AfDB Bolsters Support for Regional Infrastructure to Drive Africa’s Economic Growth

Dr. Adesina emphasized that regional corridors play a pivotal role in facilitating trade by easing the movement of goods and services, lowering transport costs, and strengthening economic cooperation among African nations.

The President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has reaffirmed the institution's commitment to enhancing regional infrastructure corridors as a crucial driver of economic transformation and integration across Africa. His remarks came during a meeting with Kenya's Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Professor Christopher Andrew Lang'at, who paid a courtesy visit to the Bank's headquarters in Abidjan.

Expanding Regional Infrastructure for Economic Growth

Dr. Adesina emphasized that regional corridors play a pivotal role in facilitating trade by easing the movement of goods and services, lowering transport costs, and strengthening economic cooperation among African nations.

"It's only through regional corridors that we can move goods and services easily across the continent, lower transport costs, promote integration, and achieve impactful economic development," said Adesina.

Ambassador Lang'at commended the African Development Bank's transformative role in Kenya's development and across Africa through strategic investments in infrastructure, agriculture, and financial inclusion for women and youth.

"I commend your leadership as President of the Bank over the last 10 years and your efforts in transforming Africa's development narrative through advocacy, policy dialogue, and budgetary support," said Lang'at. He was accompanied by the embassy's Minister-Counsellor, Kerubo Omurwa.

AfDB's Infrastructure Investments in Africa and Kenya

Over the past decade, the African Development Bank has invested over $50 billion in critical infrastructure across the continent, making it Africa's largest multilateral financier in this sector. In Kenya alone, the Bank currently funds 45 active projects, amounting to nearly $4 billion in total commitments.

A significant portion of AfDB's investments in Kenya is allocated to transportation infrastructure, with more than 20% dedicated to regional and multinational projects aimed at strengthening Kenya's integration with neighboring countries. Notable projects include the upgrading of the 84-kilometer Kenol–Sagana–Marwa Road, part of the transcontinental Great North Highway, which runs from Cairo, Egypt, to Cape Town, South Africa.

Beyond Kenya, the Bank has also played a key role in supporting East Africa's infrastructure ambitions. In 2024, AfDB provided a $696 million partial credit guarantee to unlock $3.9 billion for the construction of the Central Corridor Standard Gauge Railway, which will connect Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Key Regional Infrastructure Initiatives

As part of its broader Integrate Africa strategy, AfDB is driving major continental infrastructure initiatives, including:

• The $15.6 billion Lagos-Abidjan Highway, connecting Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Côte d'Ivoire.
• The $10 billion Lobito Corridor, linking Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia, which has attracted interest from global partners such as the United States, the European Union, and Italy.

During their meeting, Ambassador Lang'at and Dr. Adesina agreed on the need for further investment in Kenya's road infrastructure, specifically in expanding the Nairobi-to-Western Kenya highway, a crucial link for trade with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, and the DR Congo. The road is known for its heavy congestion, particularly during peak travel seasons, and its expansion is expected to improve efficiency and safety.

Kenya's Longstanding Partnership with AfDB

Kenya has been a key partner of the African Development Bank since 1967 when it, alongside Sierra Leone, became one of the first two countries to receive the Bank's development financing.

Kenya reaffirmed this relationship in May 2023 by hosting the Bank's Annual Meetings in Nairobi, where President William Ruto pledged a $20 million contribution to the African Development Fund, the concessional financing window of the Bank.

Accompanying Dr. Adesina at the meeting were senior Bank officials, including Dr. Kevin Kariuki, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth; Jonathan Nzayikorera, Executive Director for Eastern Africa; Dr. Alex Mubiru, Director-General of the Bank Group President's Office; Josiah Maximilian Jarrett Bankole, Director of Strategy in the Office of the Bank Group President; and Modibo Touré, Special Envoy to the Bank Group President for Shareholder Relations in Africa.

The meeting underscored the importance of continued collaboration between the African Development Bank and Kenya, as well as the Bank's unwavering commitment to infrastructure-driven economic transformation across the continent.