Two months after a killer earthquake, Morocco hosts another big multilateral meeting

Two months after a devastating earthquake, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI will welcome 1 500 delegates from 80 countries, as the country hosts the Africa Investment Forum.

• Morocco’s King Mohammed VI will host 1 500 delegates from 80 countries.
• The presidents of Togo, Tanzania, Comoros and Sierra Leone are to take part in a public panel discussion.
• The Africa Investment Forum will be the second international gathering after the September earthquake that hit Morocco.

Morocco’s earthquake-hit Marrakech will this week host the Africa Investment Forum (AIF), the second big international meet after the World Bank and International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) joint annual general meetings earlier in October.

On 8 September, Morocco experienced a 6.8-magnitude earthquake, which killed more than 2 800 people and injured thousands.

The earthquake’s epicentre was 70 kilometres south-west of Marrakech, a city popular with international visitors.

Some of Marrakech’s buildings were damaged and others collapsed due to the disaster.

But this didn’t stop the IMF and World Bank from meeting there for a week in October.

With recovery on track, tourists are flocking back to the area.

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Now, another way to boost the city is the AIF, which will run from 8-10 November, under the theme: “Unlocking Africa’s Value Chains”.

According to AIF organisers, 1 500 participants from more than 80 countries will be in Marrakech to discuss the African economy.

The Guepard Group, a consulting firm that is playing a facilitation role at the AIF, said: “This dynamic event will focus on digital disruptors and transformation technology, offering a platform for insightful discussions about the diverse opportunities and challenges faced by the African economy. It is a unique opportunity to delve into the world of pan-African deal making.”

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI will give the keynote speech, after which Dr Akinwumi Adesina, the president of the African Development Bank Group, will speak.

According to the African Development Bank, the AIF is the continent’s premier marketplace that holds investor roundtables to drum up interest in bankable deals in energy, agribusiness, manufacturing and other sectors in which Africa has a comparative advantage. 

One of the highlights of the forum is a presidential panel, which features presidents Samia Suluhu Hassan, of Tanzania, Faure Gnassingbé Eyadéma, of Togo, Azali Assoumani, of Comoros, who is the current African Union chairperson, and Julius Maada Bio, of Sierra Leone.

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Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados, will join the panel from outside the continent.

According to the organisers, the presidential panel will discuss Africa’s potential to play a larger role in global value chains.

The industrialisation and growth of the continent are being driven by technology, agribusiness and industry at this critical juncture in its economic history.

Nonetheless, issues such as a lack of infrastructure investment and geopolitical upheavals in the food industry still exist.

The AIF will also have “market days”, during which governments and investors are expected to negotiate and strike deals.

The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.