​Welcome to the fourth episode of Increasing Risk Tolerance to Drive Impact, a podcast series from the Emerging Africa and Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF), a Private Infrastructure Development Group company managed by Ninety One. This series explores ways to deliver transformative infrastructure in underserved geographies across Africa and Asia.

​In this episode, Bilal Latib, legal director for Emerging Markets Alternative Credit at Ninety One, unpacks the forces shaping infrastructure investment, focusing on the gap between actual and perceived risk known as the 'prejudice premium'. He discusses innovative strategies to navigate and actively improve regulatory environments, break self-reinforcing cycles, and support long-term impact and sustainable development. We also observed how regulatory improvements and institutional flexibility create innovation, improve service delivery, and expand connectivity in the African context.

​Given Africa’s low infrastructure debt default rate of just 1.9%, the exaggerated perception of risk creates a barrier that costs the continent US$75 billion in excess financing costs each year. Addressing these policy and regulatory challenges can mobilise private capital, establish bankable frameworks, and build essential infrastructure while aligning with development priorities in areas in need of vital infrastructure.

​Our guest shares key insights and lessons from successful infrastructure projects across the continent, including the Azura Edo power project in Nigeria, the Kigali Bulk Water project in Rwanda, and the CEC Renewables initiative in Zambia.

This episode is essential listening for policymakers, investors, and development practitioners seeking to understand how to unlock potential in some of the world’s fastest-growing, yet underserved, markets.

Our guest is: Bilal Latib, Director, Legal, Emerging Markets Alternative Credit, Ninety One

Your host is Lindsay Walker, business broadcaster.

To find out more about how EAAIF is driving transformative infrastructure development, visit our website.

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COP30 has been called the most important climate conference in years – and for emerging markets and developing economies, the stakes couldn’t be higher. These regions are already living with the accelerating impacts of climate change, making the agreements reached at COP crucial for their futures.

PIDG has attended every COP since Glasgow. This year, our CEO and Climate Change Manager were on the ground in Brazil, engaging in discussions on adaptation, resilience, nature-positive infrastructure, and the mobilisation of private finance.

In this episode, we reflect on the biggest takeaways from this year’s event, how financial institutions can collaborate for better climate risk management, and the role of nature-positive infrastructure to align climate, biodiversity and equity goals. We also explore what all of this means for PIDG’s bold 2030 Strategy. 

Our guests are:

• Philippe Valahu, CEO PIDG
• Stuart Cannon, Climate Change Manager, PIDG

Your host is Marcel Klebba, Communications Manager at PIDG.

Learn more about PIDG on our website, pidg.org.

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Across Africa and Asia, the sustainable transport industry is growing fast. From the rapid adoption of electric vehicles, to the implementation of alternative fuels, emerging markets are making great strides.

Transport currently accounts for one quarter of global CO2 emissions – so this work couldn’t be more critical. Especially in the countries where PIDG operates, which are often hardest hit by the impacts of climate change.

To mark World Sustainable Transport Day 2025, we look beneath the surface of some projects that PIDG is supporting to improve the environmental impact, safety, resilience and efficiency of travel.

Learn about the impacts of our projects, including SUN Mobility, Zembo, The Dakar Bus Rapid Transit, Everest Fleet, Muthoot Capital, and Vivriti Capital.

Also hear from Kaushik Burman, the CEO of e-mobility company Spiro, which is providing electric motorbikes to the population and aims to deploy over a thousand electric battery swapping stations across Benin and Togo.

Our guests are:

• Kaushik Burman, CEO, Spiro
• Wendy Kyalo, Senior Impact Advisor, PIDG

Your host is Marcel Klebba, Communications Manager at PIDG.

Learn more about PIDG on our website, pidg.org.

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Smallholder farmers contribute massively to Africa’s food security. But with increasingly unreliable rainfall in the region, they regularly face droughts and floods, leading to crop loss and widespread hunger.

As global temperatures continue to rise, one solution is helping the region to become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

Through its project development solution, InfraCo, PIDG is supporting the growth of SunCulture, a business that’s working to scale access to solar powered irrigation systems for thousands of farmers across Africa. PIDG has also provided SunCulture with technical assistance funding.

This year’s World Water Week theme is ‘Water for climate action.’ In this special episode, we discover the true extent of the water issues facing people in Africa today, and what will happen if we don’t get these under control. We find out why irrigation is such a vital piece of the puzzle in improving Africa’s food security, and the work being done behind the scenes to ensure sustainable water management for the future. And we hear directly from some smallholder farmers whose livelihoods have been transformed by SunCulture’s renewable technology.

Our guests are:

• Samir Ibrahim, CEO and Co-Founder at SunCulture
• Petra Schmitter, Research Group Leader - Climate Mitigation & Adaptation Pathways at the International Water Management Institute
• Zena Njuki, Technical Assistance Manager at PIDG

Your host is Marcel Klebba, Communications Manager at PIDG.

Learn more about PIDG on our website, pidg.org.

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What does the word ‘impact’ really mean? Measuring impact in all its forms is central to how PIDG works with partners and local communities to enable long-lasting, meaningful change.

With the launch of PIDG’s 2024 Sustainability and Impact report, we’re spotlighting two impactful initiatives from our portfolio which highlight how impact can be intentionally planned for, measured and sustained.

These projects are with the Dhamana Guarantee Company, which supports the growth of sustainable businesses in Kenya by enabling access to finance. And Arya.ag, India’s leading grain commerce platform, which is helping to build financial inclusion and climate resilience for farmers.

Hear how these initiatives are helping improve access to new or improved infrastructure and pushing us towards a more sustainable and climate-resilient future.

