September 1, 2024, NDC Investment Awards Media
The shortlist for the highly coveted NDC Investment Awards, sponsored by the African Green Infrastructure Investment Bank (AfGIIB), was unveiled today by Africa Investor (Ai), the continent’s leading institutional investment platform.
These first-of-their-kind global African NDC Investment Awards have rapidly grown in influence and stature. Now in their third year, these awards were first announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, inaugurally presented at COP27 in Egypt, showcased during the successful Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, and the second edition was presented at COP28 in Dubai.
Designed to raise ambition, foster investment collaboration, globally recognize achievements across the main NDC project sectors, and inspire and reward governments, developers, investors, philanthropies, and development partners, these awards drive private climate capital mobilization and improve the investment readiness of Africa’s NDC projects, which require over $3 trillion of investment by 2030.
The urgency and importance of crowding in the institutional investment community and philanthropies into African NDC-aligned investments, are heightened by the continent’s declining Official Development Assistance (ODA) flows.
Institutional Investor-Public Partnerships (IIPPs) and blended investments are indispensable for co-creating bankable NDC-aligned projects and bridging the continent’s $3 trillion investment gap at scale and speed. The transformative role of entrepreneurial philanthropies, spearheading and catalyzing Africa’s private capital mobilization paradigm shift – rendering African Green Industrial Infrastructure a globally competitive investable asset class, which makes development investable, not investment developmental, cannot be overstated.
This year’s prestigious awards will honor several African Heads of State with the NDC Presidential Investment Statesman of the Year Awards. For the first time, the awards will also feature two exciting new private capital mobilization categories: Best Natural Capital NDC Investment Initiative of the Year and Best Green Industrialization NDC Investment Initiative of the Year.
The shortlist includes 160 public and private sector-sponsored projects, representing over USD 200bn of NDC financing and investment opportunities, from 43 African countries, covering all 5 African sub-regions.
Commenting on the shortlist announcement, Dr. Hubert Danso, Chairman of Africa Investor (Ai) and the Chair of the NDC Investment Awards Adjudication panel, said, “
“Africa’s NDCs are at a critical juncture as countries finalize their five-year updates due in February 2025. This moment presents a significant opportunity for governments to raise ambition, make NDCs investable and foster institutional investor-public partnerships to mobilize private capital at the speed and scale needed, to deliver the continent’s $3-7 trillion of NDC investment opportunities.
We are therefore delighted to see how these NDC Investment Awards, since their inception three years ago, have not only mobilized investments, but also catalyzed a groundswell of collaboration and alignment between the institutional investment community, the private sector, governments, philanthropies, and development finance partners. Together, they are working in support of institutional investor-public partnerships to co-create, develop, finance, and invest in African NDC-aligned projects and programs as an investable asset class.”
The 2024 NDC Investment Awards winners will be announced at the Ai NDC Institutional Investment Summit & Awards in New York, on September 24th during the UN General Assembly and New York Climate Week.
The prestigious NDC Presidential Investment Statesman of the Year Awards will also presented at the Awards ceremony.
See the below 2024 NDC Investment Awards shortlist nominees:
Best Waste NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP)
Zoomlion Ghana Limited - Cairo Clean and Green Initiative
United National Development Programme (UNDP) - Tunis Waste-to-Energy Project
German Development Bank (KfW) - Rabat Waste Management and Recycling Program
French Development Agency (AFD) - T3: Increasing Plastic Recycling
Ellen MacArthur Foundation - Kigali Waste-to-Energy Project
The World Bank Group - Ekurhuleni Waste Management Program
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Council - Cape Town Waste Management Strategy
City of Cape Town’s Directorate of Urban Management - Maputo Waste Management and Recycling Initiative
The European Union (EU) - Transportation Emission Reduction Project (10% Ethanol Blending to Fuel)
The World Bank Group
Best Energy NDC Investment of the Year
- Tunisia’s Solar Energy Initiative
French Development Agency (AFD)) - Ethiopia’s Geothermal Energy Development Project
Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility (GRMF) - Lake Turkana Wind Power Project
Lake Turkana Wind Power Limited - Microsoft and G42 Ai Kenya Renewables Investment Progrogramme
Microsoft and G42 - Kangnas Wind Farm
Lekela Power - Mozambique’s Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project
Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) - Nigerian Electrification Project
Rural Electrification Agency (REA) of Nigeria - Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex
Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN) - Just Energy Transition Project
African Development Bank Group, FCDO - Facilitating Access by Disadvantaged Communities and Women to Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG)
Global LPG Partnership
Best Transport NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- The Lobito Corridor
The Lobito Corridor Investment Promotion Authority - Accra Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System
Ministry of Transport (Ghana) - CFAO Electric Busses Investment
CFAO Motors (part of the CFAO Group) - Addis Ababa Light Rail
The Ethiopian Railways Corporation (ERC) and the Export-Import Bank of China - Dar es Salaam Bus Rapid Transit
The Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit Agency (DART) - Johannesburg BRT System
