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Created under the initiative of Nicolas Jean, partner and member of the executive committee of the law firm Gide, and the independent government advisory firm Global Sovereign Advisory (GSA), A new ROAD is the first think tank dedicated to African public debt. The think tank is composed of members of different nationalities, generations, and industries, with rich and multiple backgrounds, all gathered in the service of two common objectives: to change the paradigm regarding the issues of financing the continent's economies, and to propose a framework for reflection on the treatment and structuring of debt.

Faced with the Covid-19 crisis and its sanitary and economic consequences, A new ROAD was built around a strong conviction: that of respecting and strengthening the sovereignty of African states.

The think tank has thus been structured as a non-profit and non-political entity, whose members share a belief that innovative solutions will emerge from a collective reflection. They have chosen to come together to develop concrete proposals aimed at providing access to financing for African economies on fair and appropriate terms to support economic transformation, industrialization, and the financing of value-creating investments.

The official launch of this initiative took place on May 6, 2021 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, during a presentation press conference (broadcast online) of the think tank A New ROAD and its founding members. One of the think tank's first events will be the summit on the financing of African economies, which will take place on May 18 in Paris, and will be an opportunity to exchange with the actors invited to this summit in order to initiate the co-construction process targeted by A new ROAD.

A new ROAD is composed of the following personalities:

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1. Mr. Siandou Fofana, Minister of Tourism and Leisure of the Ivory Coast
2. Mrs. Sandra Ablamba Johnson, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Togolese Republic
3. Mr. Romuald Wadagni, Minister of Economy and Finance of Benin
4. Mr. Kako Nubukpo, former Minister of Forecasting and Public Policy Evaluation of Togo, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management (FASEG) at the University of Lomé, Economic Advisor to the President of the WAEMU Commission
5. Mrs. Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, Former Minister of National Education, Higher Education and Research in France and Director of One France
6. Mr. Hubert Védrine, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Secretary General of the French Presidency, Managing Partner of "Hubert Védrine Conseil''
7. Mr. Hamet Aguemon, Partner at Southbridge
8. Mrs. Roselyne Chambrier, Executive Director of Arise Ivory Coast
9. Mr. Félix Edoh Kossi Amenounve, Managing Director of BRVM and President of ASEA (Association of African Stock Exchanges)
10. Mr. Jean-Marc Brou, Advisor to the Ivorian Prime Minister in charge of financial issues, debt monitoring and financial risks
11. Mr. Omar Cissé, President and CEO of InTouch
12. Mr. Sidi-Mohamed Dhaker, Director of Cabinet of the Governor and Director of Communication at the Central Bank of Mauritania
13. Mr. Youssouf Fadiga, General Manager of the National Investment Bank of Ivory Coast (BNI)
14. Ms. Tariye Gbadegesin, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of ARM Harith Infrastructure Investment Limited
15. Mrs. Ghislane Guédira, Advisor to the chairman & CEO of OCP
16. Mr. Olivier Granet, Managing Partner and General Manager of Kasada Capital Management
17. Mr. Nicolas Jean, Partner at Gide
18. Mr. Adama Kamara, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister of Ivory Coast
19. Mrs Anne-Laure Kiechel, Founder of Global Sovereign Advisory
20. Mr. Pedro Novo, Executive Director in charge of Export at Bpifrance
21. Mr. Mario Pezzini, Director of the OCDE Development Centre
22. Mr. Wilfrid Lauriano do Rego, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of KPMG France and Coordinator of the Presidential Council for Africa
23. Mr. Laurent Thorrance, Manager of Axelcium
24. Mr. Stanislas Zeze, Chairman and CEO of Bloomfield Investment Corporation

For Gide, Nicolas Jean was accompanied by his team composed of Constance Emié, Perrine Delandre, and Célia Alao.

More about the project here.

A look back at the event in pictures and in video :

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