The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank on Wednesday, October 22 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, approved a grant of US $82.7 million (UA 55.56 million*) for the development of a 56-kilometre portion of the Batshamba-Tshikapa road in the Democratic Republic of Congo, between Lovua and Tshikapa on the country's NR1. The grant supplements earlier Bank interventions on the same road.
The works include construction of a new bridge over the Kasaï River which crosses Tshikapa town.
It aims to improve the service level of the transport logistics chain on the Kinshasa-Tshikapa road as well as the living conditions of people in the area. The project is also expected to help open up the Bandundu and West Kasaï Provinces.
Some of the targeted economic benefits include lower vehicle operating expenses and shorter travel time and indirect benefits linked to various social and economic activities (job creation, higher agricultural production, development of marketing activities, better access of the population to basic services).
In particular, the project is expected to halt massive exodus of youths towards mining operations - prevalent in the project area in permanently insecure conditions - and keep them in their homelands to engage in profitable agricultural activities.
The project aims ensure the autonomy of local populations, and contribute to poverty reduction, mitigation of vulnerability to external shocks (diseases, rise in the prices of essential products, climate change and instability of seasons) and inclusive growth in the target area.
