A group of 11 executive directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) will be making a visit to Ghana between 3 and 9 March to review AfDB-fund projects and programmes in the country, and consult with the Ghanaian government, as part of an annual Africa-wide programme of such visits.

On the trip, the delegation will look at five AfDB projects of special interest and importance that are also representative of the Bank's overall strategy. They are the Ghana-Togo-Benin power interconnection project; the Nsawam by-pass road infrastructure project, the export marketing and quality awareness program, the Kpong irrigation scheme, and the senior secondary school education project in the eastern and greater Accra regions.

This type of visit gives Board members the opportunity to consult broadly with the country's authorities, including at the highest levels. Dialogue typically dwells on AfDB funded projects and programmes. The Executive Directors learn a lot about the projects and programmes and the impact that they are having on the ground. The visits also give board members the chance to talk to development partners and representatives from the private sectory and civil society about various issues related to development assistance and its effectiveness.

AfDB's current portfolio in Ghana comprises 32 operations with a total value of USD 1,5 billion, and is mainly concentrated on infrastructure. By sector, largest is transport at 33 percent, followed by multinational projects (24 percent), agriculture (17 percent), social sector (10 percent), water and sanitation (10 percent) and power (four percen).

The Bank Group is in the process of finalizing a new Country Strategy Paper (2012-2016) for Ghana, scheduled to be discussed at the Board in April 2012. The new strategy is aligned to the government's national development strategy - the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda.