By Kigali, 29 May 2021
Mr Tidjane Thiam, Board Chair of Rwanda Finance Limited (RFL) the agency mandated to develop and promote Rwanda as an international financial destination, visited the offices and team for the first time on Friday. He met two board members and the staff to discuss the increasing importance Kigali International Financial Centre is having on investment into Africa.
Mr Thiam’s role as Chair is to oversee and guide the strategy of KIFC, bringing his vast experience and insights to the project, as the Centre strives to turn Kigali into an international financial services hub. Mr Thiam arrived in Rwanda as part of President Macron of France’s official delegation to Rwanda, in his capacity as the African Union’s Special Envoy for COVID-19.
Travel restrictions due to COVID-19 had caused all previous meetings to be held virtually.
Mr Thiam was also hosted by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning where he met with Rwanda’s Finance Minister, Rwanda Development Board CEO, Governor of the Central Bank, RFL’s CEO Nick Barigye among other officials where they discussed Rwanda’s vision and economic development journey as well as KIFC’s mandate to contribute to the country’s ambitions of becoming a financial services hub.
RFL’s CEO Nick Barigye said:
“It was a pleasure to finally welcome Mr Thiam to our offices to discuss our vision for KIFC as one of Africa’s leading international financial centres. Our Chair’s visit has given the team in Kigali further energy and inspiration to work even harder to realise our vision of Rwanda as one of Africa’s leading international financial centres”.
Board Chairman Tidjane Thiam stated:
“Innovation, intellectual leadership, credibility, strong human capital, and soft skills will be decisive in terms of success for the Kigali International Financial Centre.”
Louise Kanyonga, one of the board directors who welcomed Mr Thiam commented:
‘We held insightful conversations on the vision and positioning of the Kigali International Financial Centre. The financial services ecosystem has immense potential to catalyse Rwanda’s economic transformation. We have our work cut out under this exceptional leadership.’
About Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC)
Kigali International Financial Centre facilitates international investments and cross-border transactions in Africa. KIFC seeks to position Rwanda as a preferred financial jurisdiction for investments into Africa and creating alternatives for mobilising capital thus reducing over-reliance on traditional avenues. It will facilitate pan-African investment by providing an attractive destination for international investors with a legal and regulatory framework fully compliant with international best practices.
About Rwanda Finance Limited (RFL)
Rwanda Finance Limited is a private company mandated to promote and develop Rwanda as a leading destination for international investment and cross-border transactions in Africa. RFL works with key stakeholders to develop and promote the Kigali International Financial Centre through investment promotion, policy advocacy and sector upskilling. It works to establish a regulatory framework for KIFC to become a leading international financial centre.
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