Nine members of the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group will visit Uganda from 23-28 February to consult with the authorities on AfDB-funded programmes in the country.
The visit is part of an annual programme of visits that African Development Bank board members make to different regional member countries. They give board members the opportunity to consult broadly with the country's authorities, including the top leadership. Dialogue typically dwells on AfDB-supported policies and programmes. Executive directors are able to hear from their hosts about how these policies and programmes are being carried out and what impact they are having.
The visits also offers the board members an opportunity for discussions with development partners, as well as private sector and civil society representatives, on different issues relating to development assistance and its effectiveness.
The executive directors will also visit a few AfDB supported projects in Jinja, including the Bujagali hydropower and transmission line projects, and others supporting markets and agricultural trade improvement and education.
Uganda was a founding member of the African Development Bank and is one of the major beneficiaries of the Bank's resources under the African Development Fund, the group's concessional lending arm, through which low-income member countries are able to borrow for development project financing at very low interest rates. The African Development Fund has altogether financed projects in Uganda totalling USD 2.5 billion.
The current AfDB-supported portfolio in Uganda consists of 22 operations with a total value of USD 1.2 billion, largely for infrastructure development. Of this, USD 302 million is for roads infrastructure; USD 295 million for agriculture; USD 243 million for energy; USD 225 million for social sector infrastructure; and USD 136 million for water and sanitation.
AfDB's current country strategy for Uganda focuses on two main areas: infrastructure development and improving capacity skills development for poverty reduction. These are areas that are fully aligned with the Uganda's own National Development Plan.
Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Seychelles are all AfDB Group member countries that constitute the major constituency seat for the East African region. Uganda currently holds the constituency chair and Ms Mary C. Muduuli is the executive director for the constituency.
