3 mins in Development Finance/ wk 17

My weekly reading list for those interested in development finance and Impact investing focused on developing countries.

IFC and World Bank

• (26.04.22) IFC Supports Business Partners Ltd to Expand Green Building Financing in South Africa | IFC
• (26.04.22) Japanese Life Insurance Companies Purchased World Bank Sustainable Development Bond to Support Holistic Approach to Climate Action | The World Bank
• (27.04.22) World Bank Approves $47 Million Program to Strengthen India’s Public Sector Capability | World Bank
• (27.04.22) IFC’s Support to Expand E-Mobility on Chao Phraya River, Reduce Air Pollution in Bangkok | IFC
• (28.04.22) PUBLICATION: Niger Country Economic Memorandum: Pathways to Sustainable Growth | The World Bank
• (28.04.22) Addressing Chronic Poverty, Ensuring Sustainable Economic Mobility Keys to Achieving Vietnam’s High-income Aspirations, World Bank Report Finds | The World Bank
• (28.04.22) PUBLICATION: 2022 Vietnam Poverty and Equity Assessment Report | the World Bank
• (29.04.22) IFC Invests in Sub-Saharan Africa’s First Gender Bond Listed by Tanzania’s NMB Bank | IFC
• (29.04.22) IFC’s Investment in BDO’s Blue Bond to Help Tackle Marine Pollution in the Philippines, Support Blue Economy | IFC

ADB

• (-.04.22) PUBLICATION: Strengthening Environmental, Social, and Governance Investment under COVID-19 | Asian Development Bank
• (27.04.22) ADB operations reach $22.8b to boost pandemic response, green recovery | Daily Times

AfDB

• (25.04.22) US assures AfDB of support for African Development Fund | Vanguard News
• (25.04.22) African Development Bank Group Chief Garners Strong Global Support for Africa | African Business
• (26.04.22) We-Fi announces new round of funding for women entrepreneurs; $15 million to the Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility to improve access to finance for women-owned small businesses | African Development Bank
• (27.04.22) AfDB to double climate funding by 2025 | The East African
• (27.04.22) VIDEO: International Girls in ICT Day: Coding for Employment’s new digital skills training centres to boost women’s opportunity in information and communication technology fields | African Development Bank

EIB

• (24.04.22) Egypt, EIB discuss cooperation within framework of COP 27 | Daily News Egypt
• (26.04.22) EIB Commits Up to $20 million to Invest in Circulate Capital Ocean Fund I-B to Fight Plastic Pollution and Climate Change, and Advance the Circular Economy in Asia | EIB

EBRD

• (28.04.22) EBRD, CGI partner up to promote greener corporate governance | EBRD

EBRD / DFC / DEG

• (28.04.22) EBRD invests in Scatec green bond | EBRD

AIIB

• (01.05.22) Bangladesh signs $200m loan agreement with AIIB | The Business Standard

BIO

• (29.04.22) SDG Frontier Fund Final Closing | BIO

British International Investment (formerly CDC Group)

• (28.04.22) Expanding online marketplaces across secondary cities – lessons from C?te d’Ivoire - British International Investment
• (29.04.22) GUIDANCE: New guidance for fund managers on the European Commission's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) | British International Investment

DFC

• (25.04.22) I helped defend against China's economic hybrid war. Here's how the US can respond | Atlantic Council

DFC / Finnfund / BII

• (25.04.22) DFIs Pledge to Enhance Collaboration in Support of Infrastructure Development | DFC

FMO Dutch Development Bank

• (28.04.22) Egypt: Fintech companies plan overseas expansion | The Africa Report

FMO Entrepreneurial Development Bank

• (26.04.22) Farmerline secures $6.4 million Pre-Series A investment to help African farmers and agribusinesses make more | FMO
• (28.04.22) Promoting the investment readiness of Local Capital Providers in Africa | FMO

PROPARCO / BII / DEG

• (26.04.22) Telecoms: Backed by Intelsat and Facebook, AMN is building towers across Africa | The Africa Report

BII / DEG / FinDev Canada / CDP / Simest / Proparco / JBIC / JICA / Norfund / Swedfund / BIO / COFIDES / Finnfund / IFU / OeEB / SIFEM / SOFID

• (26.04.22) DFIs Pledge to Enhance Collaboration in Support of Infrastructure Development | Development Finance Institute Canada

IFU

• (28.04.22) AFRICA: IFU invests €4.5 million in Spark+ fund for green cooking | Afrik 21

Norfund / Finnfund

• (25.04.22) IVORY COAST: $20 million for sustainable cashew processing | Afrik 21

UN

• (25.04.22) Development financing crucial to get global economy back on track | UN News
• (29.04.22) UNDP Chief: Amid geopolitical paralysis, financing is acute challenge | Devex