Our guests are:

• Christopher Olobo, CEO of the Dhamana Guarantee Company
• Prasanna Rao, Co-founder and CEO of Arya.ag 
• Pritisha Uttamchandani, Senior Sustainable Impact Manager at PIDG
• And Cristina Traini, Senior Sustainable Impact Manager at PIDG

Your host is Marcel Klebba, Communications Manager at PIDG.

Learn more about PIDG on our website, pidg.org.

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Good Health and safety performance requires a positive health and safety culture. This is not a nice-to-have - it’s about protecting and saving lives, making projects sustainable and delivering long-term value to your employees and customers. Yet we are still seeing a lack of consideration being given to the importance of Health and safety.

That’s why, at PIDG, we have developed a good practice note (GPN), in collaboration with British International Investment, to propose a framework that helps leaders develop and foster a positive H&S culture. Titled ‘Developing and Sustaining a Positive Occupational Health and Safety Culture,’ the practical guidance is now publicly available

In a special episode marking World Day for Safety and Health At Work, we delve into the GPN to discuss the urgent need to improve occupational health and safety, outline case studies from our respective portfolios - projects which have made transformational changes to their business by implementing robust HSES strategies - and explore the essential principles that underpin good OHS performance.

Tune in for a conversation with:

Dr Emily Wood, Global Head of Health Safety Environment and Social (HSES) at PIDG.

Ezgi Kiris, Manager, Environment and Social at British International Investment (BII).

Your host is Marcel Klebba, Communications Manager at PIDG.

Learn more about PIDG on our website, pidg.org.

Glossary of terms:

OHS: Operational health and safety 

GPN: Good practice note

HSES: Health, safety, environment and social

ESG: Environmental, social, and governance

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As climate change continues to disrupt ecosystems, economies, and communities, this Earth Day we know that sustainable solutions are more important than ever. At PIDG, we believe achieving a cleaner, greener future isn’t just about protecting nature - we must also empower people with the tools to thrive sustainably.

In this episode, we explore how PIDG is providing long-term energy solutions that foster economic growth and tackle climate change head-on. We hear directly from the communities these solutions are supporting. Plus, we learn how our projects are working to achieve the global mission of Earth Day - to build a greener, more sustainable planet.

Tune in for a conversation with:

Amine Amar, Senior Investment Manager at InfraCo, PIDG’s project development solution 

Your host is Marcel Klebba, Communications Manager at PIDG.

Learn more about PIDG on our website, pidg.org.

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The electrical grid in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, faces many challenges. Due to rapid, unplanned urban growth, widespread poverty and the system of overhead cables, people regularly steal power from the grid and electrocutions are common.

That’s why K-Electric has reinvented the way it deals with electrical safety. Through an inclusive and revolutionary programme, the 100-year-old energy company has trained the country’s first-ever female electricians – and the results have been astonishing.

In this episode, discover the true extent of the challenges facing Karachi’s electrical grid, from power theft to gang violence and fatalities. And learn how K-Electric’s Roshni Bajis have been providing help in ways that were impossible before they came along – saving the lives of women and children on a daily basis. 

Hear from:

-Rizwan Ahmed, Corporate Health, Safety, Environment and Quality Head, K-Electric

-Sadia Dada, Chief Distribution and Marcomms Officer, K-Electric

Also hear about the part GuarantCo has played in bringing K-Electric’s vision to life, with Lois Davidson, Director of Health, Safety, Environment and Social.

Your host is Alison Hicks.

Find out more at guarantco.com/blended-knowledge/

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This is an International Women’s Day special of PIDG Pulse.

At the current pace of change, the World Economic Forum says global gender equity will not be achieved until 2158 - 133 years from now. That’s why this year’s IWD theme is #AccelerateAction.

At PIDG, we make it a priority to empower and include women throughout our work - and have made great strides in achieving this through our Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action (GEDI) Plan.

In this episode, we highlight three PIDG projects, demonstrating our deliberate approach to gender inclusion and the significant impact it makes on the lives of local people. These projects include:

• Cambodia Water Portfolio
• The East Africa Marine Transport project
• Vivriti Capital’s expansion of the e-mobility industry in India

Learn about the major barriers and biases impacting women in low and middle income countries and in the infrastructure sector - and how PIDG is working to overcome them.

Tune in for a conversation with:

Cristina Traini, Development Impact Manager, InfraCo

Rodney Seema, Regional Asset Management Lead, InfraCo

Betsy Ambler, Grants and Impact Advisor, GuarantCo

Your host is Celia Carbajosa, Senior Impact Advisor, PIDG.

Watch the video edition of this episode on Vimeo.

Learn more about the PIDG GEDI plan on our website, pidg.org.

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From Pakistan to Nepal to Vietnam, electricity generation in Asia is a huge challenge. Wildly inconsistent energy supply causes regular power outages, impacting everyone. But now reliable power is finally coming to the region.

With PIDG’s support through project development and debt financing, Simple Energy in Nepal, Prism Energy in Pakistan and CME Solar in Vietnam are all expanding their rooftop solar operations to improve the energy landscape, transforming households and industry.

In this episode, we explore the biggest challenges facing the energy sector in these regions and why current methods aren’t keeping up with demand. We discover why solar generation is such an impactful solution, from its ease of deployment to its massive climate benefits. And we learn how the long-term sustainability of solar panels will be assured.

Tune in for a conversation with:

Juan Gin Foo, Business Development Manager at InfraCo.

Teresa Tam, PIDG Regional Technical Assistance Manager, Asia.

Your host is Marcel Klebba, Communications Manager at PIDG.

Learn more about PIDG on our website, pidg.org.

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