NASP-MiDA Advisory Council Updates |
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A Message from NASP CEO Ron Parker and
Advisory Council Chairman Lee Stephens
The global impact of COVID-19 has truly exposed the significant inequities that exist - political, social, healthcare, educational and financial. While increased uncertainty has entered our day to day lives, the one dimension that remains true, is the value of relationships.
The moment we have before us provides us with the opportunity to leverage our collective power both in the U.S. and in Africa, and to take a leadership role to drive diversity, equity and inclusion by any means possible.
“If Not Now, When? If Not Us, Who?”
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Advisory Council Engagements in 2020 |
This year, Advisory Council members participated in various virtual events hosted by MiDA to reach more Asset Owners, Managers, and Consultants who are interested in investment opportunities in Africa and other emerging markets. Virtual events that featured our Council members included: |
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Perspectives from Asset Owners on Navigating the New Global Socio-Economic Challenges
Henry Jones
Board President
CalPERS
Kirk Sims
Senior Investment Manager
Head of Emerging Manager Program
Texas Teachers Retirement System
Tarrell Gamble
Senior VP of Capital Markets
Blaylock Van, LLC
Donna Sims Wilson
Chief Operating Officer
Kah Capital
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The Batseta Virtual Conference
Tarrell Gamble
Trustee for Alameda County Employees’ Retirement Association
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Case Studies from Asset Owners on Investing for Financial Returns and Socio-Economic Development
Joseph Boateng
Chief Executive Officer
Casey Family Programs
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MiDA-USAID
2020 Virtual Road Show
Paul Shantic
Director of Inflation Sensitive
CalSTRS
Obie McKenzie
Vice Chairman
Cordiant Capital
Lee Stephens
Executive Vice President
BNY Mellon
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MiDA would like to congratulate Advisory Council member, Obie McKenzie, Vice Chairman of Cordiant Capital. Cordiant has been selected to lead an infrastructure private equity fund focused on energy, transportation and telecoms in West Africa. Most recently, Cordiant recently invested $26.5 million in Africell as part of a $100 million syndicated loan led by the DFC.
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MiDA Advisors congratulates Donna Sims Wilson in her new role as COO at Kah Capital. In her capacity as NASP Chairwoman, Wilson served as co-creator of the MiDA Initiative in 2016, as a partnership between NASP and USAID.
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MiDA Advisors and Partners Work Through COVID-19 Pandemic |
While many African countries have made huge economic strides in the past ten years, the pandemic is threatening to hinder ongoing progress. In a bi-annual report released from the World Bank Group, studies project a recession in the Sub-Saharan region – the first recession in 25 years. However, leading African economies have been resilient through many shocks over the last decades. MiDA Advisors successfully expanded our partnerships with USAID INVEST and other global initiatives on sustainable development, while supporting investment and trade opportunities for U.S. and global institutional investors seeking to further diversify into new sectors and opportunities in Africa and other emerging markets. |
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Expanded Mandate Under Prosper Africa
In 2020, MiDA Advisors was contracted to support Prosper Africa, a U.S. Government initiative that unlocks opportunities to do business in Africa, benefiting companies, investors and workers in both Africa and the United States.
The key objectives for 2021 are:
- Investor exposure and education on investments opportunities in Africa
- Business relationship development
- Transaction advisory to investors seeking support and resources for specific transactions
- Partnerships and assistance to local pension funds in Africa
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Lead Advisor for AWIF
MiDA Advisers serves as the Lead Advisor to the establishment of the African Women Impact Fund (AWIF) in the management of the structure, operation and allocations to managers across the continent. The AWIF was established in partnership with UNECA and Standard Bank, with the aim of uplifting female-owned and managed asset management firms and providing a defined economic stimulus to achieve sustainable economic growth in Africa.
