Africa50, a pan-African infrastructure investment platform, has appointed Mr Djalal Khimdjee as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its Africa50 Principal Investment Fund.
The platform disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, saying the appointment would take effect from Aug. 1.
It said the fund, formerly known as Africa50 Project Finance, invests in infrastructure projects across Africa to promote economic growth and sustainable development.
According to the statement, Khimdjee will lead the fund through its next phase of growth by scaling investments that deliver sustainable returns while accelerating infrastructure development across the continent.
It said the new CEO brings more than 25 years of experience in infrastructure investment, executive leadership and development finance.
The statement noted that before his appointment, Khimdjee served as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Proparco, the private sector financing arm of the French Development Agency (AFD) Group.
It added that during his eight-year tenure, he helped increase the institution’s annual investments from 1.4 billion euros to 2.5 billion euros, while assets under management grew from five billion euros to 7.5 billion euros.
According to the statement, Khimdjee also held senior leadership and investment positions within the AFD Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), supporting infrastructure and private sector projects across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America.
Speaking on his appointment, Khimdjee described Africa’s infrastructure gap as both a major challenge and a significant investment opportunity.
“Africa’s infrastructure gap is one of the defining challenges and one of the most compelling investment opportunities of the coming decades.
“I am delighted to join Africa50 at this important stage of its growth.
“I look forward to working with shareholders, partners and investors to accelerate transformative infrastructure projects across the continent,” he said.
The Group Chief Executive Officer, Africa50, Alain Ebobissé, said Khimdjee’s experience would strengthen the organisation’s investment platform and support its long-term strategy.
Ebobissé said the appointment reflected Africa50’s ambition to deepen partnerships with institutional investors and accelerate infrastructure projects that would enhance Africa’s growth, resilience and competitiveness.
He reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to mobilising long-term capital to bridge Africa’s infrastructure deficit and promote inclusive economic transformation.
Africa50 is a pan-African infrastructure investor established by African governments, the African Development Bank and the Central Bank of West African States to develop and finance infrastructure projects across the continent.
