SPEAKERS

Mr. Agossa is the Director General of CRRH-UEMOA and acts as the Permanent representative of the West African Development Bank (BOAD) on the Board of Directors. He is also the general manager of BOAD TITRISATION and has previously been Special Advisor and Financial Advisor to the President of BOAD. He holds a degree from Sciences Po Paris (ECOFI) and Paris Dauphine University (Master of Applied Economics) and a postgraduate degree in Applied Economics from IEP Paris.

Stefan Nalletamby is Director: Financial Sector Development Department at the African Development Bank (AfDB), overseeing Financial Inclusion and Intermediation, Capital Markets Development, and Trade Finance. He was previously Coordinator of Making Finance Work for Africa Partnership, a platform for African governments, private sector, and development partners. As Advisor to the Vice President, Finance he launched the African Financial Market Initiative (AFMI). Prior to that, he spent 9 years in the Treasury department. Before the AfDB, he spent 12 years as a Bond Trader and Head of Bond Trading and Sales with BNP Paribas in Paris, Tokyo and Madrid.

Aliou Maiga is Regional Director: West and Central Africa for the IFC. H leads the implementation of IFC’s strategy across sectors and manages key clients, partners, and governments relationships in the sub-region. Prior to this, he was Regional Industry Head, Financial Institutions Group (“FIG”), Sub-Saharan Africa, and Resident Representative in Ethiopia where he rebuilt IFC’s franchise, before moving to Asia as Regional Manager, Financial Institutions Group for East Asia and Pacific. He has been instrumental in building IFC’s FIG business in Africa and East Asia. He holds an engineering degree (Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Telecoms and IT), and an MBA.

Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa is an innovative, resilient architect with 30+ years’ Real Estate, Infrastructure Development, Banking and Management. Prior to being MD/CEO of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, he was Managing Partner of AM Design Consults and Jarlo International Nig. Ltd. As as a mortgage finance practitioner at Sahel Mortgage Finance Limited, he was Property Manager, Head of Credit Control and then Manager, Mortgage Banking Division. He is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Architects and Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Executives of Nigeria. He holds an MSc. (Arc), an MBA, and Honours degree in Architecture.

Yasmina Mekouar is a Vice President at Apis Partners, a growth equity Private Equity Fund manager focused on investing in innovative Financial Services companies in Africa and Asia. Prior to Apis Partners, Yasmina was an investment professional at CDC Group, where she worked on over ten investments in private equity funds and companies in several sectors including financial services and real estate across Africa. Previously, Yasmina worked in the Financial Institutions group at Lazard and Moelis & Company.

Kehinde Ogundimu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. He is a professional with 20+ years’ experience in financial services, energy and public accounting. He started his career at PwC and worked in various capacities at Texaco Overseas and at Pepco Energy Services, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and finally at Capital One Bank, as Head of Debt, Derivatives and Securitization before joining NMRC. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, a CPA and a CFA. He has attended executive management programs at Harvard Business School and Gordon Institute of Business Science.

Oscar Mgaya is CEO of Tanzania Mortgage Refinance Company. He has 18+ years’ commercial real estate and financial services experience. Prior to TMRC, Oscar was the Director: Real Estate for Limited Brands and worked for JP Morgan Chase and General Electric Company. He holds a BA in Finance/Management and a MA in Management from Walsh University. Oscar is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Union for Housing Finance (IUHF). He is also a Board Member of Watumishi Housing Company (WHC) and the Chairperson of the Finance and Investments Committee of the WHC Board.

Twaambo Hamusute is Chief Executive Officer of Zambian Home Loans, which he has led since inception. He has over 12 years’ experience in insurance, risk management and business development. Twaambo worked at Barclays Bank Zambia Plc, where he served in various senior management roles such as business development, strategy, bancassurance and consumer lending. Twaambo studied economics and statistics at the University of Zambia, and completed his postgraduate studies in actuarial science at the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. Twaambo’s ultimate goal is to position Zambia Home Loans as a leading mortgage player in Zambia.

Samson Moraba is CEO of National Housing Finance Corporation and is a licensing committee member of the FSB. He currently serves on numerous boards, including the Cape Town Community Housing Company and Community Property Holdings Limited. Samson was previously Director: IT at Standard Corporate Merchant Bank, and member of the Business Prioritisation Committee. Samson has also served as Senior Consultant at Gemini Consulting and Manager within the Corporate Finance Division of JCI. He served as Chairman of the African Union for Housing Finance and was on the committee revising the 1990s Bank Act at the South African Reserve Bank.

