Mr. Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, paid a courtesy visit to The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Mona on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 9 a.m. Mr. Diop and his delegation were on a two-day visit to Jamaica (September 2-4).

Mr. Diop was hosted in a meeting chaired by The UWI Pro Vice-Chancellor of Global Affairs, Ms. Sandrea Maynard. This meeting was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Dr. Heather Ricketts, undergraduate and graduate students from the Faculty and the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM). Mr. Diop engaged the students with a view to gaining insights on The UWI's academic programs and research initiatives. He also engaged them in discussion on the role of the IFC, the recent partnership between the GOJ and the IFC to deliver a portfolio of infrastructural projects to include roads, water, digital transformation, health and energy with the potential to result in more than US$2billion of private investment over the medium term. These efforts between the GOJ and the IFC are poised to unlock opportunities, attract investment and contribute to the creation of a fiscal environment conducive to economic expansion and infrastructural advancement.  

Mr. Makhtar Diop, Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), pictured with undergraduate and graduate students from the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM) following a meeting and greet at The UWI Mona on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.

In a question and answer session, the students also engaged Mr. Diop on topics such as the importance of insurance against vulnerabilities associated with climate change and what the progress in Jamaica’s macroeconomics means for their future. Mr. Diop also discussed the importance of tertiary education in the Caribbean, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and how the IFC can collaborate with The UWI to enhance its global impact.

The objective of this trip to Jamaica generally, Mr. Diop noted, is to strengthen the relationship between the IFC and Jamaica, help augment the IFC’s investment in Jamaica, and to get a better understanding of the role that IFC can play in supporting Jamaica to achieve green, resilient, and inclusive development.

The purpose of Mr. Diop’s visit to The UWI Mona is to strengthen the relationship between the IFC and Jamaica, explore potential investment opportunities, and exchange insights on how the IFC can support Jamaica's green resilience and inclusive development goals.

Mr. Diop’s delegation comprised Mr. Alfonso Garcia Mora, Regional Vice President; Ms. Elizabeth Marcano, Regional Director; Ms. Ronke-Amoni Ogunsulire, Country Manager for the Caribbean; and Mr. Sekou Mark, Head of the English-Speaking Caribbean.