The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the Central African Republic (CAR) have reinforced their partnership during an official visit by Marie Laure Akin-Olugbade, Vice President for Regional Development and Business Delivery, from 25-27 March.

Akin-Olugbade engaged with key stakeholders and government leaders, including President Faustin-Archange Touadera and Prime Minister Felix Moloua, reaffirming the Bank’s commitment to advancing the Central African Republic’s development agenda. She also met with development partners and beneficiaries of Bank-funded projects.

Prime Minister Moloua expressed satisfaction with the fruitful cooperation with the Bank, emphasizing its pivotal role in advancing national objectives. “The Bank's support has been instrumental in advancing our national development agenda and addressing key challenges, and we look forward to continued collaboration to further drive progress and prosperity for our nation," he said.

The Bank’s current partnership with the Central African Republic focuses on two primary pillars: supporting agricultural development and infrastructure for social inclusion, and enhancing institutional capacity building and governance. This framework aims to facilitate the country’s emergence from fragility and lay the foundation for robust and inclusive economic growth.

“I am proud to say that the Bank’s investments are not just merely financial; they are truly transformative enablers of progress and prosperity in the lives of the people of the Central African Republic,” Akin-Olugbade said. She reiterated that the portfolio reflects alignment with the country’s strategies, particularly in infrastructure, governance, and agriculture.

Despite fragility stemming from political and security factors, the Bank has remained resolute in supporting the country’s sustainable development objectives.

During the visit, Akin-Olugbade inspected key Bank-funded initiatives, including the Fibre Optic Backbone Project, which is pivotal in propelling the country towards a digital future. The project encompasses 900 km of fiber optic infrastructure, 11 technical sites, and a cutting-edge National Data Center.

Another transformative project supported by the Bank is the Multimodal Transport Corridor Project to connect Pointe-Noire, Brazzaville, Bangui, and N'Djamena—major cities in the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic and Chad, respectively. A component of this project is the $280 million Brazzaville-Bangui river corridor initiative, which will provide landlocked CAR and Chad a second maritime access to catalyze trade, foster job creation, and expand market access, thereby boosting regional integration for over 6 million people across Central Africa.

Despite economic challenges, including a modest growth rate of 1% in 2023, the Central African Republic is poised for progress. Projections indicate potential increases in key sectors such as industrial agriculture, forestry, and gold mining could spur growth to 2.9% in 2025.

As of the end of March 2024, the Bank’s active portfolio in CAR comprised 20 public projects with a total commitment of $454.6 million, spanning transport, energy, agriculture, and social infrastructure sectors.