Andrew Chimphondah is Managing Director of Shelter Afrique, the Pan-African finance institution dealing exclusively with providing affordable housing finance and advisory solutions in Africa. He is a CA, a member of SAICA and ICAZ. He holds an MBA in International Finance and is currently completing his PHD thesis on innovative housing finance solutions for the affordable housing market. He has more than 20 years’ Finance and Business executive leadership experience in real estate finance, retail and wholesale banking. He has hugely successful business turnarounds and fundraising initiatives in several housing finance corporations.

Mehluli Mpofu is currently the Deputy Managing Director for Central Africa Building Society (CABS), the largest building society in Zimbabwe. He is the current Chair for the Zimbabwe Association of Housing Financiers. Mehluli is an experienced investment professional having worked for the Old Mutual Group in Zimbabwe firstly as an Investment Analyst and ultimately as Managing Director of the Group’s Investment Business in Zimbabwe before joining CABS. He holds a Charter in Financial Analysis as well as an MBA from the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business. He studied Electrical Engineering at the University of Zimbabwe.

Davina Wood is an affordable housing consultant, specializing in the US’ Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program and sub-Saharan Africa affordable housing finance. She has ten years of experience in the financial sector, including four years at JPMorgan’s Community Development Bank, where she underwrote debt on LIHTC projects. Davina holds an MIA in International Finance and Monetary Theory from Columbia University and a BS in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

Thierno Habib Hann (Habib) is the Senior Housing Finance Specialist for the Sub-Saharan Africa region, at IFC, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Habib has an extensive background in housing finance, structured finance, financial institutions, and in the World Bank’s work on the legal and regulatory environment for private sector investment. Habib spent eleven years working in New York, leading and participating in Investment Banking teams issuing Residential Mortgage Backed Securities (RMBS), Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (CMOs), Credit Derivatives (CDS), and CDOs at J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, as a Vice-President.

Dr. Chii Akporji is a well-published author, has +20 years’ experience in development finance, played a key role in the start-up of the Nigeria Mortgage Refinance Company and is Director: Policy, Corporate Strategy and Business Development. Dr. Akporji served as Advisor to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, where she assisted in the execution of several economic reforms, which yielded between 4% and 6% GDP Growth from 2012–2014, and led to the recognition of Nigeria’s economy as the largest in sub-Saharan Africa. She holds an MA and PhD, has executive management certifications from Harvard and Wharton Business School.

Sébastien Garnier is MD at AxHA – has almost ten years’ experience in social and affordable housing. First, as advisor in the Financial and Public Affairs departments of Aedes and then in European Affairs and managing the Brussels office. He was chair of Social Affairs committee of Housing Europe. He assisted with one of the largest social bond issues for affordable housing ($2.3 billion). Currently, Sébastien is Innovation and Project Manager at Housing Europe and Managing Director of AxHA, a European consultancy providing advice to cities, companies, associations and investors.

Solly Mboweni is the Head of Housing Operations for International Housing Solutions (IHS). His responsibilities include new investments and asset management. He has 22 years of property and real estate experience, including property finance, valuations, asset management and property development. He has worked on real estate investment funds in the office, retail, industrial and hotel sectors, including funds managed by Old Mutual, FNB, Standard Bank, and Liberty Properties. Solly worked for ABSA Bank as its Head of CPF Structured Lending and later as a Principal in the Property Equity Division and Head of ABSA Devco Sustainable Integrated Developments.

David ASHIAGBOR is the Coordinator for Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A), a multi-donor funded initiative which supports financial sector development in Africa through research, knowledge management and advocacy, at the African Development Bank. David heads MFW4A Partnership Secretariat. MFW4A’s priority areas include Financial Inclusion (Digital Finance, Agricultural Finance, SME Finance), Long Term Finance and Financial Stability and Governance. David previously managed the Commonwealth’s Private Investment Initiative (CPII) and also worked for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Agence Française de Développement. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics and The Management School, Imperial College, London.

Mark Seymour is MD of Thuthukani Financial Services. He serves as vice chairperson of Micro Finance South Africa. He plays an active role in various industry bodies eg the South African Credit Risk Reporting Association, the Credit Providers Association, the National Loans Register Management Committee, the Steering Committee of the unification of the NLR and CPA data set initiative, and on various technical committees of the National Credit Regulator (NCR). Mark was involved in low-cost housing developments. He obtained an MBA and completed an Executive HBS ACCION Program on Strategic Leadership in Micro Finance.

Victor Randall has been a part of the Home Loan Guarantee Company group for the past 21 years. He has played an active role in the pioneering of borrower education, headed the Housing for HIV programme, helped market the Guarantee product in certain African countries with HFGARe and now plays a role in YoManE, the payment gateway.

