The Government of Côte d’Ivoire commits EUR 5 million to SDG500 at United Nations High-Level Political Forum virtual side event

SDG500, a pioneering USD$500 million investment platform dedicated to helping achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has secured a new EUR 5 million commitment from the Government of Côte d’Ivoire. Lacina Koné, the Chief Executive Officer of SmartAfrica, made the announcement in a tribute address honoring the former Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire and his mentor, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, who passed away on July 8, 2020.

The UN High-Level Political Forum virtual side event also showcased SDG500 as a concrete investment opportunity for governments, DFIs, UN agencies, and civil society organizations to partner with the private sector on SME financing. SDG500 is an innovative finance vehicle to help close the SDG funding gap using blended finance and credit enhancement, representing a first for SDG-related assets in emerging and frontier markets. Its asset-backed securitization issue structure is specifically designed to unlock new sources of funding at scale from institutional investors by offering market-based yields in three tranches to attract investors with different risk-return appetites.