Local Governments-led Blended Financing in PPPs

Meet our expert moderator and speakers!

NEIL DHOT
Executive Director, AquaFed

Neil Dhot has joined as Co-Chair of the Water Chapter. Dhot has served as Executive Director at AquaFed, the global federation of private water operators, since 2017. Prior to joining AquaFed, he was Head of Corporate Affairs at Water UK and Secretary General of EurEau, the European Federation of Water Associations. Before entering the water sector in 2013, Dhot was Head of Public Affairs at the UK Financial Services Authority. He began his career as a journalist and later held senior public relations roles at local municipal authorities in the UK. He has an academic background in politics and law, along with a Masters of Business Administration.

NATHANIEL MUNETSI
Head of Structured Finance, Gauteng Infrastructure Financing Agency (GIFA)

Nathaniel Munetsi is a seasoned investment banking and infrastructure finance professional with over 20 years of experience across Southern Africa. He currently leads structured finance at GIFA, managing a USD 3.5 billion pipeline of infrastructure projects across sectors such as energy, transport, water, health, and education.

A Certified PPP Practitioner and member of WAPPP, Nathaniel has deep expertise in project preparation, deal structuring, financial close, and post-investment contract management. His career includes roles in corporate and project finance, with regional exposure through institutions like the European Investment Bank.

He holds an MBL from UNISA, a BBS in Finance & Banking from the University of Zimbabwe, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Management from ACCA.

STELLA COIMBRA
Project Director, São Paulo Parcerias

Stella Coimbra is a seasoned lawyer and currently serves as the Project Director at São Paulo Parcerias, a mixed-capital company linked to the Municipal Government of São Paulo. In this role, she leads the structuring of public-private partnerships (PPPs), concessions, and privatization projects aligned with the city’s urban development and infrastructure initiatives.

With extensive experience in public procurement and infrastructure projects, Stella specializes in the design of economic and financial models of concession projects. Her portfolio encompasses initiatives in Smart Cities, urban amenities, public parks, cemetery services, and urban mobility.

Beyond her role at São Paulo Parcerias, Stella contributes to the academic field as an instructor at the Brazilian Society of Public Law (SBDP), where she shares her expertise in public law and infrastructure development.

AAKIF MERCHANT

Director, Engagement and Capacity Building & Head of Africa, Convergence

As Director, Engagement & Capacity Building at Convergence, Aakif Merchant works with key stakeholders, such as governments, development finance institutions, and commercial investors, to mainstream blended finance across investment, portfolio management, and policy. To this end, he has worked closely with UNDP, Sweden International Development Agency, Global Affairs Canada, African Development Bank, Private Infrastructure Development Group, Africa Guarantee Fund, the Governments of Switzerland, Indonesia and Ethiopia, and others.

Aakif serves as an Advisory Group Member of the The Africa Green Economy Summit, the Ethiopia-Canada Blended Finance Initiative, and as an Advisory Committee Member of the Africa Social Impact Exchange. He is also a lecturer and Advisory Board Member at the Initiative for Blended Finance at the University of Zurich.

He has spoken on international development finance issues at major events including the OECD Private Finance for Development Conference, East Africa Banking Forum, Green Climate Fund Private Investment for Climate Conference, Latin American Impact Investing Forum, and Sankalp Africa Forum. Aakif has also written about international development finance for numerous publications.

He holds an MBA from the University of Toronto and a BA in Economics and Politics from George Washington University.

Aakif is currently based in Kigali, Rwanda and has worked across a range of countries including Ethiopia, Indonesia, Colombia, Kenya, India, Switzerland, Tanzania, Sweden and Jordan among others.

CRISTINA P. ALEJANDRO
President, Balibago Waterworks System, Inc. (BWSI)

Cristina Isabelle Panlilio Alejandro graduated with Honorable Mention from the Ateneo de Manila University in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. She holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from both ESSEC University and Mannheim University. She began her career with a one year and a half stay at the Office of Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo during the administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She then moved to become the Assistant General Manager of Rajo Laurel Enterprises and House of Laurel, Inc. for four years.

She commenced work with Balibago Waterworks in 2008 as the Admin and Organizational Manager, then shifted into Business Development Manager in She was promoted to Managing Director in 2012 to handle the day-today operations of the business. In 2017, she assumed the role of Senior Vice-President, a position responsible for planning and execution of the strategic direction of the company. In June 2022, former BWSI President Cristino L. Panlilio retired turning over the Presidency to Cristina. Having worked closely with her predecessor over a 15-year period, Cristina continues his dream of creating a company that is “built to last” but also has her own aims for Balibago Waterworks to become a leading force in uplifting the lives of its customers through innovative and sustainable water solutions.

Criselle is a Board Director in Balibago Waterworks System, South Balibago Resources, Hiyas Water Resources, Bali Champion Bottlers, Clean Liquid Philippines, Conglow Properties, the Philippine College of Criminology and Okeelanta Corporation. She is an Execom Member of AquaFed.

BABATI MOKGETHI
Senior Urban Development Officer,
PICU2,
African Development Bank Group

Babati Mokgethi is an experienced Urban Planner and Urban Designer with over 15 years in urban development, policy, and infrastructure planning across Africa. As a Senior Urban Development Officer and East Africa Region Focal Point at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), he leads initiatives that enhance urban governance, infrastructure finance, and livability in African cities. He has managed and co-led multimillion-dollar projects, including the Integrated Urban Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Djibouti ($3.8m), Ekiti Knowledge Zone Project ($80m) in Nigeria, Kigali Urban Transport Improvement ($100m), and Addis Ababa-Sheger River Redevelopment, shaping sustainable and inclusive urban environments.

Before joining AfDB, Babati held senior roles in Botswana’s local and central government, overseeing spatial planning, infrastructure development, and community-driven urban projects. He holds a master’s in urban design from Anglia Ruskin University and is a PRINCE2-certified project management practitioner. A strong advocate for sustainable urbanism, he has contributed to global urban development discourse, including the UNOSD Handbook on Managing Infrastructure Assets for Sustainable Development. His expertise in master planning, stakeholder engagement, and policy formulation continues to drive transformative urban solutions across Africa.

JINANE GHOSH
Executive Committee Member, WAPPP