According to the Bank’s website, the present project is a logical continuation of the Bank’s initiative to develop infrastructure statistics through its Africa Infrastructure Knowledge Program (AIKP). The countries included in the project were specifically targeted to bring them at par with their ADF counterparts in terms of the availability and quality of their infrastructure statistics. In its execution, the project will leverage the existing long-term collaboration between COMESA and the Bank. The Transition States targeted by the project are characterized by quasi-inexistent or poor infrastructure services such as power shortages, limited transportation facilities, inadequate water supply, and poor telecommunications, which in turn stifle economic activities and restrict growth opportunities. Some of these countries have experienced prolonged periods of conflict, which have devastated their infrastructure and social services and exacerbated their fragility situation. The project helps to fill the information gap on the targeted Transition Sates infrastructure deficit by helping to determine the scale of the deficit and its funding needs through: (i) strengthening of the capacities of NSOs and infrastructure line ministries via training workshops designed to promote the use of best practices in the generation of infrastructure statistics; (ii) improvement of knowledge base on power and transportation infrastructure services through the development of an infrastructure information system for an efficient infrastructure data collection, validation and dissemination; and the development of power and transport investment needs models; (iii) identification of infrastructure gender gaps through reliable and sound gender-sensitive infrastructure statistics generation; and (iv) generation of knowledge reports.

The project aims to improve availability and quality of power and transport infrastructure statistics in Transition States, while ensuring that gender aspects are fully mainstreamed at all infrastructure service levels. Specifically, the project will build capacities of COMESA, National Statistical Offices, and sector ministries, on data collection, validation, management, dissemination, and use for policy decision-making, with a focus on gender responsive infrastructure data. By providing open and reliable data on infrastructure, governments can improve transparency and accountability, build public trust, promote resilience and reduce fragility. It will also improve the Bank’s capacity in delivering on the High 5 “Power and Light up Africa”, “Integrate Africa”, and “Improve the quality of life of people of Africa”.

The beneficiaries of the project are COMESA, as the implementing agency as well as National Statistical Offices (NSOs), and Infrastructure Ministries in the following 23 countries : Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Sao Tome & Principe, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Togo.

Environmental Category: [3] Low Risk

According to the Appraisal Report, the project category is confirmed as E & S category 3 on 11/11/2024. The justification for this category is that according to the Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, S.I No 28 of 1997, the activities that the program aims to deliver including (i) improved technical, institutional, and human capacity to generate reliable statistics; (ii) enhanced monitoring and evaluation of the progress of infrastructure development; and (iii) better sharing and dissemination mechanisms for infrastructure statistics trigger low environmental and social risks that do not require any safeguard documents.

Finance Type: Standard grant
Commitments (UA): 1,120,000
Conversion Rate USD (2025-07-03): 1,33412
Total Project Cost (UA): 1,120,000

Name: Yassine JMAL
Email: y.jmal@afdb.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/request-for-documents. Under the AfDBÕs Disclosure and Access to Information policy, if you feel the Bank has omitted to publish information or your request for information is unreasonably denied, you can file an appeal at https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/appeals-process.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at: https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/