CFC hosts an international meeting at new headquarters
After over 20 years in Amsterdam’s Museum district, the CFC office has moved to a new location near the city's Central Station. The new office modernizes the CFC’s working environment, and is now easier to reach for visiting Members and partners. While smaller than the former CFC office, the open, light-filled layout has a welcoming atmosphere and offers greater flexibility to the Secretariat.
CFC welcomes the Netherlands-African Business Council (NABC)
Reaching out to attract new project ideas and new partners, the Fund hosted a half day meeting of the Netherlands-African Business Council (NABC) on 22 March 2017 - the first international meeting at its new headquarters.
The aim of this NABC event was to inform international and Dutch companies on the current opportunities in Ethiopia’s commodity sectors: oilseeds, vegetable seeds, dairy, poultry, spices, and textiles as well as logistics, and construction. Themes that cut across all sectors included agro-processing and agro-logistics.
The meeting was opened by Dr. Arkebe Oqubay Metiku, Senior Government Minister and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, who spoke about the the political situation. In his remarks, he referred to the work by the Government of Ethiopia which is creating a positive investment climate and overcoming barriers to investment in Ethiopia’s agriculture and industrial sectors.
Development opportunities for a variety of sectors
The CFC used the occasion to inform companies and state officials about the work of the Fund and the CFC’s desire to see innovative projects in the commodity sector which contribute to sustainable development of its Member Countries. Mr. Axel Gruber, CFC’s Chief Operations Officer commented: “The CFC Call for Proposals is currently open and we look forward to receiving interesting ideas from any companies or organizations which share our commitment to using commodity development in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals".
The meeting included participants from Dutch and international companies in a wide range of industries, including horticulture, beverages, leather, sugar, chemicals, metals, engineering, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. They view the meeting as a unique opportunity to explore the areas of priority in the commodity production and value addition sectors.
The participants appreciated the meeting’s business-like approach which enabled close interaction between parties and multiple one-on-one consultations between business leaders and government officials. According to Ms. Irene Visser, Managing Director of NABC, “The involvement of the CFC in this event gives us greater opportunities to bridge the information gap between European and African companies and foster public-private collaboration for sustainable development.” For the CFC, it offered an opportunity to enhance its presence in the emerging and promising new business opportunities in Africa.
