The African Development Fund has published its 2023 report entitled: "ADF-16 Delivery and Results Report: Delivering greater impact through transformative investments", in which it reviews the performance of its interventions mid-way through its 16th replenishment round, from 2023 to 2025.
"In 2023, these investments strengthened agricultural value chains by providing 11 million farmers with improved agricultural supplies, ensuring access to electricity for almost half a million people and improving access to transport for 2.5 million people. Almost one million people have gained access to drinking water and sanitation services," declared the President of the African Development Bank Group, Akinwumi Adesina, commenting on the Fund's interventions during the period under review.
According to the report, the operations financed by the Fund together with its partners and completed in 2023 resulted in 83,653 electricity connections, benefiting almost half a million people. They also contributed to the installation or refurbishment of 10,486 kilometres of distribution lines (three times the initial target) and the construction or renovation of 1,393 kilometres of transmission lines.
New projects approved by the Fund in 2023, the Bank Group's concessional financing window, represent an investment of almost USD 8 billion, of which USD 3.2 billion comes from ADF-16 resources and should generate 700,000 jobs, including 320,000 for women.
In agriculture, the operations completed in 2023 significantly strengthened agricultural value chains, supplying 1,167 tonnes of improved agricultural supplies, improved water management over 5,966 hectares of land and developed 634 kilometres of service roads to strengthen rural connectivity and access to markets, which has benefited 11 million farmers.
The Programme to Strengthen Resilience to Food and Nutrition Insecurity in the Sahel, which has received USD 165 million from the Fund, has contributed to reducing malnutrition and improving the living conditions of vulnerable households in Burkina, Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Chad.
Operations financed by the Fund have contributed to the development of transport infrastructure, helping businesses to integrate their logistics chains and improve their competitiveness. They have built or restored 248 kilometres of road, representing an achievement rate of 85 percent.. A further 634 kilometres of service roads have been built or refurbished, just over half of the planned total.
The Nacala Road Corridor Project in southern Africa is improving regional connectivity between Zambia, Malawi and the port of Nacala in Mozambique. It benefited from funding of USD 57 million for phase IV, which was completed in 2023.
In terms of cross-cutting issues, the Fund contributes to good governance and debt management in eligible countries. The governance projects completed in 2023 achieved 100 percent of their target across all "governance, capacity-building and sustainable debt management" indicators.
In Mauritania, the Public Enterprise Governance Support Project, which is focused on modernizing public enterprises and improving their performance, aims to reduce the burden they represent for the public finances. In Somalia, the Economic and Financial Governance Institution Support Project aims to increase the resilience of a country in transition.
The creation of the Climate Action Window in December 2022 aims to support climate adaptation in the 37 poorest, most fragile and most vulnerable countries on the continent. The Fund has helped 11 countries to establish and implement national climate plans in accordance with the Paris Agreement. The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), launched by the Bank Group in 2021 in partnership with the Global Center on Adaptation, is part of its support for climate action.
Through its Strategy for Addressing Fragility and Building Resilience in Africa 2022-2026, the Bank is prioritizing the development of essential infrastructure, growth driven by the private sector and national capacity in situations of fragility and conflict. The Transition Support Facility, the main operational mechanism used for the Fund's fragility and resilience agenda, has evolved into a programmatic approach to respond to crises more effectively, with a focus on partnerships that incorporate the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Several of the Fund's projects support skills development and empowerment for women in low-income countries alongside the concessional financing window. The Fund also supports young entrepreneurs through skills development, finance and business development. The Rural Enterprises III Project in Ghana has helped create 43,000 micro and small women-owned businesses and 51,000 jobs for women.
"We are keen to see a solid replenishment for ADF-17, which will build on the significant progress made under ADF-16," emphasized the President of the African Development Bank, looking ahead to the next round.
The African Development Fund is the African Development Bank Group's concessional financing window; it was created in 1972 and has been operational since 1974. It contributes to the economic and social development of 37 low-income African countries, including those in a fragile situation, by providing funding and knowledge services while optimizing its resources.
