Gabon and the African Development Bank launch renovation work on the drinking water network in Grand Libreville

 AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

01-Apr-2021

The Prime Minister of Gabon, Mrs. Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, and the director of the country office of the African Development Bank in Gabon, Robert Masumbuko, proceeded, Wednesday, March 31 in Libreville, to the laying of the first stone marking the beginning rehabilitation and extension work on the drinking water network in Greater Libreville, which is home to more than half of the country's population, ie 300,000 inhabitants.

The Libreville Integrated Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Program (PIAEPAL) is funded to the tune of CFAF 75 billion (€ 114.5 million) by the Bank. Its objective is the construction of 300 kilometers of drinking water network in Greater Libreville, an urban area which includes the intramural capital and the municipalities of Oweno, Akanda, and Ntoum.

“The government is working to improve the living conditions of its populations. It is a firm instruction from the Head of State (Ali Bongo Odimba) ”, declared Ms. Ossouka Raponda, head of the Gabonese government.

"With the implementation of this project, the African Development Bank is positioning itself firmly by your side in achieving this major objective of improving the quality of life of the inhabitants of Greater Libreville," said Robert. Masumbuko. The days are approaching when all the inhabitants of Greater Libreville will have a supply of tap water, in sufficient quantity and at an affordable price (...) The populations, in particular the women, will no longer wait for hours, at night, for themselves. stock up. "

According to Robert Masumbuko, the African Development Bank is aware of the fact that the water problem in Gabon goes beyond the framework of Greater Libreville alone. In other cities such as Lambaréné, Franceville, Oyem, Makokou, there is also a problem of access to drinking water from the tap. "Rest assured, Madam Prime Minister, that the Bank will also be present for these future projects", he added, in the presence of the project manager, Bruno Zali Zali, and the mayors of the communes of Libreville, Oweno and Akanda. .

Gabon has a considerable potential of water resources estimated at 170 billion m3 per year and has one of the highest levels of annual water resources per capita, around 127,825 m3 per year. However, the country has a significant infrastructure deficit for mobilizing these resources intended to meet all the essential needs of Gabonese. In fact, less than 55% of Gabonese have access to drinking water in urban areas. In rural areas of the country, the rate of access to this basic service is even lower, less than 40% of the population.

Transforming the landscape for African women entrepreneurs

 AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

• "Women are the heart of our economy and key to building a more resilient, inclusive and prosperous society across the continent amidst the global pandemic." -Vanessa Moungar

31-Mar-2021

This month, known to many as International Women’s Month, the African Development Bank Group continues to put a spotlight on women-led businesses and financial institutions set to support them.

The business experiences of African women running small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as financial institutions supporting them, were the subject of an online event held on 8 March 2021, by the African Development Bank and the African Guarantee Fund.

The businesses are all clients of financial institutions participating in the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Guarantee for Growth program.

The program is a tri-pillar innovation that aims to unlock up to $3 billion in loans to small and medium enterprises in the next five years. Working through financial institutions, the program addresses the financial and non-financial needs of small and medium enterprises by offering access to finance and technical assistance to enhance their bankability and ability to grow profitable and sustainable businesses.

"Women are the heart of our economy and the keys to building a more resilient, inclusive and prosperous society across the continent amidst the global pandemic," said Vanessa Moungar, the Bank’s Director for Women, Gender and Civil Society, in her welcoming remarks to over 400 online participants.

Participants included women entrepreneurs, women-led business support organizations, development partners, financial institutions, civil society and government stakeholders.

"For my company, I had to borrow collateral to access my first loan, which allowed me to establish Ashleys," said Terry Mungai, CEO of Ashleys beauty and hair care franchise, financed by Equity Bank in Kenya.

Unpacking the obstacles to women’s financing, offering solutions

Business and banking leaders said the Covid-19 crisis had exacerbated existing gender inequalities – further limiting women’s ability to take advantage of equitable economic opportunities.

