Republic of the Congo Minister of Economy, Planning, Statistics and Forecasting Ludovic Ngatsé, was in Abidjan on Friday, 15 May to review preparations for the 2026 Annual Meetings scheduled to take place in Brazzaville from 25 to 29 May.
Mr Ngatsé who serves as the Chairperson of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank Group, assured Executive Directors of the nation's readiness to host the event."
"At the current stage of preparations, the Republic of the Congo will be fully ready... Overall, the organization of the 2026 Annual Meetings in Brazzaville is facing no major obstacles," he said.
Speaking before the full gathering of the Board members, Mr Ngatsé was reassuring. He affirmed his country's capacity to host participants under optimal conditions and within the established deadlines. He then outlined the progress of preparations for the Annual Meetings of the Bank Group, which will open at the Kintélé International Conference Centre.
The minister provided an update on all organizational aspects, namely, logistics, security, and the program.
According to Mr. Ngatsé, the government has set up three structures to organize the meetings: a High-Level National Committee chaired by Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso; a National Organizing Committee led by Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Coordination, Development Infrastructure and Territorial Planning, Jean-Jacques Bouya, and an office headed by himself (Mr Ngatsé).
A total of 14 subcommittees were working on the organization of the meetings. Moreover, all preparatory missions dispatched to Brazzaville by the Bank Group concluded that all preparations were being carried out satisfactorily.
He said currently, 88% of the tasks assigned to the host country had been completed. Logistical and finance, preparations were progressing excellently, and the Bank took possession this Friday of the accreditation hall, while 80% of the funding had been disbursed to service providers.
Ngatsé said as part of the meeting, Congo will organize a knowledge event themed: "Building sustainable and resilient energy and transport infrastructure to promote African integration." This theme will enable the host country to showcase to national and foreign investors its economic potential in mining, tourism, and Special Economic Zones.
The minister noted that under the framework of the "Congo Vision 2063," his country had undertaken to transform its economy to reduce the share of oil in its gross domestic product (GDP) from 45% to between 15% and 20%.
"I would like to commend the commitment of the Republic of Congo, led by President Sassou N'Guesso, for making these Annual Meetings a real success," said Dr Sidi Ould Tah, President of the African Development Bank Group.
The Dean of the members of the Bank Group's Boards of Directors, Samson Oyebode Oyetunde, congratulated the Republic of Congo for the excellent logistical arrangements made. He expressed the administrators' enthusiasm at the prospect of staying "in this beautiful country."
The Annual Meetings will be held under the theme: "Mobilizing Large-Scale Resources for Africa's Development Financing in a Fragmented World."
More than 3,000 participants are expected, including heads of state and government, ministers of finance and planning, central bank governors, leaders from the private sector and international financial institutions, philanthropists, members of civil society, academics, and media representatives.
The Annual Meetings constitute the principal statutory event of the African Development Bank Group.