Dominic Adu is CEO and co-founder of Ghana Home Loans (GHL), the leading residential home finance lender in Ghana with over $150m in assets and has raised over
$200m from funders. Prior to co-founding GHL, Dominic was a Principal Investment Officer at Actis. He was a principal in originating, structuring and managing both the US$35m Accra Shopping Mall, Ghana as well as the US$45m Palms Mall, Lagos, Nigeria Dominic has worked with AngloGold Ashanti, Watson Wyatt Investment Advisors (UK)
and BDO Stoy Hayward (UK). Dominic is a graduate from the Universities of Manchester and London and a Chartered Accountant.

Pamela Nqini is currently Head of Market Development, Centre for Affordable Housing Finance in Africa  . Prior to that, she was Investment Analyst – Real Estate for Standard Bank, Financial Officer: CVM Reporting for Nedbank, Financial Controller for Fairheads Benefit Services (Pty) Ltd, Financial Administrator for  Allan Gray (Pty) Ltd. She has a Master’s in International Development Management and is a ETDP SETA accredited training. Pamela has also completed two professional certificates in Introduction and Essential Commercial Property, Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management and holds a B.Tech in Financial Information Systems.

Juliet Munro is Director: Financial Systems at FSD Africa, responsible for overseeing interventions that cut across a variety of themes – from credit, housing finance and insurance, to remittances, community finance and financial integrity. This includes FSD Africa’s partnership with the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance (CAHF), which has existed since 2014. Before joining FSD Africa Juliet worked for FinMark Trust for seven years, managing the organisation’s inclusive finance projects in Zambia. She also worked briefly for FSD Zambia, seconded as part of her FSD Africa role. Juliet lives in Lusaka, Zambia, but commutes regularly to FSD Africa’s office in Nairobi.

Michael Waller is the MD of Sofala Capital, a housing finance investment company, where he has driven the formation and development of both Zambian Home Loans (“ZHL”) and IBUILD Home Loans (“IBUILD”).  ZHL provides affordable mortgage finance and building advice to Zambians who are in the process of building their own homes. IBUILD provides micro-mortgages to low income, South Africans to build rental rooms onto their houses. Prior to founding Sofala Capital, Michael was a Director of Standard Bank Plc where he headed the origination and structuring for the African Markets business. Michael is a Chartered Accountant and CFA Charter holder.

Mfundo Mabaso is a Growth Head at FNB Home Finance (FNB is a division of FirstRand Bank Limited), focusing primarily on affordable housing. FirstRand is one of the largest financial institutions in South Africa, and through FNB has a presence in 8 other African countries. Mfundo has worked in the financial services sector for well over 10 years and his experience spans from banking to insurance. Prior to joining FNB, he worked for Discovery (health and life insurer) and Old Mutual before that. Mfundo is a member of the affordable housing committee at BASA (Banking Association of South Africa).

Benedito Murambire develops FSDMoç financial inclusion agenda by initiating, structuring, and negotiating partnerships designed to increase financial services for micro, small and medium MSMEs, small farmers and households. Benedito has 20+ years’ experience in consultancy, mainly financial sector, strategic organisational development, institutional capacity building, and training design and delivery. Benedito worked for Ernst & Young, International Capital Corporation, and provided consulting services for development agencies, such as UNDP, GIZ, USAID, UN-Habitat, DFID. Benedito holds an MBA and is currently doing a PhD in strategy and entrepreneurship focusing on Affordable Housing Finance.

Dorothy Baziwe is a social worker with over 10 years’ experience in sectors like Banking, Health, Youth empowerment, HIV and AIDS, Water Sanitation and Hygiene, Gender, Urban Planning, and Housing and Human Settlements. Dorothy is currently the Executive Director of Shelter and Settlements Alternatives: Uganda Human Settlements Network. In the 5 years at SSA: UHSNET, she has gained experience in the housing development cycle; working with low income earners to improve their access to adequate housing; lobbying and advocating for favorable legal frameworks toward adequate housing and also action research and demonstration of affordable housing in Uganda.

Dr. Olivier Hassler is an independent housing finance consultant and the non-executive chairman of CRH, a major issuer of covered bonds. Prior to the Word Bank, he worked in France for a specialized mortgage finance financial institution. He has been involved in projects, technical assistance and advisory work in Africa, Middle East/North Africa, Latin America and South Asia. He focuses on the foundations of housing finance market, regulatory frameworks, funding instruments, access of lower income households to housing finance, and public assistance policies. Olivier hassler holds a post-Master’s in Economics and the Diploma of the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris.

