Wednesday, April 9, 2025
Exploring Portfolio Investment Opportunities in the WAEMU Region
Programme
Roundtables
Venue: Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Pauls, 10 Godliman Street, EC4V 5AJ London
09:00 - 11:00
Roundtable: Exploring Green Finance Opportunities in the WAEMU Region
Africa is front and centre in this discussion about green finance. How can Africa’s assets help the world manage climate change? Can large-scale solar and wind power development, protection of tropical rain forests, innovation in agriculture and strong leadership in the climate arena create new opportunities for investors? This roundtable will spark lively discussions on these topics.
09:00 - 09:30
Introduction & Overview: The State of Green Finance in BRVM/WAEMU & UK-Africa Cooperation
- Presentations
09:30 - 11:00
Roundtable Discussion: Strengthening UK-Africa Green Finance Collaboration
Objectives
- Current Landscape of Green Finance in Africa and the WAEMU Region
- Key drivers of green finance in Africa
- Role of financial institutions, development banks, and private sector investment
- Opportunities for UK-WAEMU Green Finance Cooperation
- The UK’s position as a leader in sustainable finance and climate investment
- Opportunities for knowledge-sharing, technology transfer, and policy alignment
11:00
Closing Remarks & Next Steps
- Summary of key takeaways from the discussion
- Actionable steps to strengthen UK-Africa collaboration on green finance
- Proposed follow-up engagements, working groups, or investment initiatives
15:00 - 17:00
Roundtable: Enhancing UK-WAEMU Cooperation for the Development of Islamic Finance
Islamic Finance is an increasingly important source of funding in African markets. Major pools of capital operate under a strict set of laws, bringing ethical investing to a new level of importance. What is Islamic Finance? How do these funding institutions operate in Africa and what types of investments do they seek? This roundtable will provide background and education for those new to Islamic Finance, while seeking new ways for the U.K. and the WAEMU to collaborate in expanding the impact of this source of funding.
15:00 - 15:30
Introduction & Overview: The State of Islamic Finance in WAEMU
- Presentations
15:30 - 17:00
Discussion: Strengthening UK-WAEMU Cooperation in Islamic Finance
Objectives
- Growth of Islamic finance and development of the related ecosystem in WAEMU
- UK-WAEMU cooperation potential
- Enhancing market confidence & liquidity management
- Capacity building and knowledge transfer
17:00
Closing Remarks & Next Steps
- Summary of key takeaways from the discussion
- Suggested follow-up actions to enhance UK-WAEMU collaboration