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New Offices in Kenya and South Africa |
We are excited to announce the opening of two new offices in Kenya and South Africa to enhance collaboration with USAID regional missions. |
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MiDA Advisors Hosted Asset Owners and Managers at the
MIDA-USAID Virtual Road Show 2020
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MiDA Advisors hosted a successful Virtual Road Show in partnership with USAID focused on supporting U.S. and African institutional investors to build relationships and deepen their business connections with U.S. and African asset managers. Over the span of two days, MiDA hosted 20+ presenters ranging from Asset Managers, Asset Owners, USAID partners, and Advisory Council members.
Featured sessions included:
- A Virtual Tour with U.S. Asset Owners
- African Women Impact Fund Spotlight
- Case Studies by Asset Managers
- Presentations from African Asset Owners
- Mercer Publication Presentation
Participants also had the opportunity to make further connections within the MiDA Network of 700+ individuals during the daily networking sessions.
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KEPFIC Launch Event with the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi and MiDA Advisors |
The Kenyan Pension Fund Investment Consortium (KEPFIC) officially launched as a legal entity in October 2020. KEPFIC was established with the support of the World Bank Group and MiDA Advisors in partnership with USAID INVEST, and aims to mobilize and invest at least USD $250 million in infrastructure assets in the near term, providing competitive returns and diversification opportunities to its member funds and partner co-investors. U.S. Ambassador Kyle McCarter was a featured speaker during the event.
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Batseta Virtual
Annual Conference 2020
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The Batseta conference in September 2020 educated trustees on the various aspects associated with infrastructure investment. MiDA Advisors Managing Director Roselyn Spencer co-hosted a panel with both U.S. and South African pension funds covering themes including: diversification opportunities, South African infrastructure and other key sectors, and pension fund markets and policies.
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MiDA Advisors Co-Hosted AEMS |
The Africa and Emerging Markets Summit (AEMS) was part of the NASP Annual Conference and featured a wide range of speakers from the MiDA Network.
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Left to right: Nadine Mentor, Partner, MiDA Advisors; Cameron Khosrowshahi, Investment Officer Private Capital and Microenterprise Office, United States Agency for International Development (USAID); Debra Erb, Managing Director of Housing Real Estate Project Finance - DFC (United States International Development Finance Corporation)
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The AEMS sessions featured Advisory Council members, USAID, DFC, industry partners, and MiDA professionals. Sessions included:
Dispatches from Africa, The CIO’s Travelogue
New Chapter in MiDA Advisors and NASP Engagement
Prosper Africa: Unleashing US-Africa Trade and Investment
Re-Imagining Business Opportunities in the Next Big Growth Market
Smart Cities
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MiDA in the News 2020 Recap |
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An African Model for This Moment: Local Institutional Funding of Infrastructure
USAID Vanessa Holcomb Mann and Emily Langhorne
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Governments in the region are pushing for more high impact infrastructure investments, but public resources are increasingly under pressure. Kenyan Pension Funds Investment Consortium (KEPFIC) is a leading initiative in Africa investing in infrastructure and private equity with potential for replication.
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Overcoming an Outdated Narrative: Why Investors Need to Recognize Africa’s True Potential
USAID Cameron Khosrowshahi
USAID believes that private investment in Africa will help countries choose the latter course and take a step forward on their journeys to self-reliance. MiDA’s hands-on, intensive approach has started by taking investors directly to the investment sites, inviting them to explore the neighborhoods they were investing in and get to know the people responsible for deploying their capital and looking after their investments.
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Voices from the USAID Finance and Investment Network: MiDA Advisors
USAID Emily Langhorne
MiDA Advisors CEO Aymeric Saha discusses the firm’s mission, explains why private sector engagement matters for development outcomes, and offers advice for other firms seeking to work with USAID. "If you want to invest in infrastructure, power, water, and other vital assets for development, you need long-term capital provided at scale. We’re also working with African institutional investors — pension funds in Kenya and South Africa — and co-investing with them in those vital assets."
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2021 Will Be An Exciting Year!
Please stay tuned for additional details for our 2021 programs
*Pending travel restrictions
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Delegation Trip to
South Africa
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