Afrika Insights Inc., an Ontario-based risk advisory and publishing company, joined The Canada-Africa Business Chamber last month, ahead of the annual Canada-Africa trade and investment forum, Africa Accelerating.
The firm’s primary objective is to provide Canadian companies and individuals with the information and knowledge to make beneficial investments in Africa.
During Africa Accelerating 2023, the Chamber’s premier event each year, CEO Felix Ofulue will address the 3-day gathering during the session on Knowledge Generation: The Role of the Chamber’s Institutional and Research Members across Africa.
“For many businesspeople and investors in developed countries such as Canada, Africa was for long an uncharted territory,’’ says Felix Ofulue, who is proud of his experience working for The Coca-Cola Company across Africa for almost two decades. ‘’Many money and asset managers avoided the continent for reasons including political instability, lack of amenities and utilities needed to run a business, frequent policy changes and the absence of the kind of predictability that minimizes risk.”
“Yet for those who dared, Africa consistently yielded among the highest rates of return on investment globally for the past two decades when compared with other emerging and frontier markets, adds Ofulue. ‘’Whether in long-term foreign direct investment or in portfolio flows, Africa has hugely benefited those who understood it’s terrain and navigated it’s risks with knowledge.”
Afrika Insights argues it is in prime position to provide timely and up-to-date business and political risk analyses to guide investors to profitable investment decisions across Africa: ‘’In a globalized world in which people are increasingly interconnected and can engage in real-time, instantaneous communication from any point in the globe, business opportunities are also transcending old barriers and boundaries. New risks are also emerging. Afrika Insights is led by outstanding professionals with the right skills and experience to deliver actionable advisories in a rapidly changing global environment.’’
Felix Ofulue, Afrika Insights Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer, says his experience at The Coca-Cola Company across Africa for almost 20 years included ‘stints in the east, south and west of the continent.’’ He now manages a team of researchers and analysts located across the continent to deliver information in easily digestible formats to our clients and readers.
Included on the team is Dulue Mbachu, a writer and journalist with more than two decades of experience. ‘’Dulue worked for the Reuters and Associated Press news agencies as a journalist covering Africa before he joined Bloomberg News in 2008 as an energy correspondent and went on to become the pioneer Nigeria bureau chief in 2010,’’ says Ofulue. ‘’He worked in other capacities as speed editor and government editor during his 13 years at the company. We are proud to have him serve in overseeing our research and publications at Afrika Insights.’’
Felix Ofulue says he looks forward to the active role he and his colleagues will play, following Afrika Insights’ accession into The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business: ‘’Jointly, and in collaboration with other partners and professionals, we will put our best efforts to support the work of The Canada-Africa Business Chamber toward boosting business relations between Canada and African markets.’’
