IIA Invests In GUBA

Invest in Africa (IIA) has become the latest high-profile sponsor of the UK's only award scheme to recognise British-Ghanaian achievements.

IIA, a growing group of international companies working together to address the cross-sector challenges of doing business in Africa, is supporting the annual Ghana UK-Based Achievements Awards (GUBA) by sponsoring this year's 'Invest in Africa Sustainable Business Award'.

This new award honours a UK or Ghana-based investor who has made a commitment to developing a sustainable business in Africa, and the winner will be announced at a high-profile event in London this November.

William Pollen, Programme Director at Invest in Africa, says the sponsorship is a 'perfect match' for the organisation's core aims of attracting and facilitating business investment on the continent.

At present, IIA is focused on supporting local businesses in Ghana by providing greater access to finance, skills and markets, making it easier for international companies to source locally and at scale.

Speaking yesterday, he commented: 'This award reflects the aims and ambitions of Invest in Africa namely, to challenge misperceptions of doing business on the continent by championing impressive local businesses to inspire new investment into one of the world's fastest growing regions.

'Both the Partners behind Invest in Africa and the organisers of the GUBA Awards believe that to do business in Africa you need to adopt a long-term, sustainable mindset. IIA recognises that it makes good business sense for our Partners to source more locally and help build capacity, placing us in the heart of the economy through strong partnerships with local businesses.

'With this agenda in mind, we are proud to lend our name to this Sustainable Business Award.'

Founded in 2012 by former GUBA Best Business Award-winner Tullow Oil, Invest in Africa brings together companies with years of experience working across the continent, pooling expertise and resources from different sectors to address the shared challenges and realise the opportunities of doing business in Africa.

IIA Partners also include Ernst & Young and Lonrho.

IIA places an emphasis on the importance of doing business sustainably across Africa through its Commitment to Responsible Investment, which champions best practice in governance and working with local communities.

The GUBA IIA Sustainable Business Award, new for 2013, celebrates excellence in sustainable business and is open to companies which have a proven track record of supporting the local economies and communities in which they operate.

Examples of good practice include creating jobs within these communities, and assisting with the development of residents' skill sets.

Nominations for the award closed in June and a short-list of nominees for this and all the other categories will be announced at the House of Commons, London, on Thursday, September 5 during the GUBA 2013 Awards launch. Speaking about the new sponsorship deal, GUBA founder and CEO Dentaa Amoateng said: 'We are delighted to welcome IIA as our latest sponsor for the 2013 awards.

'The business initiative is doing great work promoting Africa to multi-nationals around the world, assisting in the development of the continent as a 21st century economic powerhouse.

'Theirs is a vision we share wholeheartedly. By boosting economic growth, creating new jobs and opportunities, Invest in Africa is a positive force for established and new investors and local businesses and communities.'

Now in their fourth year, the GUBA Awards a non-profit organisation backed by the Ghana High Commission have become the benchmark of business and innovative success, recognising achievement and enterprise within the UK's 500,000-strong Ghanaian community as well as the 'outstanding and valuable' contribution that British-Ghanaians make to both countries.

Since their creation in 2010, a variety of politicians, celebrities and other high-profile stars have lent their support including Tony and Cherie Blair, Dianne Abbott MP, FIFA President Sepp Blatter, actor Hugh Quarshie, and most recently Adam Afriyie MP.

Previous GUBA Award winners include MoneyGram, Armajaro Trading, entrepreneurs Sir Sam Jonah and Roland Agambire, and Labour politician Lord Paul Boateng.

At least 1,000 entrants from a cross-section of industries are expected to take part in this year's awards, which are divided into 11 categories including the IIA Sustainability Award, Business of the Year, Ghanaian Association of the Year and Charity of The Year.

The winners will be announced at a high-profile black-tie event at the exclusive Park Plaza Hotel in London on 16 November.

For more information visit www.gubaawards.co.uk

For all media enquiries, please contact Michael Blight at Palamedes on 0207 1383067 or [email protected]

About Invest in Africa
Invest in Africa (IIA) is a growing group of international companies working together to address the cross-sector challenges of doing business in Africa. At present, IIA is focused on supporting local businesses by providing greater access to finance, skills and markets, making it easier for international companies working in Africa to source locally and at scale. Founded in 2012 by Tullow Oil, IIA has since been joined by Lonrho and Ernst & Young.

The experience of operating in Africa has helped IIA Partners to understand both the business challenges and the significant business opportunities on the continent. IIA's united approach means that companies working in Africa can overcome these challenges and drive cross-sector growth for the benefit of all. IIA Partners are committed to sustainable investment, building long-term local partnerships and supporting the economies in which they operate.