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group, this effort highlights the critical role of private sector innovation and investment in expand access to energy.   Listen as Valérie Levkov, IFC Global Industry Director for Energy, Metals & Mining, and Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory, and Sarvesh Suri, IFC Regional Industry Director for Infrastructure & Natural Resources in Africa, share insights into the challenges and opportunities in delivering innovative solutions to connect millions of people across the continent. 

The African Development Bank Group is urging reforms in the financial architecture for developing countries. It characterizes Ghana's comprehensive restructuring efforts as challenging and slow.

African Development Bank Growth report : Africa will account for eleven of the world's 20 fastest-growing economies in 2024, the African Development Bank Group said in its latest Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook (MEO) of the continent released in FEB. Crystal Orderson, Africa Correspondent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The president of the African Development Bank Group, Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina, says the size of Africa's digital economy will rise from $115 billion to $712 billion by 2050. Adesina says it was estimated that the size of digital global wealth would expand from $217 billion in 2022 to over $1 trillion by 2031 with most of this growth already being driven by four countries -Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt. He says the creative industry in Nigeria is growing rapidly, in line with similar trend in Africa. The creative industry in Africa generated over $14 billion in revenue annually between 2015 and 2018 and is projected to help create close to three million jobs by 2025.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4090160/advertisement

The Alliance aims to raise up to $500 million of early-stage project preparation and development capital. Goal: boost project bankability and generate up to $10 billion in investment opportunities for the private sector. The African Union, the African Development Bank Group and Africa50—in partnership with several global partners—have launched the Alliance for Green Infrastructure in Africa (AGIA), an initiative to help scale and accelerate financing for green infrastructure projects in Africa. The collaborating global partners working with the African Union, African Development Bank and Africa50 are the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the French Development Agency, The Rockefeller Foundation, the US Trade and Development Agency, the Global Center on Adaptation, the Private Infrastructure Development Group, and the African Sovereign Investors Forum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many of us work in what we consider ‘global' organizations, but we do it from the comfort of our home or at a local office. Actually going global, relocating to an entirely different part of the world may not be for everyone, but the opportunities to broaden your perspective and have a lasting impact are second to none. Steve Ashcroft is the Director of General Services and Procurement for the African Development Bank Group. He has spent many years in the world of procurement, including time as a consultant, an educator, and a practitioner.  Most interestingly, Steve has vast global experience, and is currently based in Cote d'Ivoire, a country on the coast of Western Africa.  In this episode, Philip and Steve discuss: Working successfully across cultures The opportunities that exist when building a procurement capability that spans 44 countries across Africa  Why anyone thinking about a career in procurement should take the leap

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has given strong assurance to US investors that Africa is a secure, competitive, and profitable market. Dr. Adesina wants American investors to see Africa as a logical investment destination and to engage with the continent in win-win partnerships. The AfDB boss says that despite the disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on economies, the number of private equity deals in Africa increased from 230 in 2019 to 255 by 2020. He stressed that even in turbulent times, opportunities still abound in Africa.

In his address to the IIEA, Dr Adesina discusses the role of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in supporting stability, growth and sustainable development on the African continent. He explores some of the opportunities and challenges which the AfDB presently faces, including food security, debt sustainability, climate change, and the financing gap. Dr Adesina highlights that such challenges can be overcome through enhanced crisis preparedness, the development of quality healthcare systems and infrastructure projects to strengthen the continent's resilience. About the Speaker: Often described as “Africa's Optimist-in-Chief”, African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi A. Adesina is widely lauded for his visionary leadership and passion for Africa's transformation. Dr Adesina was first elected President of the African Development Bank Group in 2015 and was unanimously re-elected for a second five-year term in 2020. A former Nigerian Minister for Agriculture, in 2017, Dr Adesina was conferred with the World Food Prize, also known as the “Nobel Prize for Agriculture”. With Dr Adesina at the helm, the African Development Bank Group achieved the highest capital increase since its establishment in 1964 and responded boldly and swiftly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ireland joined the African Development Fund and the African Development Bank in 2020.

