OREANDA-NEWS. Renaissance Capital, the leading emerging markets investment bank, has kicked off its 4th Annual 1:1 Pan-Africa Investor Conference in Lagos, Nigeria. Against the current backdrop of global market instability, Africa remains a source of tremendous growth and opportunity: this, and many other topics, will be the focus of the three-day event.

In keeping with previous years’ events, the 2013 Pan Africa Investor Conference draws hundreds of high-calibre international and local investors and some of the foremost corporate names from across the continent, for exclusive 1:1 meetings, discussion and insight.

John Hyman, Chairman and co-CEO, Renaissance Capital, said, “Seven years after entering Africa, and building the largest on-the-ground presence of any international investment bank, we are here today to help accelerate the world’s realisation that Africa’s day has arrived. The calibre of investors this year is unprecedented, reflecting the global investor community’s focus on African, and in particular Nigerian, growth stories.”

Yvonne Ike, CEO, West Africa, Renaissance Capital, added, “Over the course of the next three days we will be bringing together some of Nigeria’s and Africa’s most exciting corporate names with an incredibly impressive line-up of international investors. At Renaissance Capital, we firmly believe that Africa is experiencing a rapidly evolving growth revolution, much of this revolution will catch people by surprise. Nigeria will lead this growth revolution. We remain strongly committed to unlocking Africa's growth potential.”

Opening the conference, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy, Minister of Finance, and contributor of the foreword for Renaissance Capital’s groundbreaking book, The Fastest Billion: The Story Behind Africa’s Economic Revolution, said: “Renaissance Capital has always been at the forefront in picking up the trends in Africa in a realistic way, and I would like to commend them on their innovative approach. In Nigeria, we have no intention of downplaying the existence of challenges, but we see them as tremendous sources of opportunity and growth in various sectors of the economy, which represent an enormous investment case to seize.”

Other prominent speakers at this year’s event include Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria; Oscar Onyema, CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange; Bismarck Rewane, Managing Director of Financial Derivatives Company Ltd; and Nick Blazquez, CEO of Diageo Africa.