AfDB appoints Yacine Fal as new special representative for the Africa Investment Forum

Joy Agwunobi 

Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group, has appointed Yacine Fal as his special representative to the Africa Investment Forum (AIF), effective December 15, 2023.

As special representative to the AIF, Fal will focus on strengthening strategic partnerships with the AIF founding partners, engaging new partners, and supporting the president in outreach activities. She will directly report to Adesina and work closely with Chinelo Anohu, the senior director of the AIF and the AIF coordination group.  Fal will also provide strategic advice, coordinate and collaborate with various partners, build strategic alliances, and report on the progress of the AIF.

Fal’s responsibilities as special representative will include providing advisory services, coordinating and collaborating with various partners, building strategic alliances, and reporting and evaluating the progress of the AIF.

The AIF was launched in 2018 by a coalition of African development finance institutions and multilateral development banks, including the African Development Bank Group, the Africa Finance Corporation, the Development Bank of Southern Africa, Afreximbank, the European Investment Bank, Africa50, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Trade and Development Bank. These partners came together with the shared goal of closing Africa’s infrastructure investment gap.

Upon her appointment, Fal expressed her gratitude and excitement to serve as the special representative for the AIF. She acknowledged that her extensive experience and familiarity with the African Development Bank and its partners would be instrumental in furthering the success of the AIF and its impact on the African continent. 

Adesina stated that Fal’s appointment will contribute to the expansion of the AIF’s partnerships with other multilateral development banks, which will facilitate increased global, national, and regional coordination, as well as the forum’s overall effectiveness and impact. He noted that Fal’s extensive experience and expertise would be invaluable in achieving these goals. 

The AfDB president stated that as the bank works to broaden the AIF’s partnerships to include other multilateral development banks, it is essential to strengthen global, national, and regional partnerships and improve overall coordination, delivery, effectiveness, and impact. He highlighted that this would be crucial in achieving the bank’s goal of mobilizing greater private sector financing for Africa. 

“As Special Representative of the President of the Africa Investment Forum, Fal will play a strategic role in this effort given her extensive knowledge of the African Development Bank Group, the multilateral development banks, private sector, project finance and project management,” Adesina said.