NEWS LINE

  “The sounds of explosions were very strong,” said Hussein Mohamed, who lives close to the presidential palace. Ahmed al-Mekhlafy said he felt the sheer force of the strikes. “The house was rocked, and the windows were shattered,” he told the AP by phone. The Houthis have launched missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea for over 22 months, saying they are attacking in solidarity with Palestinians amid the  war in Gaza . Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, vowed to continue attacks on Israel, writing on social media that “our military operations supporting Gaza won’t stop, God willing, unless the aggression is stopped, and the siege is lifted.” The Israeli strikes were the first to hit Yemen since a week ago, when Israel said it targeted energy infrastructure it believed was used by the rebels. The latest strikes follow the Houthis’ claim of launching a newly equipped missile toward Israel on Friday, targeting the country’s large...

  Co-financed by the African Development Fund, the Kazungula Bridge connects Zambia and Botswana over the Zambezi River. Since its completion in 2021, the bridge has helped strengthen regional trade and transport along the North–South Corridor. The pivotal role of the African Development Bank Group’s African Development Fund in advancing economic transformation across Africa's most fragile states was the showcase of a media-focused virtual briefing, co-hosted by the African Center for Economic Transformation and the Global Strategic Communications Council.   Held on 29 July, the event brought together development partners, journalists, and policymakers for an in-depth discussion on the Fund’s impact and evolving strategic direction.    “The African Development Fund has long flown under the radar,” said Valerie Dabady, African Development Bank Manager for Resource Mobilization and Partnerships, in keynote remarks. “But this is a pivotal moment to raise its p...

  What:            African Transformation Briefing on the 17th African Development Fund Replenishment (ADF-17) Who:              African Development Bank Group, African Center for Economic Transformation, Global Strategic Communications Council When:           Tuesday, 29 July 2025, 13:30-15:00 GMT Where:         Virtual (Register  here ) The African Center for Economic Transformation, in partnership with the Global Strategic Communications Council, will host a special virtual edition of the African Transformation Briefing focused on the 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund (ADF-17). This media-focused session will explore how the Fund continues to deliver catalytic, concessional financing tailored to Africa’s evolving development priorities in an increasingly complex global enviro...

  The African Development Fund has appointed Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, President and CEO of the  ONE Campaign , as a Champion for its 17th replenishment cycle, ADF-17. This cycle comes at a pivotal moment as the Fund seeks to scale catalytic investments to advance resilience, integration, and inclusive growth across Africa’s most vulnerable economies. As Champion, Nwuneli will play a role in mobilizing support for ADF-17. She will draw on her extensive leadership experience to amplify the Fund’s visibility, foster strategic partnerships, and engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders around its core priorities–climate adaptation, regional integration, and targeted support for countries facing fragility and conflict. “This partnership with the ONE Campaign comes at a critical moment for the African Development Fund. As Champion for ADF-17, Ndidi brings a powerful voice and trusted leadership that will help elevate the Fund’s visibility, highlight Africa’s development priorities, and ...

  The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved $19.93 million grant funding for the Resilience Building - Vulnerable Youth and Women Support Project, designed to improve access to basic social services for underserved communities in The Gambia. The initiative seeks to address the root causes of poverty and irregular migration by creating sustainable livelihoods and tackling early signs of fragility and preventing structural drivers of conflict and instability in the targeted region. It forms part of the Bank’s scaled-up prevention agenda under the Prevention Envelope of the Transition Support Facility (TSF), which emphasizes early response to fragility risks and systematic drivers of conflict. The Gambia faces severe economic challenges, with 53.4% of the population living below the poverty line. Poverty is particularly severe in rural areas, affecting 76 percent of residents, compared to 34 percent in urban areas. Youth unemployment stands at 38.6%, wi...

  Ntambwe water tower in Central Kasaï Drinking clean water, receiving treatment in a modern health centre or seeing your children study in bright classrooms is no longer a dream in Kasaï province, in the centre of the DRC. Today, it’s real life. In the past, life in Kasaï was subject to painful compromises: "We used to drink water that was full of germs, which caused a lot of suffering for all of us," recalls Papa Mutombo Tambwe, who proudly now talks of the new water supply installed in Tshilenge, eastern Kasaï. Back then, health centres little more than simple huts that were far from reassuring, but nevertheless vital. "Our health centre in Tshibumba was just a small building made of earth and straw," says Mulanga Ntambwe. Despite the discomfort, villagers went there because they had no better facilities available. Bad roads in Tshikapa made safe, fast transport impossible. Katoy health centre in Kwango province Change began more than 10 years ago, when the Proje...

  Supported by the African Development Fund’s Climate Action Window, the project will improve rice seed availability for 11,000 farmers in 13 West African countries. The Board of Directors of  the African Development Fund  (ADF), the concessional funding window of the African Development Bank Group, on 17 July 2025 approved a $9.44 million grant for the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) to strengthen the climate resilience of rice value chains across West Africa. Funded through ADF’s  Climate Action Window , the project will support rice producers and processors in 13 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The initiative, part of the Regional Resilient Rice Value Chains Development Project in West Africa (REWARD), and specifically its adaptation component (REWARD-Adaptation), aims to scale up the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies througho...

