Africa / AfDB: Investment of $4.5 million to modernise 14 cities by 2024
The African Development Bank (AfDB) recently unveiled a new program for 2024 aimed at supporting urban development in 14 municipalities and local authorities across Africa.
With a total funding of $4.5 million from the AfDB’s Urban and Municipal Development Fund (UMDF), this program seeks to enhance urban governance quality, support urban planning, and modernize urban infrastructure.
The first segment of the program, funded with $500,000, will focus on improving urban governance in six major African cities.
These cities include Abidjan, Addis Ababa, Dakar, Kigali, Lagos, and Nairobi. The objective is to enhance municipal finances and solvency while identifying new sources of public and private financing for these municipalities.
The second segment, with a budget of $900,000, will expand the program to six additional African cities, in addition to the 13 already benefiting.
This segment involves designing urban action plans and identifying priority investment projects.
Lastly, the third segment of the program will receive $2.8 million to accelerate the modernization of urban infrastructure, with a particular focus on water-related projects to enhance cities’ resilience to climate change.
Mike Salawou, Director of the Infrastructure and Urban Development Department at the AfDB, emphasized the importance of these projects in improving the daily lives of African citizens in urban areas and effectively combating climate change.
The Urban and Municipal Development Fund, launched in 2019, plays a crucial role in facilitating and accelerating these infrastructure projects while fostering dialogue with public and private donors.
Neil Camara
