Emir of Kano opens final day of groundbreaking Responsible Finance Summit in Malaysia

This morning, His Royal Highness Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano, delivered a powerful address on the importance of a responsible economy for the facilitation of Responsible Finance at the Responsible Finance Summit.  The Summit, will conclude this afternoon following discussion by other high-level speakers representing a diverse array of responsible finance institutions on the issues raised by HRH Emir Sanusi.

One of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People, the Emir possesses a profile that is unique in the financial world in Africa. A banker by training who secured Nigeria's top banking post, Emir Sanusi has used the worldwide recognition he gained for continued advocacy of developing a financial sector that is ethically sound and serves wider segments of society to enact sweeping reforms in his home country.

In his opening remarks, Emir shared: “It is very important for us to remember that finance does not exist in a vacuum and you can’t have responsible finance in an irresponsible economic and political environment.

The Responsible Finance Summit was opened yesterday by another seasoned and well-respected central banker, Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, the Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia and the event’s host. Her keynote address and that of Georg Kell, Founder of the UN Global Compact, set the stage for a conversation between more than 400 seasoned regulators and responsible finance pioneers.  Discussion focused on how the expanding responsible finance opportunity in emerging markets can help the financial system better support equitable, inclusive and sustainable economic growth.

Hosted by Bank Negara Malaysia, organized by RFI Foundation and co-organized by Middle East Global Advisors, the Responsible Finance Summit continues this afternoon with insightful sessions on leveraging financial technology (fintech) to enable meaningful impact by responsible finance, widening the scope of responsible finance at the retail level, and mainstreaming impact investing.

For more information on the Summit, please visit rf-summit.com. Join the conversation on responsible finance #RFS2016 @RFIFoundation