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) - Cape Town MyCiTi Bus Service
The City of Cape Town’s Transport and Urban Development Authority - Freetown Electric Bus System
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Dakar All-Electric Bus Network
The French Development Agency (AFD) - Maputo Bus Rapid Transit System
Maputo Municipal Council
Best Urban Development NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Smart City Casablanca
Casablanca Urban Agency - New Cairo Capital
New Administrative Capital for Urban Development Company (NAC) - Konza Technopolis
Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KTDA) - Green City Kigali
Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) - Johannesburg Eco District
Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) - Cotonou Green City Initiative
Ministry of Living Environment and Sustainable Development of the Republic of Benin - Kinshasa Urban Development Initiative
Ministry of Urban Planning and Public Works of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Maputo Urban Resilience Initiative
Maputo Municipal Council - Windhoek Smart City Initiative
Ministry of Urban and Rural Development of Namibia - Chongwe Smart City Renewable Energy Project
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development of Zambia
Best Forestry NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Nigeria Reforestation Project
Federal Ministry of Environment of Nigeria - Ethiopian Green Legacy Initiative
Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change of Ethiopia - Ghana Forest Investment Program
Forestry Commission of Ghana - Kenyan Forest Conservation and Management Project
Kenyan Forestry Service (KFS) - Ugandan Forest Restoration Initiative
Ministry of Water and Environment of Uganda - Moroccan National Reforestation Plan
High Commission for Water and Forests and the Fight Against Desertification of Morocco - Tunisian Forest Management Project
Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Fisheries of Tunisia - Gabon Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Ministry of Forests, Oceans, Environment, and Climate Change of Gabon - Cameroon Reforestation and Conservation Project
Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife of Cameroon - Republic of Congo Forest Management Program
Ministry of Forest Economy of the Republic of Congo
Best Financeable NDC City Investment Initiative of the Year
- Casablanca Urban Green Spaces Project
Casablanca Urban Agency - Urban Waste-to-Energy Programs
National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) - Konza Technopolis
Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KTDA) - Kigali Innovation City
Rwanda Development Board (RDB) - Tatu City
Rendeavour - The Ghana Smart Cities Project
Ghanaian Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation - Johannesburg Green Urban Development Project
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) - Tunis Sustainable City Initiative
Tunisian Ministry of Local Affairs and Environment - Accra Urban Development Initiative
Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) - Nairobi Urban Biodiversity Mapping and Investment Initiative
Nairobi City County Government’s Department of Environment, Water, Energy, and Natural Resources -
Best GreenTech NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- M-KOPA Solar
International Finance Corporation (IFC) - SunCulture
Acumen Fund - Sun Exchange
European Investment Bank (EIB) - KarmSolar
EDF Renewables - Easy Solar
Acumen Fund - Jaza Energy
Global Environment Facility (GEF) - BBOXX
International Finance Corporation (IFC) - Clean Technology Initiative
TDB and African Development Bank Group - Persistent Energy
Shell Foundation, Acumen Bomboo Finance - Oolu Solar
BBOXX
Best Agriculture NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Ethiopia Climate Resilient Wheat Initiative
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) - Kenya Sustainable Agriculture Project
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - Ghana Climate-Smart Cocoa Program
World Cocoa Foundation - Nigerian Green Agriculture Initiative
The World Bank Group - Rwanda Climate-Smart Agriculture Program
International Finance Corporation - Zambia Climate-Smart Agriculture Initiative
The African Development Bank Group - Uganda Agricultural Adaptation Project
The Government of Uganda, The Global Environment Facility (GEF), The World Bank Group - Egypt Sustainable Agriculture Project
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Tunisia Sustainable Agriculture Initiative
German Development Bank (KfW) - Low Carbon Transformation of the Rwandan Tea Processing Sector
Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Best Health NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Project Evolve: Climate x Health Infrastructure Investment Fund
PATH - Health Impact Credit
Health Finance Institute - Ethiopian Health Resilience Initiative
Management Sciences for Health (MSH) - Kenyan Climate-Resilient Health Initiative
African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) - Ghana Health and Climate Project
The World Bank Group - Nigerian Climate-Resilient Health Initiative
The World Health Organization (WHO) - Moroccan Health and Climate Resilience Project
The World Health Organization (WHO) - Tunisian Health Resilience Initiative
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - Ugandan Health and Climate Project
Tetra Tech - HETA: Powering Health with Clean Energy in Africa
Health Electrification and Telecommunications Alliance (HETA)
Best Water NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Kenya Water Security and Climate Resilience Project
Kenyan Ministry of Water, The World Bank Group - Bulk Water Transfer in Zambia Project
The African Development Bank Group - Nigerian Urban Water Sector Reform Project
Nigerian Ministry of Water Resources, The World Bank Group - Rwanda Water and Sanitation Project
The World Bank Group - Gabon Water Supply Improvement Project
The African Development Bank Group - Cameroon Water and Sanitation Initiative
The African Development Bank Group - Republic of Congo Water Sector Development Project
The Ministry of Energy and Water Resources of the Republic of Congo - Liberia Water and Sanitation Project
