Andrew Mack

Come to Accra next week for ICED's Evidence 2 Action conference on evaluation and policy research to address climate change, including one-day training on effect size calculation and meta-analysis delivered by moi.

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The day after the G20 Brasil 2024 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the next G20 chair South Africa will host a conference on public finance in the digital era, to debate among other things how Ministries of Finance in Africa may want South Africa’s #G20 Presidency to shape the digital public infrastructure #DPI agenda in 2025. https://lnkd.in/eUB78Kiw CABRI - Collaborative Africa Budget Reform Initiative Cathal Long

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Our latest Aceli Africa learning brief shares data from $200M in Aceli-supported loans to #agriSMEs in #EastAfrica as well as insights from our partnership with Value For Women Ltd. to promote more gender inclusive lending practices. Some highlights: Women-owned businesses still struggle to access finance, but lenders are increasingly motivated to serve them; for example, one Kenyan bank launched a dedicated loan product and scaled up its loans to #womenowned agri-SMEs from three in 2021 to 54 as of mid-2024. Women's ownership does not necessarily correlate with employing more women or purchasing a larger share of produce from women #farmers; in fact, we found that about half of men-owned agri-SMEs meet the 2X Global international standard for gender inclusion and these businesses engage slightly higher percentages of women workers and farmers than their women-owned counterparts. Demand from lenders for capacity building to support their #genderinclusion strategies has doubled in the past year. Commercial banks are leading this market pull – an indication that gender lens investing is moving from niche to mainstream. These trends are encouraging, but sustained interventions are needed to ensure #genderlensinvesting is not a passing fad. Additionally, much more evidence is required to go beyond output metrics (i.e., “counting women”) and address issues such as the quality of working conditions for employees and services offered to farmers. Kudos to Eddah Makinia Nangole for leading Aceli's gender inclusion strategy and thanks to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting this work.  Read the full brief for more insights: https://lnkd.in/eini4j3g.

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Good read

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The Global Fund Board meeting made decisions on many important issues for us to be more targeted to further increase the effectiveness of our work. It was an excellent board with a great sense of unity. Key words I heard repeatedly were innovation (e.g., to revolutionize HIV prevention), integration and sustainability. More work to be done to define priorities and approaches to accelerate these critical themes for the next grant cycle, and for the future of the Fund and fight against HIV, TB and malaria.

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Historic (nearly $3 billion!) U.S. investment in Africa! I’m proud to share that the Export-Import Bank of the United States joined President Biden on a transformative visit to Angola last week, reinforcing the deepening U.S.-Angola relationship and advancing EXIM’s role in supporting America's global economic goals. Key Highlights: - $2.9B in EXIM financing for energy, infrastructure, and telecom projects in Angola - Largest U.S. solar investment in Africa, driving clean energy leadership. - Over 1,300 American jobs created - Leadership in the Lobito Trans-Africa Corridor Summit, boosting regional development EXIM’s efforts align with Power Africa and Prosper Africa, fostering sustainable growth, American job creation, and global competitiveness. Together, we’re building a future of opportunity for both the U.S. and Africa. #EXIM #Africa #GlobalTrade #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #Infrastructure #EconomicGrowth

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@Small Foundation has launched its 2023 Impact Report, featuring short videos of several partners discussing how the MSME investment landscape in sub-Saharan Africa has evolved over the years, and how together they are addressing gaps and scaling innovations. View at: https://lnkd.in/ehV9CRuv #SFImpactReport

