Development Bank Ghana (DBG) has participated in the Global 2022 CEO Forum of African Development Finance Institutions organised by the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) in collaboration with the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA).
The event was held in Gaborone, Botswana, under the theme “Building partnerships for resource mobilisation in financing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”.
The CEO Forum, held between November 23 and 25, 2022, is an annual event on the calendar of the AADFI, that provides a platform for Chief Executive Officers and C-suite executives of African Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) to gather with key stakeholders and partners to discuss issues that impinge on African DFIs’ operations and to generate innovative ideas on the way forward.
A statement issued by the DBG in Accra on Friday said the discussions focused on building a better partnership between the national DFIs and development partners, and how these institutions could be repositioned in the resource mobilisation equation to ensure impact.
This year, the conference according to the statement focused on improving the operating conditions of African DFIs for the recovery of members’ economies from the pandemic, and other global challenges. It also focused on speeding up the process of attaining the SDGs and Paris Agreement on the African continent.
However, lack of adequate resources as agreed by all stakeholders remains a major constraint.
Development Bank Ghana (DBG) was represented by Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Mr Michael Mensah-Baah.
He also took part in the panel discussion on the theme: “African DFIs capabilities and the quest for relevance in achieving the 2030 SDGs agenda on the continent”.
The discussion focused on the importance of national DFIs and their place in grassroots development. It also focused on whether there could be a better partnership between national DFIs, MDBs, and Regional DFIs.
Mr Mensah-Baah re-emphasized DBG’s commitment to support Ghana in achieving the SDGs by 2030.
He explained that National DFIs have a critical role to play in achieving the specific goals under the SDGs however, the first step in achieving this is to cultivate a strong governance culture.
He also reiterated the need for de-risking and collaborating with government agencies on developmental policies, providing technical assistance, driving product innovation including Partial Credit Guarantees and Equity funding by DFIs.
In addition, Mr Mensah-Baah stated that, “digitisation is vital to achieving development and a successful implementation of the SDG goals at the scale and urgency it requires.”
BY TIMES REPORTER