Simon Walley has been with the World Bank for 10 years – his role has been varied covering a range of countries from Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. In particular, he has worked on the development of affordable housing solutions through improving the access to financial services. He has worked extensively on developing secondary mortgage markets through the creation of liquidity facilities, mortgage subsidy schemes and housing microfinance.Prior to the World Bank, Simon spent 3 years in Brussels with the European Mortgage Federation as Deputy Secretary General.

Olu Olanrewaju is the Director of Altair Africa. Altair is one of the world’s leading independent housing and finance consultancies specialising in the provision of affordable housing. Prior to Altair, Olu has held a number of Chief Executive and Executive Director roles in various Affordable housing companies in the UK. He is co-founder of the the African Housing company a UK registered affordable housing development company operating in Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. He completed a Geography, urban and regional planning Bsc Hons, PGDp property and development, MBA and a Directors programme.

Ronald Omyonga is a co-founder and Chief Relationship Officer at iBUILD Global Inc. Prior to iBUILD, Ronald was the Housing Support Services Specialist for the Mastcard Foundation supported HMF project at Habitat For Humanity International based in Kenya. Ronald is an affordable housing expert who combines architecture, planning and development skills and experience with direct working experience with financial institutions to develop housing microfinance products for low income families. His 16 year work experience has seen him in sectors from slum upgrading, microenterprise development, multi-sectoral rural development, human rights approach and how you interlink that with financing.

Joseph Chikolwa is Managing Director of Zambia National Building Society. He has over 20 years’ experience in banking and general management. He is the chairman of the board of trustees for the National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) which is the largest pension scheme in Zambia with assets in excess of US$2 billion. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (UK) and has also served as director on boards of several public and private sector institutions. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Zambia and an MBA from Manchester Business School.

Lew is a dynamic, innovative social entrepreneur having gained his experience over a diverse career spanning several decades and applying his knowledge and desire to help develop and implement scalable solutions to complex global social issues. Post military, he turned his attention to pioneering economic development projects in Central America. Lew redirected his attention to applying the hybrid value chain concept to affordable housing construction and finance in the U.S. and internationally. Currently, Lew is the co-founder and Board Chair of iBUILD Global, a revolutionary technology company, delivering a scalable mobile C2C solution “Empowering the World to Build.”

Michael Fuchs is a consultant to the World Bank and others on financial sector development in Africa and East Asia. He was Advisor and Acting Sector Manager in the Finance and Private Sector Department of the World Bank and then worked in financial sector development, leading financial sector assessments as well as policy reform and technical assistance operations. Michael also worked in the World Bank’s East and Central Asia Region, focusing on Russia in the wake of the financial collapse. Michael was employed also by the Danish Central Bank and Ministry of Finance. He has a BA, PhD and MA.

Having joined the ASPIM (The French association of REIT's) in 2002 as Legal and Tax Manager, Arnaud Dewachter gradually became the General Delegate from March 2010. He
has developed an in-depth expertise of real estate investment funds under French law, namely mainly SCPIs and OPCIs. He has indeed been involved in the projects that have
shaped the legal, fiscal, accounting and marketing of these funds. Arnaud is a graduate of Sciences Po (The Institute of Political Studies of Paris) and holds a Master Degree in law with
a specialization in international economic relations from University of Paris.

 M. Clayton is Westbridge Mortgage REIT’s Chairman and BHCI’s new majority shairholder. He has +40 years of experience in real estate finance, in Canada. He was Chairman and CEO of Resmor Trust and MonCana Bank, two major pioneers of residential debts securitization. 

Abou Touré Organisation : BHCI, Fonction : Directeur Général Il est en charge de l’exécution de la stratégie globale de la banque, il a été à l’origine du récent redressement de la Banque d’état dont il a dirigé la privatisation. Ses actions ont continué sous Westbridge, le nouvel actionnaire majoritaire. Il a occupé le poste de Chef du service des conseils à la Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO), et par ailleurs participé à la rédaction du Pacte de convergence, de stabilité, de croissance et de solidarité entre les états de l’UEMOA.

Célestin Koalla is the Director of Housing and Land Development in the Ministry of Construction, Housing, Sanitation and Urban Planning, Côte d’Ivoire. In this capacity, he participated in the design of the strategy, the assembly, the implementation and monitoring of real estate projects of the presidential program of construction of social and economic housing. He is an expert with more than 20 years of experience in land and housing, and a graduate from the Interstate School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Olivier Vidal is the Francophone Programme Manager at CAHF, responsible for overseeing the development of CAHF activities in Francophone Africa, through the support of the French Development Agency. Before CAHF, he worked for six years for the ADB in the Financial Sector Development Department, as a Senior Research Officer inside the multi-donor partnership MFW4A. Before this he worked with the World Food Program and the French ministry of foreign affairs. He holds a Master Degree in International Development and Economics from the French Institute of Political Studies – Sciences-Po Toulouse, France, and a Bachelor Degree in Economics from the Aix-Marseille University.

