Not only have foreign investors turned to Africa – African investors are also pouring record amounts into the continent, often beyond their national boundaries. The trend has given rise to what some describe as “Africa Direct Investment” as opposed to “Foreign Direct Investment”. But foreign investors are playing a large role, from state-owned funds such as CIC of China and Temasek of Singapore to private equity groups, including KKR and The Carlyle Group, to institutional investors such as Aberdeen and Investec.

Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Holdings Limited
Joseph Makoju, Honorary Advisor to the President, Chief Executive, Dangote Group
Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman and Founder, Econet Wireless
Bernard Mensah, Managing Director, Global Head of Emerging Markets Trading, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Cristina Stenbeck, Executive Chairman, Investment AB Kinnevik; Chairman, Millicom International Cellular
Tidjane Thiam, CEO, Prudential

Moderator: Javier Blas, Africa Editor, Financial Times
 

Africa has enjoyed a period of political and security stability over the last 10-20 years – in part due to the end of the Cold War, but also due to the return of democracy in key countries in the region, notably Nigeria and South Africa. By and large, the military nowadays remains in the barracks, leaving politicians to govern and fight elections. Term limits have seen some political transitions and corruption has declined.

And yet, violence is making a return, with conflicts in countries including Mali, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Somalia, and Islamist terrorist groups causing havoc in Kenya, Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad. Government term limits are being tested, with some heads of state seeking to re-write their constitutions to remain in power beyond the original two terms. Weak infrastructure, notably in health, is jeopardising the fight against disease: from Ebola to malaria. African economies – and foreign investors – are no longer enjoying the “peace dividend” of the 2000s.
 
Security and politics is the elephant in the room – no one talks about it, but everyone knows that it could derail the positive narrative of Africa rising. Should African businesspeople and foreign investors be alarmed or should they put the problems into perspective?  After all, India, China, Colombia, Mexico and Thailand have enjoyed an economic transformation in spite of security problems at home.

Nick Allan, CEO, Europe & Africa, Control Risks
Arnold Ekpe, Honorary President, Business Council for Africa
Katrina Manson, East Africa Bureau Chief, Financial Times

Additional speaker to be announced

Moderator: Alec Russell, News Editor, Financial Times
 

The Africa-born chief executives of some of the world’s largest companies discuss the outlook for the region – and how the region sees the world. These CEOs represent some of the hottest sectors in Africa: natural resources, banking and financial services, telecoms and consumer goods. Combined, their companies had revenues of $300bn – that is equal to the combined GDP of Angola, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

R S Dabengwa, Group President & CEO, MTN Group
Ivan Glasenberg, CEO, Glencore
Vimal Shah, CEO, Bidco
Wale Tinubu, CEO, Oando
Herbert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank

Moderator: Lionel Barber, Editor, Financial Times
 

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Federal Ministry of Finance, Nigeria

Nigeria overtook South Africa earlier this year to become Africa’s largest economy and 26th largest in the world after the government released updated figures that nearly doubled estimates for gross domestic product. Already the most populous nation in Africa, and home to one of the most vibrant megalopolis – Lagos, Nigeria is today a focus of foreign investment into natural resources, consumers goods and financial services, attracting companies such as Nestlé, Heineken, SABMiller, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Nissan and General Electric.
 
And yet, the country is also a source of instability, from the jihadi group Boko Haram that is terrorising the north-east to endemic oil theft in the Niger Delta. The two sides – the vibrant economy and the violence-hit country – present a conundrum to investors, who need to decide what is the future of a 175m people nation with a GDP already surpassing the $500bn mark. A key question for many investors is the politics of the country, as the political discourse becomes increasingly polarised along religious and ethnic lines in the run-up to 2015 elections, when the ruling People’s Democratic party potentially faces the most organised challenge since the military handed power back to civilians in 1999.

Austin Avuru, CEO, Seplat
Rilwan N Belo-Osagie, Managing Director, FSDH Merchant Bank
Yvonne Ike, Head of Coverage, Sub-Saharan Africa (EX-RSA), Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Phillip Ihenacho, CEO, Seven Energy
Henry Obi, COO, Helios Investment Partners
Arunma Oteh, Director General, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigeria; Chair of the Africa, Middle East Regional Committee, IOSCO

Moderator: Vera Kwakofi, Current Affairs Editor, BBC Global News Division