Business Council for Africa W&S & SOAS Centre for African Studies presents
AGRIBUSINESS AFRICA:
PLOUGHING AHEAD?
Thursday 6 June 2013 – 10:00-14:00
To register for this event please go to:
Please inform if you have any special dietary requirements
Ticket price, which includes VAT a buffet lunch and refreshments:
BCA/CAS Members: £32
Non- Members: £60
BCA Partners: £45
The Event:
The sub- Saharan region is endowed with substantial potential for the development of agribusiness projects. These not only produce enormous opportunities for those directly involved in the production but offer wide ranging opportunities for business in supporting sectors. BCA West and Southern and the African Business Group at SOAS are delighted to host a joint meeting exploring such potential.
Through case studies the event will explore the difficulties faced in West, Southern and East Africaand most importantly discuss how such challenges were overcome to become profitable enterprises. This event will draw out important factors for consideration going beyond enthusiastic rhetoric to drill down on practicalities invaluable for those considering doing business.
Background:
Sub Saharan Africa currently dependent on considerable food imports has the potential to feed the world. The need for change is enormous primarily due to rapid population growth, so what then are the main factors which inhibit rapid change? Education standards and training in modern practices need to be increased particularly to small scale farmers who should form the backbone of rural agriculture. The land tenure system which prevails over most of the continent means farmers do not own the land,affecting commitment and preventing land being used as collateral for loans needed in modern farming.
Of course there is the attraction of large commercial farmers and specialist agricultural companies with their potential for large scale production and knowledge transfer to rural communities. For this, governments need to set aside blocks of erstwhile traditional land as is currently being done for instance in Zambia. The implication is that investment decisions will be left to investors and the market.Failures in the past have related to inadequate infrastructure, lack of local commitment and skills, distance from markets and production costs. Governments and investors will do well to bear all these factors in mind. Having opened the land tenure door to potential investors they will best leave the main decisions to them.
The Programme:
1000: Registration and networking
1030: Chairman’s welcome
1040: Three case studies of agribusiness in East, West and Southern Africa
1130: Discussion and Q&A
1240: Networking lunch
1400: Disperse
The Speakers:
Chair-Dr Michael Jennings, Chairman of the SOAS Centre for African Studies
Michael has degrees from the University of Oxford and London (SOAS), and has taught and researched at Oxford and the Centre for Development Studies at Swansea University. His research interests include: the politics and history of development processes in sub-Saharan Africa; governance, civil society, non-governmental organisations and faith-based organisations; and social aspects of health in Africa.
Southern Africa- Daniel Hulls, Executive Director,AgDevCo
Daniel is a specialist in finance, economics, and public policy and development. He is a founding Director of Cambridge Economic Policy Associate (CEPA) and until recently was Managing Director. Prior to joining CEPA, Daniel worked for N M Rothschild and HM Treasury. He has extensive experience of the development and delivery of PPPs in Europe; corporate and regulatory finance; and economic evaluation and appraisal - including of development programmes. He has wide range of sector experience including in agriculture, health, telecoms, transport and housing. At CEPA Daniel has lead worked across these sectors with a focus in Europe on regulatory finance and advising clients on major PFI (project finance) transactions. His work in emerging markets has been on agriculture, with clients including the Rockefeller and Gates Foundations, AGRA and DFID; and more recently in global health – with clients including GAVI, WHO and UNITAID.
East Africa- Nigel Harris, CEO, Farm Africa
Nigel has a strong background in finance, relief and development. Before joining Farm Africa, he was Chief of Staff at Save the Children UK. A former Chief Executive of New Philanthropy Capital, he has also worked for Tearfund and the Department for International Development.He spent the earlier part of his career as an investment banker for Schroders.
Nigel will expand on his involvement with the Sidai project. An initiative aiming to transform the value chain through revolutionising the way livestock and veterinary services are offered to farmers in Kenya to create a more sustainable model of livestock service delivery.
West Africa- Chris Okeke, Chairman, Wicklow Limited, Nigeria
Christopher has developed one of sub-Saharan Africa's largest agricultural concerns with a land bank of some 35,000 hectares of titled farmland and cassava and rice processing facilities. He is now leveraging on his forty years experience in farming and agro-processing to establish an agricultural platform company. With integrated global best practice farming and processing operations the aim is to list the company on a reputable international exchange. Whilst now focused on his agribusiness, Christopher previously built up a stellar career as one of Nigeria's leading commercial lawyers and is a distinguished and long-standing member of the Nigerian bar. He founded and acted as Managing Partner of AjumogobiaOkeke, which he helped build into one of Nigeria's leading and most renowned commercial law firms before retiring after 26 years to focus exclusively on his agribusiness interests in December 2009. Christopher continues to act as Honorary Legal Adviser to the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, a position he has held since 1989.
Venue:
Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies,Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London, WC1H 0XG.
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