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AfricaHardball is an executive dialogue that brings together policy-makers, industry leaders and analysts to discuss the key political issues affecting the African energy industry in frank and open terms. The fifth annual AfricaHardball executive dialogue will be held on 29 June in Basel and lead into the 12th Africa Energy Forum.

Previous Hardballs were held as a tough-talking curtain-raisers to the AEF involving senior executives, ministers and other government officials and analysts in Lille, Hamburg, Nice and Bordeaux.  The format is that of an executive dialogue discussing key political issues that shape African energy markets, conducted under the Chatham House Rule.

One aim of AfricaHardball is to allow participants to understand how political risk analysts see key issues – and come to the conclusions that can have such a major impact on business.  The behind-closed-doors discussion also helps business strategists and planners to fashion their thinking of how political issues will impact – and will be seen to impact – on their business.

This year, AfricaHardball is looking at a number of related critical questions based around the theme: Critical security issues for investors

Topics to be covered:

•  ‘Governance’, ‘corruption’ and other buzzwords – between the theory and practise of business ethics
   
   — with discussion of the emerging energy industry in Ghana

   — how the more settled economies of East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) are managing to enlarge the number of players        in their energy industries while maintaining internationally accepted standards of governance

•  Compliance: What should companies know about the due diligence and ‘know your partner’ process?
    
   — including discussion of the involvement of government intelligence services and private operators in business deals

•  Political risk: which African crises/problems are causing western planners most concern?  Including DR Congo and its regional affiliations, post-election Ethiopia and Somalia

   — Making sense of Nigeria after Yar’Adua

• Security issues linked to interconnections and other cross-border projects

•  What can project developers do to mitigate the risks discussed above?

The dialogue is led by Jon Marks, chairman of Cross-border Information Ltd, editorial director of African Energy and associate fellow of Chatham House – a political scientist committed to understanding the drivers behind the African energy industry – with the participation of experts including eminent Africanist Patrick Smith, editor of Africa Confidential.

The fourth annual AfricaHardball, held in Bordeaux, pioneered a scenario-building exercise, which was very well received.  This sought to involve all participants in trying to establish patterns to the ideas produced by the meeting.  We intend to build on this positive experience at AfricaHardball in Basel.

We are delighted to have had confirmation that Director General Haruna Masebu will lead a delegation of senior officials from the Tanzania Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA).

Also joining the discussants round the table and sharing their views on the critical issues on the agenda will be Mozambique Energy Minister Salvador Namburete, KenGen Managing Director Edward Njoroge and Ghana Grid Company Limited (GRIDco) Chief Executive Officer Charles Darku.

Representatives from companies and organisations including Aelex, African Development Bank, Alstom, Actis, Globeleq, Sofreco, Sun Biofuels, Vestas Wind Systems, and Wartsila will also be in attendance for what promises to be a morning of insightful debate.

BOOK NOW – places are limited to preserve the roundtable format.
Price:  Euro478.82  per delegate (Euro445 + Euro33.82 Swiss VAT) Discounts available for multiple delegates

To secure your place, please contact:

Evelyne Cargill
Tel: +44 (0)20 85 47 06 98
Email: evelyne@energynet.co.uk and cc to nick@cbi-publishing.com

 

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Africa Energy Forum

Launched in 1999, The Africa Energy Forum (AEF) is Africa’s premier annual power and gas investment and business forum, bringing together senior government officials and private-sector executives to discuss opportunities in expanding public and private power.

All major sectors of the power and gas industry gather in June each year for three days of intensive networking. Of the 470 who attended in 2008, over 40% came from Africa, and of those almost 40% were from the public sector. Private power developers and equipment suppliers accounted for 30% of the total, while the finance sector, including investors and advisers, accounted for a further 15%. This concentration of businesses under one roof expands the opportunities for fruitful contacts, and the accompanying AEF Exhibition provides valuable corporate exposure. View the brochure.

For more details on AEF10 visit www.energynet.co.uk