  On Wednesday, in Abidjan, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) approved a three-year trade finance facility of $10.75 million in favour of Intercontinental Investment Bank Djibouti (IIB Djibouti). The facility has three components including a $8 million Trade Finance Line of Credit, a $2 million Trade Finance Transaction Guarantee and a $750,000 AFAWA’s grant from the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi). This facility will support the Djiboutian economy by facilitating imports of equipment related to renewable energy, manufacturing, and telecommunications sectors. It will also support the importation of essential goods to meet short-term local demand. Specifically, the facility will benefit Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises as well as large local companies, including those owned and/ or led by women. Targeted projects will be those least vulnerable to climate risks and minimal greenhouse gas emissions. “We are pleased to partner with II...

  Group photo of African women entrepreneurs’ associations and workshop participants. The African Development Bank has unveiled the findings of a first-of-its-kind study mapping women entrepreneurs’ associations across sixteen African countries, revealing significant capacity gaps that hinder their economic impact.  Launched on 6 August in Nouakchott, the study shows that while nearly one in four African women is an entrepreneur, 87 percent of women’s associations lack financial management capacity. Only 29 percent have partnerships with financial institutions, and in Mauritania, 83 percent rely primarily on membership fees, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable financing solutions. The report was presented during a workshop that brought together women entrepreneurs’ associations, civil society, public institutions, financial institutions, and development partners to review the findings, identify priority needs, and outline action plans. “This workshop is a genuine spac...

  Participants at the African Development Bank Group's 2025 Zimbabwe Country Portfolio Performance Review workshop The African Development Bank Group and the Government of Zimbabwe have concluded the 2025 Country Portfolio Performance Review (CPPR) workshop, bringing together key stakeholders to assess the Bank's operations in Zimbabwe and chart a forward-looking agenda. Held from 12–13 May in Harare, the event marked the first review under the Bank’s 2024-2026 Country Brief, with a focus on adopting a more inclusive and results-driven approach. For the first time, voices from Zimbabwe’s private sector joined government officials, development partners, and African Development Bank representatives, adding fresh perspectives and renewed energy .  “This CPPR workshop is more than just an evaluation—it is a platform to co-create solutions, share knowledge, and build a collective vision for impact,” said Belinda Chesire, Country Programme Officer for the Bank, delivering remarks on...

  Participants of the AfDB’s side event on gender-responsive climate solutions during the Africa Climate Summit The African Development Bank convened high-level discussions on scaling gender-responsive climate solutions at the Second Africa Climate Summit. The event "Scaling Up Gender-Responsive Climate and Energy Solutions: From Finance to Policy and Data" featured the announcement by Bank Group investment partner KawiSafi Ventures that 35% of its $90 million fund will target female-founded energy transition companies going forward. It was held at the African Development Bank Pavilion in Addis Ababa's International Convention Center to showcase partnerships that are channeling finance to women-led climate businesses. The Bank's response includes its flagship Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program and partnerships with Climate Investment Funds, which have provided pathways to support women-led enterprises, unlock climate finance, and embed gend...

  (l-r) Mr. Ryuhei YOSHIKAWA, Director, Eco Infrastructure, Chemical Business, Kao Corporation; Solomon Quaynor, VP for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization, AfDB; Mr. Yoichi MIYAMOTO, President of Japan-Africa Infrastructure Development Association (JAIDA) and Senior Advisor of Shimizu Corporation; Mr. Kazuya OSAKO, Managing Officer and Director, International Civil Engineering Division, Shimizu Corporation; Mr. Tadashi OBAYASHI, General Manager, General Planning Department, THE NIPPON ROAD CO., LTD.; Mr. Marco Yamaguchi, Manager, Transport and Logistics Division, AfDB The African Development Bank has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI)with the Shimizu Corporation, Kao Corporation and The Nippon Road Co Ltd to advance cooperation in the deployment of innovative, climate-resilient road maintenance solutions in Africa. The agreement was signed by Solomon Quaynor, African Development Bank Vice President for Private Sector, Infrastructure & Industrialization, and exe...

  Established in 2006, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation aims to support good governance and great leadership in Africa. The Foundation works to: Stimulate debate on good governance; Provide criteria by which citizens and governments can measure progress; Recognize achievement in African leadership and provide a practical way in which leaders can build positive legacies on the continent when they have left office; Support aspiring leaders for the African continent. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation (the “Foundation”) is financing the Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship position in the African Development Bank (the “Bank”). The Fellow will perform the functions and duties of the position at the headquarters of the Bank in Abidjan, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, or in any other location from which the Bank carries out its operations. The Mo Ibrahim Leadership Fellowship Programme is a selective Fellowship that prepares the next generation of outstanding African leaders by providing them with unique w...