Who we are
We catalyse innovative finance to address the development challenges of West Africa.
Savannah Institute for Innovative Finance (SAIIF) is a thought leader in innovative finance in the West African sub-region. We provide capacity building to the main actors within the innovative finance ecosystem, conduct research, and develop case studies on innovative financing schemes that work and are scalable.
Our vision
A prosperous, gender-equal, and inclusive West Africa.
Our vision is to secure a prosperous, gender-equal, and inclusive West Africa region. We pursue this by acting as a catalyst that connects capital with the entrepreneurs, institutions, and ideas that move the region forward.
We focus on the structural and behavioural gaps that conventional finance has failed to close, including the persistent exclusion of women entrepreneurs from development financing and the mismatch between the type, pricing, and risk-return expectations of available funding.
Our goal
We act as a catalyst to deal with the challenges faced by the region.
Leverage capital where it is needed
We leverage capital in places that lack sufficient government resources to address developmental challenges.
Deepen understanding and awareness
We deepen the understanding of innovative financing schemes, increase awareness, and foster dialogue across the region.
Address structural mismatches
We address structural challenges such as the mismatch in the type, pricing, and risk-return expectations of available funding.
What we deliver
Our key objectives.
Everything SAIIF does ladders up to a small, deliberate set of objectives. These are how we choose what to work on, who to partner with, and what to leave alone.
- Ecosystem development
- Scaling impact across the region
- Build strong synergies with other players across the globe
- Build capacity of practitioners and institutional investors
- Research and policy analysis
- Case studies writing
- Contribute to the body of knowledge within the entire impact investing ecosystem
“Innovative finance only earns the name when it solves problems that conventional finance has failed to solve. In West Africa, that bar is high. That is exactly why we exist.”
Work with the team building the future of finance in West Africa.
Investors, funders, and policy partners are welcome.