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🌍 Day 4 #CSOInvestmentForumUganda: The Entebbe Declaration 📢 On the final day of the Civil Society Forum in Entebbe, Uganda, African and European CSOs unveiled the historic Entebbe Declaration - a powerful call to action for global investment frameworks that truly serve people and the planet. 🌱✨ Together, we demand transformative change to put human rights, gender and climate justice, sustainable development, and environmental protection above profit-driven exploitation. 🌟 Why Now? In the face of compounding crises - climate emergencies, soaring debt, economic inequality, and global governance failures #COP29 - we must act decisively. The current investment regime entrenches extractivism, economic dependency, and environmental destruction, hindering Africa and the Global South from achieving inclusive and sustainable development. 🌍 What the Entebbe Declaration Represents: - A bold vision from civil society to replace exploitative systems with fair, green, and accountable investment policies. - A clear demand to align investments with the needs of local economies, the goals of climate action, and sustainable development. - A roadmap for rebuilding trust, where policies center on justice, inclusion, and resilience. The Entebbe Declaration is more than a statement, it’s a movement for change led by African voices for a sustainable and just future. 💪 📄 The Declaration will be published soon, stay tuned for updates! 👀 SEATINI UGANDA SOMO Both ENDS ActionAid Nederland #EntebbeDeclaration #Investment #ClimateJustice #HumanRights #JustTransition #SustainableDevelopment #Africa

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Investments in #children, #youth, and #futuregenerations are more important than ever. Young people hold the keys to productive, stable, and healthy societies. These insights from Sarah Jonson on the ChildFund Alliance 2024 World Index illustrate why #positiveyouthdevelopment is alive and well and how we create strong systems for youth contribution at International Youth Foundation #PYD #youthdevelopment #economicgrowth

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On Thursday, 13 September 2024, I’ll be moderating a crucial discussion on the transformative power of trade and economic reforms in advancing peacebuilding efforts in Somalia. Our session will delve into how strategic trade policies can drive economic growth, enhance public welfare, and promote sustainable stability in a country navigating the complexities of conflict and recovery. 📌 Core Discussion Points: - Leveraging Somalia’s World Trade Organization accession to establish a solid framework for fragile states seeking to reintegrate into the global economy. - Aligning trade and economic reforms with broader peacebuilding goals. - Overcoming trade and investment barriers to unlock Somalia’s potential and facilitate deeper integration into regional and global markets. 🔑 Key Takeaways for Attendees: Participants will uncover actionable strategies to utilize trade policy for post-conflict recovery and stability. Emphasizing the significance of coordinated efforts at local, regional, and international levels, we will highlight how aligning trade policy with governance reforms is pivotal in creating a peace-supportive environment. This discussion presents a unique opportunity to analyze the nexus of trade and peace, offering a roadmap not just for Somalia but for other fragile states encountering similar challenges. Join us to explore the intersection of trade and peacebuilding, shaping a brighter future for nations in transition. #TradeForPeace #EconomicReforms #WTOAccession #PostConflictRecovery #WTO2024

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Welcome back to #TheBedfordBrief - out now! #BB8 Read 6 brief perspectives and our take on the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which wrapped up in Beijing this week. This edition discusses: 🇺🇸 Are Western critical minerals strategies going to work? 🇨🇳 PRC state control of private business 💔 Bifurcation and the global economy 🌏 "Geopolitics": what does it mean? 🇹🇼 "One China" and the Western consensus 🧠 Radical Thinking: a solution? 🇿🇦 South Africa's relationship with China #geopolitics #criticalminerals #bedfordanalysis

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#Namibia is dry and very sparsely populated - and up to 55% of people cannot afford a nutritious diet. So it was good conversation with Calle Schlettwein, Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform today, on the #investments and technical assistance needed to make the country's #agricultural value chains more #nutrition-sensitive. #Climate #adaptation finance will be key to Namibia's #development and ongoing #resilience. We discussed how #IFAD investments can help strengthen agricultural production, improve #irrigation, and drive commercialization in the small-scale agricultural sector. Agricultural is Namibia’s second largest driver of jobs and brings huge potential for rural #livelihoods and food #security. As Namibia navigates challenges of geography and climate, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) reaffirms its commitment to driving #inclusive, resilient, and market-oriented development in Namibian #rural areas.