In this episode, Ms Marita Obare interviews Millicent Omukaga, Advisor to the AFDB President on Women Empowerment and Affirmative Finance as they discuss: Africa's untapped She Economy case studies of how financial sector (including AfDB programs) has helped unlock value for women on the continent learnings from her experience Dr. Millicent Omukaga is a 2022 Top Woman to Watch in Banking and Finance by Angaza Awards. Dr. Millicent Omukaga is a policy advisor in development programming and finance with expertise in investment projects and portfolio management and market development for rural and agricultural communities across Africa. In her current position at African Development Bank (AfDB), she guides on financial inclusion through policy engagements at corporate and country levels, and provides technical assistance through access to finance and markets programmes targeting women entrepreneurs across the Continent. Some of her recent achievements include contribution to the establishment of the Bank's 10-year Gender Equality Trust Fund, which is the first thematic fund on gender in the Bank Group's history; $250M Risk Share Mechanism; and $25m Technical Assistance project. Podcast Host: Ms. Marita Obare, Co-founder Ngazi, an on-transit advertising platform for small businesses in Kenya. Guest: Dr. Millicent Omukaga - Office of the President Advisor – Women Empowerment and Affirmative Finance, African Development Bank Group, Côte d'Ivoire Production: Rawlins Hamisi

In this episode, Ms Marita Obare interviews Millicent Omukaga, Advisor to the AFDB President on Women Empowerment and Affirmative Finance as they discuss: Africa's untapped She Economy case studies of how financial sector (including AfDB programs) has helped unlock value for women on the continent learnings from her experience Dr. Millicent Omukaga is a 2022 Top Woman to Watch in Banking and Finance by Angaza Awards. Dr. Millicent Omukaga is a policy advisor in development programming and finance with expertise in investment projects and portfolio management and market development for rural and agricultural communities across Africa. In her current position at African Development Bank (AfDB), she guides on financial inclusion through policy engagements at corporate and country levels, and provides technical assistance through access to finance and markets programmes targeting women entrepreneurs across the Continent. Some of her recent achievements include contribution to the establishment of the Bank's 10-year Gender Equality Trust Fund, which is the first thematic fund on gender in the Bank Group's history; $250M Risk Share Mechanism; and $25m Technical Assistance project. Podcast Host: Ms. Marita Obare, Co-founder Ngazi, an on-transit advertising platform for small businesses in Kenya. Guest: Dr. Millicent Omukaga - Office of the President Advisor – Women Empowerment and Affirmative Finance, African Development Bank Group, Côte d'Ivoire Production: Rawlins Hamisi

The African Development Bank Group says East African member states are expected to benefit from at least $8.77 billion worth of investments out of $32.8 billion drawn at the Africa Investment Forum. The President of the African Development Bank Group Akinwumi A. Adesina, says that there is a lot of political support and goodwill for the project. Adesina says It is expected to support 75 per cent of the trade in the West African region, reduce transport cost by 48 per cent, increase inter-and intra-regional trade volume by 15 to 25 percent, and impact the lives of over 500 million people.

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has condemned travel bans placed on African countries over the latest variant of COVID-19, Omicron. Adesina in a statement says Global vaccines and travel apartheid against Africa are endangering lives, hurting economies, lives, jobs and livelihoods, from a pandemic Africa did not cause. End the apartheid. Respect Africa!” UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said most a significant number of Omicron cases have been linked to travel with Nigeria.

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has condemned travel bans placed on African countries over the latest variant of COVID-19, Omicron. Adesina in a statement says Global vaccines and travel apartheid against Africa are endangering lives, hurting economies, lives, jobs and livelihoods, from a pandemic Africa did not cause. End the apartheid. Respect Africa!” UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said most a significant number of Omicron cases have been linked to travel with Nigeria.

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has condemned travel bans placed on African countries over the latest variant of COVID-19, Omicron. Adesina in a statement says Global vaccines and travel apartheid against Africa are endangering lives, hurting economies, lives, jobs and livelihoods, from a pandemic Africa did not cause. End the apartheid. Respect Africa!” UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said most a significant number of Omicron cases have been linked to travel with Nigeria.

PIM Webinar Migration and Global Agri-Food Systems: Insights from CGIAR Research and Beyond December 2, 2021 Migration is an intrinsic part of the development process, representing one of the greatest opportunities to facilitate economic and social advancement in developing countries. At the same time, migration presents one of the world's biggest challenges—particularly when it is non-voluntary, reflecting forced displacement of sizeable numbers of people. Migration requires adjustments by both sending and hosting communities; understanding those adjustments, and ways to maximize the benefits and minimize any costs of migration, is a key policy priority. The CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) has undertaken more than 40 studies designed to explore the causes and consequences of internal and international migration. In aggregate, the studies help us understand what motivates people to migrate and what factors impinge on their ability to do so. This webinar will draw upon the findings of a PIM Synthesis Brief, Understanding characteristics, causes, and consequences of migration: Contributions from the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets ( https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134615), to discuss some of its highlights and further directions for migration research under One CGIAR. The discussion will focus on the interface between migration and agriculture, as well as the way that gender and youth status influence the drivers, impacts, and dynamics of migration, and what policies could help extend its benefits and reduce its costs. To learn more, visit the webinar page: https://bit.ly/30USQa0 Other webinars from the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM): http://bit.ly/PIM-Webinars Moderator: Valerie Mueller, Associate Professor, Arizona State University, School of Politics and Global Studies Panelists: Alan de Brauw, Senior Research Fellow, Markets, Trade, and Institutions Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Katrina Kosec, Senior Research Fellow, Development Strategy and Governance Division at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI); Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University. Linguere Mbaye, Principal Fragility and Resilience Officer at African Development Bank Group. Esha Zaveri, Senior Economist with the Water Global Practice of the World Bank. Closing remarks: Frank Place - Director, CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets

