The African Union Commission is set to receive grant to the tune of $11.48 million from the African Development Fund. The approval came a few days after the 35th ordinary session of the African Union Assembly which took place in Ethiopia.
The African Union intends to use this grant to strengthen its governance and provide institutional support. The grant will also contribute to Institutional capacity building for the African Union Project a program designed to improve the African Union Commission (AUC)’s capacity to drive agenda 2063.
Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, the deputy chair of the African Union Commission met with the president of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Akinwumi Adesina to discuss the organization’s future and challenges.
Nsanzabaganwa expressed the institution’s deep appreciation for the grant, stating that it will be used to cover three main components: institutional strengthening; policy planning, coordination, and corporate service delivery; and project management.
In addition to that, the funds would be allocated to various causes such as Climate Change Adaptation mechanisms, Disaster Risk Reduction practices, and support for women in various forms like developing the African Unions Commission’s Gender and Youth Mainstreaming Guidelines and Scorecard, and its related activities.
This would not be the first time the African Development Fund would be supporting the African Union Commission. In the past, it has supported several of its projects like its Development Agency-NEPAD, program for infrastructure development in Africa, African Continental Free Trade Area secretariat, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Climate for Development in Africa Program.
About African Development Bank Group
The African Development Bank Group is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF).
It has physical officies in 41 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.
