Accelerating Africa's Infrastructure Development: The Power of Innovative Technical Assistance

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is championing a new approach to infrastructure development in Africa, emphasizing the need for innovative technical assistance (TA) to drive sustainable economic transformation. At the Finance in Common Summit in Cape Town, AfDB Vice President Solomon Quaynor called for a shift towards accelerating the development of bankable green infrastructure projects, with a focus on speed, scale, and sustainability.



Quaynor emphasized that Africa cannot afford to sustain decade-long infrastructure development timelines and must prioritize green infrastructure project preparation and development. He highlighted the importance of creating a contestable market for successful bankable infrastructure developments, accelerating project development timelines, and strengthening infrastructure development and asset managers.


The AfDB is working to bridge Africa's infrastructure gap by leveraging technical assistance to drive sustainable economic transformation. The bank is focusing on creating a pipeline of successful green infrastructure developments, ensuring greater competition, scale, and speed.


Innovative technical assistance mechanisms are critical to bridging financing gaps, strengthening institutional capacity, and accelerating the implementation of transformative projects. Quaynor emphasized the need for TA to be catalytic, structured, and designed to de-risk investments and create an enabling environment for private capital mobilization.


The AfDB's approach to technical assistance is solutions-oriented, integrating both public and private sector instruments to ensure that projects are developed with speed and quality. The bank is working to create a contestable market for successful project development, ensuring greater competition, scale, and speed.


A key takeaway from the discussion was the importance of aligning technical assistance with the needs of both governments and private investors. By focusing on capacity-building, regulatory reforms, and project preparation, TA can enhance the bankability of projects and unlock new funding opportunities.


The Finance in Common Summit serves as a vital platform for strengthening collaboration among public development banks and financial institutions. This year's discussions in Cape Town have underscored the need for new approaches to technical assistance that support systemic change across the continent.

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