AA / Dakar / Alioune Ndiaye
The summit of African Heads of State and Government for the implementation of the program of the International Development Association (IDA) for the countries of the continent eligible for IDA financing opened Thursday in Dakar.
The IDA 20 cycle (twentieth replenishment of the Association’s resources) covers the period from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025 according to a press release from the World Bank, with 39 countries.
Presidents Muhamadu Buhari of Nigeria, Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo, George Weah of Liberia, Umaru Sissoco Embalo of Guinea Bissau, Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania as well as several African vice-presidents and prime ministers take part in the meeting.
“We are holding these meetings in a context of deep crisis (…) The instruments of international solidarity supposed to support our efforts for resilience and recovery, such as the G 20 initiative to suspend debt service and the partial reallocation of drawing rights are not making significant progress,” said Senegalese President Macky Sall.
“This IDA 20 Summit, dedicated to examining how best to use resources under the IDA 20, is a bright spot in the gloom. I thank the partners for the replenishment of IDA with a record level of USD 93 billion,” he continued.
“We want to discuss the best strategic use we can make of these funds. There are strategic choices that need to be made,” said WB Director of Operations Axel Van Trotsenburg, noting the need to direct investments towards priority sectors.
He assured, in this sense, that strategic orientations had been taken at the Abidjan summit in July 2021.
After the speeches, the Heads of State and Government met for a working session behind closed doors.
It is expected, at the end of the meeting, the Dakar declaration which will define the main orientations of the IDA 20 which focuses on the theme ” Rebuilding better after the crisis: for a green, resilient and inclusive future ”.
Africa has 39 countries eligible for IDA financing out of a total of 74 nations worldwide.
Economic transformation – agriculture, livestock and food security – human capital – digital and technological innovations and energy transition are, according to the WB, the five priority areas to be addressed for Africa through the meeting.
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