AfDB Strengthens Civil Society Engagement with Open Day in Cape Verde

The Bank’s Country Economist for Cape Verde, Mr. Mateus Felisberto, delivered an in-depth presentation on the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) and the current country portfolio of operations.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) hosted a pivotal Civil Society Organizations (CSO) Open Day at the Governor Hall of the Ministry of Finance in Praia, underscoring its commitment to fostering inclusive and participatory development across Africa. The event brought together a dynamic mix of stakeholders, including government officials, development experts, and members of Cape Verde’s civil society, for a day of robust dialogue, strategic planning, and the advancement of collaborative frameworks.

Organized as part of the AfDB Civil Society Engagement (CSE) Action Plan 2024–2028, the Open Day exemplified the Bank’s strategic effort to enhance stakeholder engagement at the country level and integrate civil society voices into all phases of development programming—from project design and implementation to evaluation and impact assessment.

Strengthening the Tripartite Partnership

In his welcome address, Gilson Gomes Pina, Cape Verde’s National Director for Planning at the Ministry of Finance, articulated the importance of an institutionalized dialogue mechanism between civil society, the government, and the Bank.

“This Open Day reaffirms our shared commitment to inclusive development by exploring opportunities to establish a tripartite committee and dialogue framework. This structure will allow civil society to be meaningfully engaged at all stages of the development process,” he said.

The event was also a milestone for local civil society organizations, led by Dirce Piloto Varela, Executive Director of PLATONG—the Cape Verde NGO Platform. Varela emphasized the need for a clear strategic framework and institutional partnerships to ensure CSO contributions are recognized and utilized effectively.

“We welcome this initiative as a turning point for civil society in Cape Verde. A formal tripartite partnership is essential to align civil society efforts with national and continental development goals,” she said.

Reviewing the AfDB Country Strategy and Engagement Priorities

The Bank’s Country Economist for Cape Verde, Mr. Mateus Felisberto, delivered an in-depth presentation on the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) and the current country portfolio of operations. He highlighted priority areas such as infrastructure, energy access, economic resilience, and human capital development.

Mr. Traore Minemba, AfDB’s Senior Civil Society Officer for West Africa, provided a broader institutional perspective on the Bank’s engagement with CSOs. He detailed how the Bank’s CSE Action Plan is being operationalized through initiatives like the Open Day to enhance transparency, accountability, and mutual learning.

A video presentation further illustrated how CSOs across the continent have contributed to AfDB-funded projects and how future engagements can be scaled and deepened.

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Pillar 3 in Action: Inclusive Country-Level Dialogue

The Open Day is a direct implementation of Pillar 3 of the Bank’s Civil Society Engagement Action Plan 2024–2028, which focuses on strengthening country-level dialogue. These interactions aim to foster mutual understanding between the Bank and local CSOs while creating mechanisms for feedback, co-creation, and monitoring of Bank-funded projects.

Key Recommendations from the Event Included:

• Capacity building for local CSOs to navigate AfDB procurement and compliance systems.

• Institutionalizing CSO representation in national and regional AfDB forums.

• Establishing multi-stakeholder platforms to incubate social enterprises and innovative, community-led solutions.

• Enhancing feedback loops to monitor the impact of AfDB projects on marginalized populations.

Mrs. Toure, a representative from the Bank, emphasized the importance of these initiatives, saying:

“Through this Action Plan, the Bank reaffirms its commitment to working more closely with civil society and institutionalizing this collaboration to catalyze inclusive development on the continent.”

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CSOs as Catalysts for Good Governance and Equity

Throughout the day, discussions reinforced the critical role of civil society organizations in advancing development that is people-centered and accountable. CSOs in Cape Verde have long advocated for marginalized groups and driven change at grassroots levels, and the event served as an official platform to elevate their voices in policymaking and project implementation.

The CSO Open Day concluded with consensus around the next steps—initiating the formation of the tripartite committee, creating a national CSO engagement strategy with the AfDB, and integrating CSOs into the Bank’s monitoring and evaluation frameworks.

Next Steps: Institutionalizing Engagement

The Bank’s Civil Society Division announced that a follow-up technical working group will be formed with representatives from government ministries, CSOs, and the Bank’s country office. This group will prepare a roadmap for long-term institutional partnerships, including formal Memoranda of Understanding, periodic consultations, and alignment with national development plans.

This Cape Verdean experience is part of a larger regional effort. The AfDB has committed to organizing similar Civil Society Open Days across all Regional Member Countries (RMCs) to promote grassroots participation and align its interventions more closely with citizen priorities.

As Cape Verde and the African Development Bank move forward with a new era of cooperation, the message from Praia was clear: inclusive development is only possible when civil society is not just consulted, but empowered.