Paris Fashion Week:Roberta Annan Launches €100M Impact Fund To Invest in Africa’s Creative Industries

 PRESS RELEASE

At Paris Fashion Week, Ghanaian entrepreneur Roberta Annan launches €100 m Impact Fund to invest in Africa’s creative industries

The Impact Fund for African Creatives (IFFAC), will award grants of up to €50,000 to selected projects to accelerate development of the continent’s creative sector

PARIS, France, October 7, 2021/ -- Ghanaian businesswoman and entrepreneur Roberta Annan earlier this week launched a €100 million fund to channel investment into small and medium African creative and fashion enterprises. The Impact Fund for African Creatives (https://bit.ly/3BpJS1h) (IFFAC), will award grants of up to €50,000 to selected projects to accelerate development of the continent’s creative sector.

The fund was launched at a ceremony held on Monday 4 October, 2021, during Paris Fashion week, and was attended by fashion industry experts.  Chinelo Anohu, Senior Director of the Africa Investment Forum also attended. The African Investment Forum, a flagship initiative of the African Development Bank, aims to channel investment into Africa.

Annan, who also founded the African Fashion Foundation, said that, in addition to grants, IFFAC will make a further €250,000- €2 million in venture capital available to African entrepreneurs who complete its skills-building program. “I have encountered so much incredible talent all over the continent, such originality and innovation,” said Annan. “But I have also noticed a lack of management skills, infrastructure, and start-up capital necessary to scale these creative businesses. This is the motivation behind IFFAC.”

Anohu said the Africa Investment Forum has been in talks with IFFAC as it curates projects that will feature at its upcoming AIF 2021 Market Days to be held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, from December 1-3.

“I applaud IFFAC for its plans to bring early-stage capital deployment, along with a structured program of training and mentorship to artists and entrepreneurs like Nigerian designer Kenneth Ize,” said Anohu. “For all those investors in this room, who believe, like I do, in the potential for commercializing the exports of Africa’s creative genius, I invite you to contact the Africa Investment Forum.”

Ize, a beneficiary of the Impact Fund program, also attended the launch, after last week becoming the first African to open Paris Fashion Week.

Africa’s creative industry is an increasingly important part of the investment mix for the future of the African economy;  The Forum’s 2021 Market Days will showcase creative and cultural-sector deals from around the continent, including in film and television, as well as women-led projects, among other sectors.

While in Paris, Anohu also met European investors, including institutional investors, that are actively interested in Africa’s creative industry, as well as other key priority sectors under the Forum’s Unified Covid-19 response pillars (https://bit.ly/2YusiKP). These sectors include technology, renewable energy and agro processing.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

Media contact:

Olufemi Terry

Communication and External Relations Department

African Development Bank

email: o.terry@afdb.org

About the Africa Investment Forum:

The Africa Investment Forum is a multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary platform that advances private and public-private-partnership projects to bankability, raises capital, and accelerates deals to financial closure. A flagship initiative of the African Development Bank, the Forum was launched in 2018 with seven other founding partners: Africa 50; the Africa Finance Corporation; the African Export-Import Bank; the Development Bank of Southern Africa; the Trade and Development Bank; the European Investment Bank; and the Islamic Development Bank.

SOURCE

African Development Bank Group (AfDB)

Innovative Thinkers From Across the Globe Awarded Grants

Philips Livable Cities Award: Left to right: Harry Hendriks, CEO of Philips Electronics, Sabrina Faber, Overall Winner and Richard Florida, Chair of Supervisory Panel.


28 Apr 2011 11:19 Africa/Lagos

Innovative Thinkers From Across the Globe Awarded Grants to Address Significant Challenges Faced by City Living

AMSTERDAM, April 28, 2011/PRNewswire/ --

- Philips Awards EUR125,000 to Help Make Cities More Livable

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) has today announced the winners of the Philips Livable Cities Award, a global initiative designed to generate innovative, meaningful and achievable ideas to improve the health and well-being of city-dwellers across the world.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110428/452767 )

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20110428/452767-b )

The overall winner of the Award, announced at a gala ceremony held at the world famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, was named as Sabrina Faber from Sana'a, Yemen, for her idea 'Rainwater Aggregation in Sana'a'.

