The Opec Fund for International Development (the Opec Fund) is undertaking an official mission to Côte d’Ivoire to further strengthen strategic cooperation with the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and advance joint efforts to support sustainable development across Africa.
A highlight of the visit was the AfDB–Opec
Fund Partnership Day at AfDB headquarters, which brought together senior
leadership from both institutions to reinforce collaboration and align
development priorities.
During the visit, Abdulhamid Alkhalifa,
Opec Fund President and Sidi Ould Tah, AfDB President, held bilateral
discussions and signed an amendment to the existing Memorandum of
Understanding, strengthening the framework for cooperation across public and private
sector operations, co-financing and knowledge exchange.
Opec Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa
said: “Africa remains central to the Opec Fund’s mission. Our partnership with
the AfDB continues to evolve into a more strategic and impact-driven
collaboration, focused on accelerating delivery and supporting country-led
development priorities. By working more closely together, we can scale
solutions and deliver stronger results for people and communities across the
continent.”
The Opec Fund and the AfDB have partnered
for nearly five decades, supporting some 120 projects across energy, transport,
agriculture, water, health, education and financial sectors with $1.5 billion
in co-financing.
The mission also underscores the
partnership’s strong focus on implementation and results.
President Alkhalifa is visiting the Atinkou
Power Plant, a 390-MW combined-cycle gas facility, a project co-financed with
international development partners including the AfDB.
The Atinkou project has strengthened Côte
d’Ivoire’s baseload power supply by replacing inefficient generation capacity
and providing reliable electricity for households and industry.
In addition, President Alkhalifa will
participate in a high-level consultation between the Arab Coordination Group
and the AfDB, aimed at enhancing coordination among development partners and
supporting Africa’s long-term growth and resilience. -TradeArabia News Service