In 2014, the Strategic Climate Fund (SCF) under the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) funded the Strengthening climate resilience project in the Kafue sub-Basin in Zambia. Engineer Indie Dinala, the project manager, told Africa Climate Conversations that farmers in the Kafue sub-basin would depend on wild fruits and wild tubers during drought. But today, the USD 38 million projects have introduced, among other measures - solar-powered irrigation projects enabling farmers to farm even during drought seasons. In addition, a climate-proofed road was built to enable private sectors to reach and buy farm products from the communities' farms. Thus, the adaptation measures have only created resilience but also improved nutrition and livelihoods. This Episode is part of financing change in Africa series made possible by a collaboration between the continent's premier development finance institution – the African Development Bank Group, the Climate Investment funds and the Africa Climate Conversations.

In this edition, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, head of the African Development Bank Group, discusses the financing Africa needs to strategise its economic bouncebank from the Covid-19 pandemic.  

In this episode, Angaza Awards Finalist Dr Millicent Omukaga, an Advisor-Women Empowerment and Financial Inclusion at African Development Bank Group, talks to Ally Mwakaneno on the importance of highlighting the achievements of women and how to bring to the surface women who are changing industries in the background. Millicent also shares how her career experiences brought the conscious need to interrogate the gender gap in management and how it inspired her to venture into mentorship for women and girls to draw attention to opportunities. Millicent shares the gaps in policy, including the need for better workplaces practices and policies addressing succession and pay and benefits management.  Read more on Dr Millicent's work on bringing gender equality on boards on her PhD Thesis: Women on Corporate Boards: Navigating Gender Hurdles to Access Corporate Boards in Kenya.

In this episode, Angaza Awards Finalist Dr Millicent Omukaga, an Advisor-Women Empowerment and Financial Inclusion at African Development Bank Group, talks to Ally Mwakaneno on the importance of highlighting the achievements of women and how to bring to the surface women who are changing industries in the background. Millicent also shares how her career experiences brought the conscious need to interrogate the gender gap in management and how it inspired her to venture into mentorship for women and girls to draw attention to opportunities. Millicent shares the gaps in policy, including the need for better workplaces practices and policies addressing succession and pay and benefits management. Read more on Dr Millicent's work on bringing gender equality on boards on her PhD Thesis: Women on Corporate Boards: Navigating Gender Hurdles to Access Corporate Boards in Kenya.

The President of the African Development Bank Group, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has opined that the restructuring of Nigeria should be driven by economic and financial viability, which he noted are necessary for political viability.Adesina stressed the need to diversify the source of financing for states across Nigeria, noting that Nigerians in Diaspora remitted $24 billion in 2019, which accounted for half of crude oil exports.The AfDB President also called for a better way of supporting states in financing critical infrastructure while charged states to focus on turning their resources into wealth, based on their areas of comparative advantage.Adesina suggested that resources in each state should be managed by the States, while they pay federal taxes and royalties to the Federal Government.

Flooding, droughts, landslides, and cyclones are becoming intense and more frequent. Adaptation offers an alternative solution in addressing these climate change impacts affecting communities, and economies, especially those with limited coping mechanisms and capacity. In this episode, the African Development Bank Group managers Al Hamdou Dorsouma - Climate Adaptation and Green Growth and Gareth Phillips - Climate and Environment Manager, address why adaptation is critical for the continent and how the Adaptation Benefits Mechanism is addressing gaps in raising adaptation climate finance.

Keynote by Donald Kaberuka, Special Envoy of the AU on sustainable Financing for the Union and funding for Peace in Africa, and member of the AU Reform Advisory Committee. Former President of the African Development Bank Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors, at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI) 25 October 2018. The seminar was organised together with the Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) and the Embassy of Rwanda in Sweden.