I.A.M - Magazine - Page 8
Welcome
to I.A.M
(Integrate Africa Magazine)
n the decade since 2015 - which has seen regional
operations funding quadrupling from 5% to 25% of
the African Development Fund - the AfDB has
quietly, yet steadfastly, been a powerful force driving
some of Africa's most transformative infrastructure
projects that connect nations, promote trade and
transform lives across the continent. This remarkable shift
represents the Bank's strategic pivot toward prioritizing
cross-border initiatives that can unlock the continent's
vast economic potential through greater interconnectivity
and cooperation.
Consider the vital power interconnectors linking Ethiopia
to Kenya, Rwanda to DRC, and numerous other nations,
which have dramatically slashed electricity costs across
entire regions while improving reliability. These
investments represent far more than steel and
concrete—they form the essential foundation for a truly
integrated Africa.
The Bank's innovative financing approaches have also
steadfastly mobilized billions in additional funding from
global partners and private investors, effectively
multiplying the impact of each dollar committed. Through
creative blended finance mechanisms, risk guarantees,
and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), the AfDB has
catalyzed investments that might otherwise have
remained theoretical.
Meanwhile, the Bank’s unwavering focus on fragile
regions - from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa - ensures
that no country is left behind in this continental
renaissance.
And as we witness the AfCFTA take shape, the AfDB's
visionary concept of integrated economic corridors is
becoming tangible reality, connecting transport networks,
industrial zones, and trade hubs into a cohesive
economic ecosystem. These corridors are reshaping
trade patterns and creating opportunities for value-added
industries to flourish.
However, challenges also persist. For example,
infrastructure gaps remain substantial, with funding
needs estimated at $130-$170 billion annually.
By Dr Joy Kategekwa
Director
Regional Integration Coordination Office (AfDB)
However, the trajectory is unmistakable: Africa's
infrastructure revolution is happening, and the AfDB
stands firmly at the center of this transformation, working
collaboratively with member states, Regional Economic
Communities, and global partners.
This inaugural edition of Integrate Africa Magazine
captures all this, and highlights how the AfDB is investing
in making regional integration a reality. Through the eyes
of the Integrate Africa tenets of the Bank’s new Ten-Year
Strategy 2024 -2033, which are regional infrastructure
connectivity, intra-African trade and financial integration the weight of the Bank’s commitment to driving a
prosperous Africa, is shining through these pages.
I am honoured and pleased to welcome you to join us as
we embark on this chapter of storytelling that highlights
the importance of an integrated Africa, where
collaboration supersedes competition, shared prosperity
replaces isolation, where as a continent, we collectively
embrace the AfriCAN do attitude as our new mantra.
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