Development Finance Institutions in Africa: Shaping Future Research Directions

Time: 13:00-15:00 (UK Time), Wednesday, 9 February 2022
Chair: Professor Victor Murinde, SOAS University of London
Online venue: Click here to join the seminar on Microsoft Teams (For any inquiry about how to join the online seminar, please contact Dr. Meng Xie: xm1@soas.ac.uk

Abstract
This seminar will discuss future research on development finance institutions (DFIs) in Africa and map out a practical exciting agenda for researchers and DFI officials interested in DFIs, primarily to generate new evidence to shape public policy and private practice going forward.

Research on DFIs (focusing on those targeting the private sector) has picked up over the last two decades and especially over the last five years after the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We have begun to understand much better how DFIs link with global SDGs. DFIs themselves have also changed, but a constant trend is the enhanced policy interest in supporting development through investing in private sector firms.

We would like to know more about how DFIs have evolved over time in terms of scope, sectors, themes, instruments, business models, profitability, geographies, private capital mobilisation and development impact in Africa. What evolution has so far happened and what is likely in the future? What evolution is desirable and why? What do DFIs do well, which partners can they work best with, and how, and what are the anticipated challenges and opportunities?

Professor Dirk Willem te Velde will outline some initial reflections, based on his ongoing research paper, which will be followed by experts from various DFIs, the African Development Bank and university researchers. 

Professor of Practice

Professor Dirk Willem te Velde joined CGF as Professor of Practice in 2021. He is a Principal Research Fellow and Director for International Economic Development at ODI. He directs the Supporting Investment and Trade in Africa (SITA) and Supporting Economic Transformation (SET) Programmes and is Research Leader in the FCDO – ESRC Growth Research Programme. He has written and edited 20 books/monographs, 30 peer reviewed articles and 40 book chapters, related mainly to investment, trade and economic transformation. His research has featured in the BBC, China Daily, The Economist, the Financial Times, the Guardian, Asian and African newspapers and TV, with hundreds of media hits. In terms of pathways to research impact, he has advised donor agencies (incl. FCDO, SIDA, and Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs), both houses of UK parliament (including as a specialist advisor to development finance inquiries) and government ministers ranging from Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia to Bangladesh and Nepal, and multilateral bodies (incl. IFIs and UN agencies). He is a member of the UK Government Strategic Trade Advisory Group (advising the Secretary of State and Trade minister) and leads a Bangladesh trade capacity building project. He holds a degree from the University of Groningen and a PhD in economics from Birkbeck, University of London.