Financial institutions’ representatives taking part in the webinar included: Mary Wangari Wamae, Executive Director responsible for subsidiary oversight at Equity Bank Kenya; and Etienne Mabunda, Commercial Director at Rawbank.

"Our approach is based on designing tailored lending programs with a social support system for which women don't need collateral. The reality is that women customers are excellent payers. With the AFAWA guarantees, we are more confident to continue giving them loans to expand their businesses," Wamae said.

Helen Walbey, Head of Gender and Inclusive Business at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion said it was important to have a supporting enabling environment. "There is an urgent need to listen to women entrepreneurs, as well as to educate Banks and governments on women's market realities," she added.

"Financial institutions are regulated and expected to work with formal entities. Through the AFAWA regulatory environment framework, the program will work with governments on finding ways to transition women who are in the informal sector to the formal sector, to enhance their ability to access the financing they need," said Esther Dassanou, AFAWA’s Manager.

Mbuaya Kalenga Madhy, who heads a semi-industrial sewing company, Mwinda M Establishments, transitioned from the informal to formal sector. "To all African women, don't hesitate to start the business of your dream. You can do it too," she said.

Program participant Bijou Esther Monga Ilunga Kazadi, who owns Big Five Lodge Establishments in the Democratic Republic of Congo, said banks were starting to create financial products that are adapted to women's SMEs. "And my dream is to see more women-owned entrepreneurs in Africa taking advantage of them," she said.

The AFAWA Guarantee for Growth program is supported by the Group of Seven (G7) countries, as well as by the Netherlands and Sweden.

Watch the recorded full event here:

Watch The AFAWA Guarantee for Growth video here:

African Development Bank brings graduates one step closer to helping their countries access climate finance

 AfDB NEWS & EVENTS

31-Mar-2021

Seventy-four trainees from 26 African countries will join the continent’s community of climate finance experts after successfully completing a training program through the African Development Bank. Eighteen of the 74 graduates who emerged as top achievers qualified as trainers and will continue to build capacity across the continent.

The “training of trainers” program empowered trainees to design proposals that will enable them to access climate finance from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and teaches them to pass on their skills to others. The 120-hour training program was conducted virtually in three languages: English (45 participants), French (19 participants) and Portuguese (10 participants).

Desire Nemashakwe, a trainee from Zimbabwe, remarked: “The course has boosted my knowledge and skills and understanding of the GCF and how to develop project proposals for GCF funding. I was a consultant for the Government of Zimbabwe on the GCF Readiness programme and managed to lead in the development of the Country Programme and two readiness project proposals. I have been strengthened in my skills to develop proposals which target GCF resources.”

Inadequate access to climate finance remains a major impediment to implementing Africa’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), a requirement of the Paris climate agreement, partly because of a lack of capacity within national institutions to design project proposals that meet the requirements of global climate funds such as the GCF. The new graduates said they were eager to fill this capacity void by applying the knowledge acquired through this program. Their skills will be relevant to a wide range of actors, including project developers, development institutions and national focal points for all the climate and environment funds.

The training of trainers program complements ongoing work by the African Development Bank to enhance the capacity of African countries to access GCF resources through small grants from the Africa Climate Change Fund.

“The African Development Bank has prioritized inclusive green growth in the delivery of its flagship agenda, the High 5 strategic priorities, and has pledged to scale its climate finance to $25 billion up to 2025. Innovative continental interventions such as Desert to Power, the Great Green Wall Initiative, the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program, aimed at lifting millions out of poverty while protecting nature, require long-term concessional finance. For regional member countries, acquiring the capacity to design and implement climate projects is a step in the right direction,” said Gareth Phillips, Manager for Climate and Environment Finance at the African Development Bank.

The training was implemented by the Climate Change and Green Growth Department of the African Development Bank, with funding from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Trust Fund (KOAFEC); and conducted by One World Sustainable and CapNet.