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - Resilient Water Accelerator
Resilient Water Accelerator (RWA) - Mozambique Water and Sanitation Project
The World Bank Group
Best Investable NDC Adaptation Investment Initiative of the Year
- Esther Kimani – Innovative Solution for Smallholder Farmers
The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) - Climate-Resilient Wheat Value Chain Development
The African Development Bank Group - The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program
Global Center on Adaptation, The African Development Bank Group - The Climate Adaptation Strategy and Planning Initiative
PreventionWeb - IFC Climate Adaptation Investment Opportunities
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) - CRAKS: Building Community Resilience through Agricultural Adaptation
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and IDRC - LAMA: Locally Led Adaptation Metrics for Africa
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Canada - Morocco Solar Program
Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (MASEN) - Blue Co: The Blue Economy Co-Investment Platform Small Island Developing
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) - The Integrated Flood Management for Shabelle and Juba Rivers project
Somalia Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MOEWR) -
Best Bankable Donor NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- USTDA and ILN Strategic Climate Finance Mobilization Partnership
USTDA and Investor Leadership Network (ILN) - Morocco Green Agriculture Program
Morocco Green Agriculture Program - Renewable Energy YeildCo’s for Africa
MOBILIST, Revego Fund Managers - Climate Finance Partnership
Trade and Development Bank (TDB) Group and GGGI - Western Area Power Generation Project
Milele Energy and TCQ Power - Lake Turkana Wind Power Project
Lake Turkana Wind Power Project - Infrastructure Climate Resilient Fund (ICRF)
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) - Great Green Wall Initiative
The Great Green Wall Secretariat - Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP 2)
GCFt - Global Environment Facility – Chad
Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)
Best Blended Investment NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Afreximbank Climate Finance Program
African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) - The World Bank Group and AFD Climate- Projects- A Partnership for Global Progress
The World Bank Group, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) - Green buildings and retrofits for affordable housing
CAEP – Deloitte - Namibian Hydrogen Fund
Namibia Hydrogen Fund Managers (Nam H2) - Africa Green Infrastructure Alliance (AGIA)
The African Development Bank Group - LeapFrog Climate Innovation Fund
LeapFrog Investments - Infrastructure Climate Resilient Fund (ICRF)
The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) - Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund (ARAF)
Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Acumen Fund, Green Climate Fund (GCF) - Kawisafi Ventures
Acumen Fund - SDG Loan Fund
The SDG Loan Fund
Best Youth NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Green Jobs Platform
Jacob’s Ladder Africa - Youth In Renewable Energy Movement Campaign- Ghana
Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND), UNDP Ghana - Youth Climate Council (YCC) in Uganda
Ministry of Water and Environment Uganda, UNDP Uganda, Oxfam International - South Sudan Youth Enterprise Development and Capacity Building Project
South Sudan Ministry of Youth and Sports - Botswana Youth Empowerment Projects
Botswana Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport, and Culture - The Namibian Youth Coalition on Climate Change (NYCCC)
German Development Agency (GIZ), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, and the UNFCCC Children and Youth Constituency (YOUNGO) LCOY Working Group - Green Takween-Algeria
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) and the Goethe-Institut - Chadian Youth: The Strength to Learn, the Courage to Engage in Entrepreneurship
Ministry of Youth and Sports, Chad - USAID and Kenya STEM Education Partnership
USAID, Government of Kenya - Generation Unlimited 9JA
UNICEF, Government of Nigeria -
Best Natural Capital NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- Congo Basin Natural Capital Accounting Project
Climate Investment Funds (CIF) - Rwanda Catalytic Green Investment Facility (RCGIF)
The African Development Bank Group - African Parks Foundation Currency for Nature in Africa
African Parks Network - Biodiversity Credits Initiative
The World Economic Forum - TDB and UNEP Climate Finance Collaboration
Trade and Development Bank Group, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - Kelp Blue
Ocean 14 Capital - PLANETA
USAID - Gabonese Association of the Pan African Forest Certification System (PAFC GABON)
PAFC GABON - Sustainable Forest Management for Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) - The Verifiable Nature Units (VNUs) Initiative
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Best Green Industrialization NDC Investment Initiative of the Year
- The Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII)
African Union Commission and COP28 Presidency - TDB and AfDB Clean Technology Initiative
TDB, The African Development Bank Group - Zambia and DRC Transboundary Battery and Electric Vehicle Special Economic Zone
ECA, Afreximbank - Infrastructure Climate Resilient Fund (ICRF)
Green Climate Fund (GCF), Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) - U.S.-Kenya Climate and Clean Energy Industrial Partnership
The Government of Kenya and USAID - BlackRock Climate Finance Partnership (CFP) Investments
BlackRock - TDB Class C Green+ Shares
Trade and Development Bank Group - $100 Million Capital Pool for African Entrepreneurs
Africa Finance Corporation, Arise IIP - Africa Renewable Energy Manufacturing Initiative (AREMI)
ClimateWorks Foundation, African Climate Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, CREIA, SEforALL - Schonau Solar Energy
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