Rebranding Africa Forum

5-6 October 2018. Ouagadougou. The Rebranding Africa Forum. For the past four years, the consecutive editions of the Rebranding Africa Forum (RAF) have methodically embraced the theoretical scope of African emergence, and catalyzed synergies and initiatives towards this achievement, considering the challenges ahead.

The theme of this 5th edition was: “Challenges and opportunities of the green economy in Africa”.

• The green economy is actually defined as “an economy that produces human well-being and ensures social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities” (UNEP, 2011). 
• Thus it’s dual dimensional, one of them being regulatory and related to environmental constraints, and the other economical and bearing on the opportunities for profit and investment of new eco-activities. The bet of growth driven by green business therefore lies in the articulation of these two dimensions. 
• However, this equation will be less focused on creating sufficient green economic opportunities to offset losses from environmental constraints. It will be more about transforming these constraints themselves into multiple opportunities, sustainably exploiting natural capital and thus growth, innovate and create new green technologies, efficient and more profitable, new eco-jobs, labor-intensive, creators of wealth and inclusive well-being professions.

PANEL 1 - Green economy in Africa: state of play, issues and challenges

• Mr. Nestor Batio Bassière, Minister of the Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change, Burkina Faso
• Mr. Abdoulaye Diop, Special Advisor, African Capacity Building Foundation
• Mr. Tosi Mpanu Mpanu, Director, « Fonds Vert Climat »
• Mr. Alain Coefé, Economist, Burkina Faso

PANEL 2 - Financing the ecological transition in Africa: modalities and perspectives

• Mrs. Rosine Sori Coulibaly, Minister of Finance, Burkina Faso
• Mr. Jean Pierre Ndoutoum, Director of the Francophonie l’Institut for a sustainable development
• Mrs. Serge N’guessan, Deputy Director-General, for West Africa, of the African Development Bank
• Mr. Adama Sanfo, General Director, Wendkuni Bank, Burkina Faso
• Mrs. Aissata Diakité, CEO Zabbaan Holding

PANEL 3 - Investing in Ecological Economy in Africa: Opportunities and Key Sectors

• Mr. Vincent Le Guennou, Managing Director Emergency Capital Partners (ECP)
• Mrs. Jane Nyakang’o, Managing Director, National Cleaner Production Center, Kenya
• Mr. Youssef Travaly, Vice-President Next Einstein Forum
• Mr. Lamine Ouédraogo, General Director of Green Economy and Climate Change, Burkina Faso
• Mr. Adama Soro, Country Manager Endeavour Mining Burkina