Misc Content in Development Finance

• (25.04.22) Mobile money, vehicle for driving financial inclusion – Adenuga | Punch Newspapers
• (26.04.22) 20 of Africa’s finest start-ups to pitch at AfricArena summit | Ventureburn
• (27.04.22) Impact investing is driving real economic returns and positive change | The CEO Magazine
• (27.04.22) BOOK: Reclaiming Development: Pathways for Public Development Finance in the Indo-Pacific | ORF
• (27.04.22) How rising cyberattacks threaten Africa’s financial inclusion | Businessday
• (28.04.22) Opinion: This is the moment to reset our multilateral institutions | Devex
• (28.04.22) Investments into East African startups fall by 50pc as Nigeria shines | The East African
• (28.04.22) AVCA conference: ‘Private capital in Africa at a crossroads’ | Ventureburn
• (28.04.22) Investments into East African startups fall by 50% as Nigeria shines | Zawya
• (28.04.22) Harvard Team Wins Second Place in MIINT Impact Investing Competition - MBA | Harvard Business School
• (01.05.22) Digital rural banking key to financial inclusion | The Manila Times

Misc Technology

• (24.04.22) Fintech Roundup: Founders reinventing, startups buying and round sizes growing | TechCrunch
• (25.04.22) Nigerian Fintech Startup Afriex Raises $10 Million For Its Blockchain Money Transfer Platform | Forbes
• (26.04.22) Nigeria: FinTech 2022 | Mondaq
• (26.04.22) Earth Friendly: Can A Fintech App Enable Retail Investors To Combine Returns With Impact? | Forbes
• (26.04.22) Ghanaian agtech Farmerline to use new funding to strengthen its infrastructure, help farmers create wealth | TechCrunch
• (27.04.22) This Year, The Global Fintech Sector Is Expected To Be Valued At US$310 Billion | FinExtra
• (27.04.22) Apple and Google join fintech in setting “new standards" in banking customer experience, says report | AltFi
• (28.04.22) Digitizing rural banking key to ensuring financial inclusion | TechWire
• (29.04.22) Fintech financing group finances over 20 million customers | TechWire
• (29.04.22) Boost for investment skills of local capital providers in Africa | Ventureburn
• (29.04.22) FinTech should focus on inclusion, access, and strengthening the ecosystem: ETILC | The Economic Times

Misc Gender

• (26.04.22) Future Returns: Women Are the New Face of Wealth and Investing | Barron's
• (27.04.22) VIDEO: Three ways to fix the crypto VC gender gap | VentureBeat
• (29.04.22) VIDEO: Gender Lens Investing As A Strategy To Boost Investment | YouTube

Misc Sustainability

• (24.04.22) Sustainable Munis for Stronger Communities: Impact Report | ETF Trends
• (25.04.22) Developing the ‘S’ and ‘G’ in ESG Investing | Triple Pundit
• (25.04.22) ‘Massive shortfall’ in green financing for region's emerging markets: Asean chair Cambodia | Eco-Business
• (26.04.22) How to invest sustainably – and finish in the green | Financial Review
• (26.04.22) Norway to become member of International Solar Alliance | ANI
• (28.04.22) Yes, Sustainability Is Important to Investors | Morningstar
• (29.04.22) PODCAST: Why Climate Literacy is Critical to Green Investing | Investopedia
• (01.05.22) How financial inclusion can help achieve sustainable development goals in Africa - An outlook at MSMEs | Pulse Nigeria

Subscription Required

• (24.04.22) A Large Investor’s View of the Role of Sustainability | Wall Street Journal
• (27.04.22) All the ESG Investing Terms, Explained | Wall Street Journal
• (27.04.22) As the ‘Greenest’ Stocks Rise in Price, Some ESG Fund Managers Look Elsewhere | Wall Street Journal
• (28.04.22) Indian recycling firm Polygenta scores $32.5m loan from DEG, IFU | Deal Street Asia
• (30.04.22) World bank needs to change, but not the way US wants | Times of India

Upcoming Webinars

• May 10, 2002: The Future of Marine Fisheries in the African Blue Economy: Challenges and opportunities | African Development Bank
• May 20, 2022; REGISTRATION: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin E. Diokno on the Macroeconomy, Fintech, and Sustainable Recovery Amid New Uncertainties | Asian Development Bank
• 2022: Social enterprise and impact investing events in 2022 | The Social Enterprise Magazine | Pioneers Post
• November 9-11, 2022: FinTech LIVE 2022

Upcoming Conferences

• May 23-27. 2022, 2022 Annual Meetings from in Accra, Ghana | African Development Bank
• June 21-24 , 2022, Brussels: Africa Energy Forum 2022 - Africa for Africa: Building Energy in the Just Transition

If you have suggestions for articles that should be featured in future lists, please drop me a note and follow me on LinkedIn.