African Road Maintenance Funds Association (Armfa) and African Development Bank Hold Bilateral Meeting to Explore Innovative Options and Practices for Sustainable Financing of Road Funds for Better Maintenance of the African Road Network

20 June 2024
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African Development Bank (Abidjan)
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The African Road Maintenance Funds Association (ARMFA) held its Annual Meeting in Abidjan from 13 to 16 May 2024. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Ivory Coast, Mr. Robert Beugré Mambé, officially opened the meeting on 13 May 2024.

Various Multilateral Development Partners, International agencies and Country Road Maintenance Fund Agencies participated in the session, alongside representatives of the World Bank, the African Development Bank, The World Road Association (PIARC), European Commission (EC), United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF), the Support Program for the Governance of Regional and National Infrastructure in Central Africa (PAGIRN) and various ARMFA Country Member institutions.

The sessions covered a wide range of technical thematic areas, including financing, governance, road safety, climate change, and sustainability. Mr. Mike Salawou, African Development Bank Director for Infrastructure and Urban Development made an insightful presentation during a session titled Road Maintenance Funds in Africa: Challenges and prospects. He shared updates on Bank Group activities in the road sector, its financing offerings, and key innovative initiatives in road maintenance planning and operations that are being rolling out.

Salawou also highlighted the Bank's Sustainable Road Maintenance Program for Africa (SRMPA), which seeks to identify suitable "Infratech" solutions and develop sustainable financing mechanisms.

During a follow up bilateral meeting at the Bank's office on 16 May 2024, members of ARMFA's Executive Management including President Mr. Essaie Moussa Aubin, Administrator of the Road Fund of Cameroon, and Mr. Moussa Soumbounou, its Executive Secretary, discussed sustainable road maintenance financing and how the Bank can support innovative sustainable practices in road maintenance.

Mr. Salawou emphasised the need for strengthened advocacy among road management and maintenance practitioners in Africa and adoption of targeted capacity building initiatives. He stressed the strong imperative to formalize the relationships between AfDB and ARFMA to streamline forward engagement.

The discussions align with the Bank's recently approved Ten-Year Strategy 2024-2033, notably covering aspects of investing in sustainable infrastructure to promote structural transformation.

The African Road Maintenance Funds Association (ARMFA) is a 35-member country association founded in 2003 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Its main objective is to form a platform and a network for experience and information sharing on best road maintenance practices in Africa, with the overall aim of ensuring Road Funds achieve sustainability in funding and functions.

Read the original article on African Development Bank (AfDB).

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