Constantine Kandie is a founder member spearheading the Kenya Pension Funds Investment Consortium (in formation) for infrastructure development. She  is a seasoned Management Consultant, SME  and Agribusiness Expert. She is a Board Member, Practical Action UK and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, former Director Kenya Revenue Authority, and Chair of the KRA Board of Trustees,

She is the Secretary General of Professional Women Empowered.(PROWE).  IFC/World Bank Technical Advisor to the PS State Department for Trade.  CEO and founder, The Leadership and Governance Advisory (LGA) Group.

Mrs. Akosua M. Nelson-Cofie, is a Portfolio Specialist by profession. She is currently the Portfolio Manager, Equities of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) in Ghana. She has also served on the Boards of several private sector companies. Mrs Nelson-Cofie currently serves on the Board of two private equity funds.

Professional experience in two emerging regions (MENA & Sub-Saharan Africa). Working for Multilateral Development Banks and Multinational Commercial Banks in financing Private and Public Sectors. Diversified background with emphasis on infrastructure and corporate finance, capital markets and financial sector development.

Olamide Edun joined Lion’s Head as a Director, working primarily on behalf of the African Local Currency Bond Fund (www.alcbfund.com). Olamide has evaluated and executed
transactions with a focus on affordable housing solutions. Before joining Lion’s Head, Olamide worked as a member of the investment team at Synergy Capital Managers, a
private equity fund focused on providing equity and equity-linked investments to SMEs operating in Nigeria and Ghana. Prior to this, Olamide worked at Moelis & Company,
advising UK and European funds and corporates on debt restructuring and recapitalisation transactions. Olamide holds a BA in Classics from Balliol College, Oxford.”

Abdelkader Benbrahim joined the Making Finance Work for Africa Partnership (MFW4A) as a Senior Communications Specialist and is currently the Associate
Financial Sector Advisor serving as the focal point for MFW4A’s financial inclusion & housing finance work streams. Abdelkader worked for Global Affairs Canada
supporting its ICT for development function. He has also served for both the President’s and Minister’s Office for more than three years. Abdelkader is a graduate
of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Management Studies, where he studied information systems and digital innovation.

Alison Tshanganajoined CAHF as the Head of Research and Market Intelligence in June 2018. With nearly 10 years experience in the public sector, her areas of interest include human settlement policies and programmes, inter-governmental finance and public expenditure analysis. She recently joined CAHF from the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), where she led SALGA’s work on human settlements, acting as a local government sector advocate and policy analyst. She has senior management experience at provincial level in South Africa in both the housing sector and Treasury.

With a background in policy analysis and implementation, Mounia Tagma deploys her expertise to successfully manage projects ranging from consulting to conducting educational study tours for clients. Before joining AHI full-time in February 2017, Mounia was one of AHI’s key associates in the Middle East since 2013. Most recently, Mounia conducted a housing ecosystem study in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She studied housing markets in Chad and Mali for a Gulf real estate developer. She also advised the Government of Turkey on a social rental housing program to increase access to affordable housing for the bottom 40% of Turkey’s population. Mounia worked with the World Bank to analyze the efficiency of housing subsidies in Morocco and making recommendations for better use of public resources for the same.

Previously, as the Head of Cooperation and Institutional Relations at Al Omrane Holding, the state-owned implementing agency of housing policy in Morocco, Mounia developed and implemented the cooperation and institutional partnerships strategy. In her previous role as Project Manager reporting to the CEO of Al Omrane, Mounia coordinated public-private partnerships for affordable housing and new urban developments in Morocco. Her work entailed evaluating the effectiveness of social support activities for households in slum upgrading or relocation programs and proposing recommendations to improve impact. She has worked with the Affordable Housing Institute to produce a policy analysis of affordable housing policy in Morocco through a country review of the Villes Sans Bidonvilles program in Morocco.

Evans is Director, Financial Markets at Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Africa, where he leads capital markets development initiatives across sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to joining FSD Africa, he worked with the IFC/World Bank as Head, Efficient Securities Markets Institutional Development (ESMID) Africa. Before joining the World Bank Group, he was Chief Investments Officer at AIG Global Investment Group where his responsibilities included managing a pan-African total return fund that was a pioneer investor in debt and equity markets in Africa. Evans holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from the Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).