Takeaways from the AfDB Business Opportunities Seminar

ABIDJAN — The African Development Bank’s semi-annual Business Opportunities Seminar brought together contractors, consultants, manufacturers, and suppliers last week to meet with sector specialists, hear about the bank’s strategic direction, and learn more about various financial products available. This year’s first BOS included discussions with leaders representing procurement-related departments, including co-financing and client solutions, acquisition and integrity, and anti-corruption. This follows the previous October 2017 meeting in Kenya that focused on the bank’s structural decentralization and key priorities under its current 10-year “High 5” development agenda. Other presentations included the AfDB’s current lending program and emerging initiatives and opportunities for Africa-based vendors, suppliers, and technical consultants to participate in the AfDB’s plans to transform the continent. “The bank promotes trade and investments in Africa to enable the private sector to be better developed at the continental level, and for a transfer of technology,” Benjamin Asare, a consultant to the bank’s co-financing department, told the audience. However, he alluded to a plethora of challenges facing the private sector, including an absence of information on investment opportunities, low competitiveness of African economies, and limited regional integration in some parts on the continent. The continent currently receives less than 5 percent of the world’s foreign direct investment. The World Investment Report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimated that $59 billion, or 3.3 percent of global FDI in 2016, went to Africa. In comparison, Asia attracted 25.3 percent of all investments. “To reduce the gap, Africa has to come together — individual [countries] cannot compete meaningfully for the continent,” explained Dr. Gabriel Mougani, AfDB’s chief regional integration economist, during the meeting. “Countries taken individually will not be able to withstand competition from other parts of the world.” Here are three key takeaways from the seminar: 1. The AfDB approach to regional integration Regional integration efforts at the AfDB are influenced by a list of continental, regional, and national priorities adopted by the African Union Agenda 2063 framework. Developing transport corridors and logistics services, an AfDB priority, largely complements the regional integration, infrastructure, and trade pillar of the African Union’s implementing agency, NEPAD. As a founding partner of the continent’s Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa, AfDB acts as the executing agency for projects such as the ongoing Lagos-Abidjan construction, which is expected to increase regional connectivity, trade, and employment. The AfDB will continue its focus on infrastructure connectivity, Mougani explained. This includes hard infrastructure, such as roads and fiber optic connections, and “soft infrastructure,” such as a more enabling business environment for investors. An emphasis on digitizing economies using increased fiber optic connectivity and reliable energy supplies, along with financial integration and industrialization, were among the bank’s priority sectors. 2. Opportunities for the private sector AfDB supports two main categories of private sector activities: non-sovereign guaranteed lending in industries, services, and infrastructure, and non-lending activities, including studies and initiatives. Private sector interventions can come from contractors, consultants, joint ventures, or suppliers. To encourage private sector participation, AfDB governance officer Carina Sugden urged countries to improve outside access to profitable markets and add value to its raw material production. “One way to do this is by assisting developing local micro and small enterprises to help overcome those constraints like poor market access,” he said. He also noted the importance of countries improving overall market structures and business climates to support enterprise in a way that create jobs and establishes business relationships among local and international companies. Specific health and nutrition pipeline and business opportunities were also highlighted: ICTs to modernize health services delivery, production, and marketing of nutritious foods, improving health access/health systems, and pharmaceuticals. 3. Characteristics of winning contract bids, as told by the AfDB Chief Procurement Officer Ashraf Ayad told BOS attendees that when bidding for contracts, it’s best to “know your strengths, target your sector and country.” He also encouraged interested bidders to engage with the bank early, which some attendees pointed out can be difficult. “Sometimes when tenders go live on the site, even if I’ve been keeping an eye out, it’s still often too late,” one attendee, Florian da Silva, told Devex. He referred to one instance when a tender was posted with a deadline in four days. Ayad recommended identifying bank projects under preparation and trying to gauge which sectors are most likely to have future opportunities. He also suggested studying national markets, establishing partnerships with national-level firms, and remaining aware of any conflicts of interest. “During the bidding period, seek clarifications from the contracting agency as necessary, and avoid underbidding,” he advised. The next AfDB Business Opportunity Seminar will be held on the sidelines of the inaugural Africa Investment Forum in Johannesburg this November, AfDB tells Devex. For more of our coverage of the AfDB, check out our series on AfDB contractor insights and our latest coverage following our webinar on “How to work with the African Development Bank.”