CDC, the UK’s development finance institution, has appointed Imoni Akpofure as a Regional Director for Africa based in Lagos, Nigeria.

She becomes CDC’s second, locally-based Regional Director for Africa, working alongside Suleiman Kiggundu, to provide local knowledge, guidance and strong relationships to ensure that CDC’s capital is deployed to meet the needs of businesses across the continent.

Akpofure is an experienced finance and sustainability professional with 25 years’ experience in developed and developing markets, with a particular understanding of sub-Saharan Africa.

She joins CDC after a long career at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, where her most recent role was as Director, Western Europe.

Her 18-year career at IFC included working in the Infrastructure, Environment and Social Development, and Global Manufacturing and Services Departments and senior roles in IFC regional offices in Harare, Johannesburg, and Accra.

She is a non-Executive Director of UTC Nigeria Plc, serves on the Advisory Board of KINA Advisory Ltd, UK, and is a Faculty Member of the Business and Sustainability Programme under the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

In her new role, Akpofure will primarily focus on working with CDC’s investment teams in London to ensure that CDC’s capital is being invested to support growing companies in Anglophone and Francophone West Africa, a region where CDC currently has 208 investments, as well as Lusophone (Portuguese speaking) Africa.

Diana Noble, CDC’s CEO, said: “I am delighted to welcome Imoni to CDC. Having worked in senior investment roles in a number of African countries her extensive knowledge of our markets will further strengthen our ability to support businesses and create jobs across Africa.”

“She understands the challenges that companies operating in Africa face when trying to grow and develop and the local insight and networks she brings will be invaluable as we increase our investment activity,” she said.

”CDC now invests capital, both debt and equity, directly and through funds in almost 600 companies across Africa. Imoni will help our London-based investment teams to play an even more important role in supporting private sector development in West Africa and the continent’s Portuguese-speaking countries,” she added.