At the Global Gateway Forum, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, and Finnfund CEO, Jaakko Kangasniemi, have officially signed the Africa Connected Programme, a landmark guarantee agreement aimed at mobilising more than €1 billion in sustainable investments for digital infrastructure and digital service platforms in Sub-Saharan Africa. Finnfund becomes a first-time implementing partner of European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, the Global Gateway’s financial arm.
Commissioner Urpilainen said: “The EU and Finnfund share a vision for a more connected and economically empowered digital future of Sub-Saharan Africa. The guarantee presented today will help mobilising sustainable private investment to realise that vision, also in Least Developed Countries. I am delighted to welcome Finnfund putting Team Europe into action. Through Global Gateway, we are improving access to finance for digital infrastructure providers and digital platform businesses.”