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How is the G7 going to meet its just announced ambition to support "Energy for Growth" in Africa? It says: "The initiative will engage with governments, the private sector, financial institutions, multilateral development banks, and community groups. It will partner with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). It will also coordinate with existing programmes, to ensure complementarity and avoid duplications, and will operate in close coordination with the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment." What does it mean? Anything new here? Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) CEO Damilola Ogunbiyi wrote this piece about what needs to be done: https://lnkd.in/ezxdF4vj A few additional thoughts: 💡 MDBs and DFIs need to provide lower or below cost financing. These institutions exist to promote development outcomes, not to make money. Most deals will make money, but they need to adjust their pricing given that the cost of capital today in the markets with the most need is much higher than it was a few years ago. 💡 USAID and the U.S. government need to step up on Power Africa already. President Obama committed $300m/year for 5 years at his Africa Leader's Summit in 2016. Only one tranche was ever disbursed. Fulfill that pledge. It's shameful to think we can light and power a continent for anything less than that. 💡 To keep the cost of electricity down for the next 20 years, MDBs and DFIs should take on more of the risk of local currency depreciation. They typically finance in dollars. Financing in local currency for 20 years would usually mean they lose money. At least share the currency risk. That's what grant money's for. 💡 Think regionally and not just locally. To accelerate the energy transition in Africa, countries that don't have base load power from hydropower and geothermal power need to buy it from their neighbors. That requires more robust cross-border transmission infrastructure and power trading. One reason that renewable energy hasn't scaled in sub-Saharan Africa is that many countries do not have enough base load power to support wind and solar. If DFIs, MDBs, philanthropies and governments do not facilitate trading or developing more renewable base load power, gas will be necessary. The G7 knows this. That's why G7 countries didn't think twice about shoring up gas supplies for themselves from others when Russia invaded Ukraine. Last week, I shared a study that said that it's in the G7's financial interest to subsidize the cost of the energy transition for emerging markets and developing economies. To the #G7: Thank you for the commitment. Please act on the announcement. We know what needs to be done. The World Bank IFC - International Finance Corporation U.S. International Development Finance Corporation British International Investment Todd Moss

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What would really be fantastic...would be for President Biden's trip to kick off a new era of U.S. - Africa engagement that is built around more infrastructure development initiatives and investment like the Lobito corridor. The U.S. has significant capacity to help Africa develop road, rail and port infrastructure - but this has not been the defining focus of collaboration historically. President Biden's trip to Angola concludes today, but here's to hoping that it will have a lasting impact and be a blueprint for future U.S. policy vis-a-vis Africa. See VOA press clip: https://lnkd.in/eMQ9YQqA #infrastructurematters #USAfricaPartnership #criticalmineralsmatter #logisticsinvestment

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Although I believe the case for local leadership and action in #humanitarianaid is about more than saving money, the statistics from The Share Trust demonstrate both staggering inefficiency AND blatant inequity in the way aid is funded, allocated and delivered. Read this.

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#UEW2024 For all those in Uganda and elsewhere, this years UEW will be seriously interesting and seriously practical, especially if you are an expert or enthusiast in elements of this years theme “Development with Purpose: Empowering Accountable learning for achieving Development Goals and Enhancing Climate Resilience” - see link to the modest registration costs below: https://lnkd.in/dYUCWBTV

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Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) are crucial to sustainable development because they address important issues based on assessed needs and financial feasibility with a positive Return on Investment. Read a Coach's perspectives on PPPs in Sub-Saharan Africa in "Building Better Bridges" available June 2024.

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There's been a lot of push to replicate #digitalpublicinfrastructure approaches from outside the region to a number of African countries. But with unique needs and challenges, significant existing infrastructure and investment in data systems, and a variety of regulatory regimes, countries should be put in the driver's seat in defining their own DPI priorities and approaches. A really useful hype check and perspective from Charlene Migwe-Kagume https://lnkd.in/eZswajwn

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