Sabrina's idea was praised by the supervisory panel for its unique approach to modifying existing structures in Sana'a to capture, filter and store rooftop rainwater. Through her scheme, Sabrina hopes to help solve the water shortages commonly experienced in the city during dry spells, whilst providing clean drinking water. This could potentially result in significant health benefits for the whole population.

Sabrina will receive a EUR75,000 grant from Philips to enable her to realize her vision.

Richard Florida, Professor, Author and Chair of the Philips Livable Cities Award supervisory panel, commented: "What really impressed us with Sabrina's scheme was the proposed execution of a relatively simple concept that will have such a significant impact on the lives of so many people across the city of Sana'a. We're looking forward to seeing her idea come to life and improving the health and well-being of the residents of Sana'a."

Two additional winners will each receive EUR25,000 for their practical, implementable ideas.



Manuel Rapoport, from Buenos Aires, Argentina was recognized for his 'Plaza Movil Street Park' idea. This would see Buenos Aires' streets temporarily closed to traffic during weekends and public holidays and portable playground equipment and benches used to convert them into recreational spaces for people of all ages.

James Kityo of Kampala, Uganda, will use his grant to develop his Shade Stands project. Waiting for transport under hot sun, or in torrential rain with no shelter is a situation that the people of Kampala know only too well. The Shade Stands will provide vital protection in particular for nursing mothers and babies, and the elderly.

Other finalists come from Argentina, Kenya, Nigeria, the UK and the USA, representing a truly global picture of the solutions offered to city-dwellers across the world.

All eight finalists and their ideas for providing unique and original solutions were showcased and celebrated at the Award ceremony in Amsterdam. The event was attended by leading experts, dignitaries, and government officials from the Benelux region.

"We recognize the tremendous effort invested by both the winners of the Philips Livable Cities Award and the other finalists in developing their submissions. Philips is proud to be associated with the imagination and vision they have all displayed and offer our congratulations and thanks in the 2010-2011 Award's first year," said Katy Hartley, Director of the Philips Center for Health & Well-being and member of the Philips Livable Cities Award supervisory panel."

For 2011-2012 Philips is committed to building on the program's strengths to further recognize meaningful innovations which make a real difference to people's lives.

The winners will work with Philips and program mentors to help realize their ideas in their local communities.

Further Information:

More information about the winning entries and the progress of each project can be found by visiting http://www.because.philips.com/.

Information regarding The Philips Livable Cities Award is widely available in the social media space. For more information and updates on the initiative, including video coverage, interviews and live updates, please use the following resources:

- Social Media Release: http://bit.ly/fXpzhP

- Twitter: http://bit.ly/Livable-Cities-Twitter

- YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/livablecities

- Facebook: http://on.fb.me/Philips-Facebook

- Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3159466

Notes to Editors:

About Philips Livable Cities Award

- The Philips Livable Cities Award is a global initiative designed to encourage people to develop practical, achievable ideas for improving the health and well-being of people in cities - ideas which can be translated into reality.

- The Award was open to individuals, community groups, NGOs and businesses.

- More than 450 ideas from 29 countries were entered into the competition.

- Entries are grouped into three categories, exploring how best to improve health and well-being in our cities:

- Well-being Outdoors: Initiatives that will help make citizens feel safe and secure in public spaces, or help create city identity and foster a sense of belonging;

- Independent Living: Initiatives that will help the growing number of elderly people living alone to feel secure and comfortable in a city, and/or enable them to live longer at home with the appropriate access to healthcare;

- Healthy Lifestyle at Work and Home: Initiatives that will support a healthy body and mind, whether through a person's surroundings or other essentials such as exercise, sleep and diet.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of "sense and simplicity". Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs about 117,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 22.3 billion in 2010, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at http://www.philips.com/newscenter.

