By Ebere Agozie
The Global Islamic Impact Investment Forum (GIIIF) says its partnership with the Africa Islamic Economic Foundation (AFRIEF) will encourage UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the Continent.
Ms Sophia Innocenti, the Chief Executive Officer of GIIIF disclosed this to newsmen on Monday.
AFRIEF is an independent development organization that provides distinctive Islamic perspectives on economic development and social issues as a solution framework for Africa’s socio-economic development and environmental challenges.
The Global Islamic Impact Investment Forum (GIIIF), is an international peer to peer network dedicated to Islamic impact.
According to Innocenti, ‘ AFRIEF’s work would encompass a range of advisory, research, policy development and field-building activities to unlock the potential of Islamic finance and private capital to drive inclusive economic growth and development in Africa.
“The purpose of the partnership is to open up African Impact Investment opportunities to Islamic economies all over the world and encourage a surge in investing in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on the Continent.
“AFRIEF will leverage on GIIIF’s international experience, network and strength to propel Africa’s rapid economic and social development to boost greater opportunities across the Continent.
“We believe that the two organisations have complementary capabilities and we are very excited at the power of combining these to create a full-service portfolio leveraging a larger pool of international and local talent and expertise.
She said the relationship will create strong synergies both in impact investments and project development in Africa.
“It will help to accelerate AFRIEF’s mission of shifting the prevailing paradigm of economic development in Africa and of the economy as a whole toward a new system that is ethical, place-based, inclusive, collaborative and ecologically sustainable”.
“It will support AFRIEF’s capabilities to actualize its purpose of promoting access to ethical finance, raising awareness of impact investment opportunities, lowering transaction costs, and mitigating the risk of investments that generate positive social, economic and environmental impact”.
She urged the 54 Countries in Africa to provide impact investors with a genuine opportunity to make a difference and contribute to the formation of a new type of ethical economy.
“This must have sustainability embedded at the root and lead to using the SDGs as a roadmap for the future.
“With the next generation of entrepreneurs ready to leap, we at the GIIIF are enthusiastic by what we see and hope our network will be too,” she added.
GIIIF’s first annual event will take place in London September 2022, and will bring together stakeholders from across the Muslim world to address the potential and importance of Impact and Impact investing in the sustainable development of the planet.
