ABIDJAN — The Islamic Corporation for the Development of Private Sector, (ICD), a private sector arm of the Islamic Development Bank Group, and the Cote d'Ivoire government jointly inaugurated the Africa Islamic Finance Forum 2015 here specifically for the benefit of local and international market players to explore the development opportunities in Islamic finance both in Ivory Coast, locally and regionally — concentrating on building the market and exploring its exceptional potential through inward investment and international collaboration. The two-day event featured extensive discussions capitalizing on investment opportunities in key African markets. The event commenced with keynote addresses from the governor of the IDB and senior minister of state, planning and development, Cote d'Ivoire; Khaled Al-Aboodi, the CEO of ICD; the president of the West African Economic and Monetary Union; the director-general of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa; and the president of the IDB, followed by an official opening ceremony by the president of Cote d'Ivoire. The first day of the intellectual discourse deliberated on a global overview of Shariah compliant transactions and the industry as a whole followed by a session on Africa's blueprint for Islamic finance development. An exclusive roundtable discussion was held on Africa's value proposition, opportunistic venture and the healthy pipeline of infrastructure and project finance in the country, while the last segment elaborated on initiatives in developing Cote D'Ivoire as a Shariah-compliant investment destination. This is then was followed by a closing keynote address by the prime minister of Cote D'Ivoire. The second day of this prestigious event kicked off with a panel discussion on the application of Shariah-compliant tools to SME financing and microfinance, followed by a special presentation by INOKS Capital on investments opportunities in African SMEs. The later session featured another roundtable on human capital, with a specific focus on what the industry really needs in relation to developing a new generation of Islamic bankers, while the last dialogue concentrates on prospects, opportunities and challenges of trade finance in Africa. The Africa Islamic Finance Forum 2015 was attended by all industry stakeholders as it provides an unparalleled platform for networking opportunities as well as the centerstage to be at the very forefront of Africa's flourishing Islamic finance sector. — SG