Source: Philips

For further information, please contact: Marie-Helene Azar, Philips Corporate Communications Officer, Tel: +31(0)20-59-77426, Email: marie.helene.azar@philips.com

MacArthur Foundation Grants $7.6 Million To 9 Universities in 7 Countries

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; CONTACT: Amy Martin, 202-745-5118

MACARTHUR TO SUPPORT MASTER’S PROGRAMS AROUND THE WORLD OFFERING PROFESSIONAL TRAINING FOR FUTURE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT LEADERS



Chicago, IL, June 30, 2009 – Supporting rigorous professional training for future leaders in the field of sustainable development, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced today grants totaling $7.6 million to nine universities in seven countries to establish new Master’s in Development Practice (MDP) programs.



The Foundation has committed $15 million to seed the creation of such programs at up to 15 universities worldwide over the next three years. With MacArthur support, Columbia University is creating the first MDP Program, which will launch this fall.



MDP programs are designed to provide graduate students with training beyond the typical focus on classroom study of economics and management found in most development studies. The program’s core curriculum combines classroom study in a range of disciplines, including agriculture, policy, health, engineering, management, environmental science, education, and nutrition with field training experiences.



“Through our work around the globe, we at MacArthur understand that poverty, population, health, conservation, and human rights are all interconnected, requiring sustained and comprehensive interventions,” said Foundation President Jonathan Fanton. “These new programs are a model for training the next generation of these critically needed professionals.”



A Global Master’s in Development Practice Secretariat, supported by MacArthur and based at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, will help manage the MDP network of universities, develop an open-source repository for the MDP curriculum and other teaching materials, and will offer an online, Global Classroom on sustainable development for students worldwide.



The universities that will receive funding to establish the nine MDP programs are:



· Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia) will emphasize the health and governance-related aspects of sustainable development through its work with partners that include the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CARE and the Carter Center.



· The Energy Resources Institute University (New Delhi, India) will emphasize energy and climate sciences, building on its contributions to scientific and policy research in energy, environment, and sustainable development.



· James Cook University (Cairns and Townsville, Australia) will offer coursework at its two campuses and field training in the Philippines and Indonesia, focusing on the challenges to sustainable development and governance in tropical island nations in Southeast Asia and the Pacific.



· Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland) will integrate their teaching in international development and also partner with the National University of Rwanda to offer field training and coursework in conservation and sustainable development.



· Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) will build on its English-language degrees and Master’s programs in international development and public administration to focus on development models for China.



· University of Cheikh Anta Diop (Dakar, Senegal) will focus on current development challenges facing Africa by integrating health, social and natural sciences, engineering, information technology, and management. It will also serve as a MDP program hub for French-speaking West African nations.



· University of Botswana (Gaborone, Botswana) will create a modular program designed for working professionals. Rigorous independent study will be complemented by two to three weeks of on campus training each semester. University of Botswana will partner with University of Florida to offer field training experiences in Botswana.



· University of Florida (Gainesville, Fla.) will implement a program that includes the core curriculum, building on University of Florida’s expertise in conservation and sustainable development, especially in Latin America. The program also incorporates faculty and student exchanges and a field-training program in Botswana, in partnership with University of Botswana.



· University of Ibadan (Ibadan, Nigeria) will build on existing graduate programs in health, science, and natural resources with the long-term goal of creating a Centre for Development Studies. It will also serve as a MDP program hub for English-speaking West African nations.



The universities are expected to produce 250 graduates with a Master’s in Development Practice degree by 2012, with a total of 750 students enrolled. They were selected based on five criteria, including support from top university leadership, excellent infrastructure and academic programs, and the ability to serve as regional hub; geographic representation among students and exceptional faculty across the four core competencies of the natural, health, and social sciences and management; and a timeline and business plan for financial sustainability when funding ends in three years. In 2010, MacArthur will fund up to five additional universities to create additional MDP programs.



The creation of the Master’s in Development Practice Program was a key recommendation of the International Commission on Education for Sustainable Development Practice, whose report was released in October 2008. Established in 2007, the year-long Commission was co-chaired by John McArthur, Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Promise, and Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and comprised of 20 top thinkers in the field of sustainable development from around the world.



The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is changing children and society. More information is available at www.macfound.org.



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Amy Martin

Managing Supervisor

GYMR Public Relations, LLC

1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Ste. 300

Washington, DC 20009

P: (202) 745-5118

amartin@gymr.com