The African Development Bank Group held discussions in the Republic of Congo from 24 to 28 February 2025 to strengthen cooperation and support national development priorities. The talks were led by Solomane Koné, Acting Director General for Central Africa.
As part of the engagement, the Bank signed two grant agreements totalling $1.5 million to address energy challenges. These include a $585,000 grant from the Middle Income Country Technical Assistance Fund for hydroelectric infrastructure feasibility studies and a $995,000 grant from the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation Trust Fund to improve the electrical transmission line between Pointe-Noire and Brazzaville.
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“The projects funded by these agreements will help us to open up power pools with neighbouring countries, such as the Democratic Republic of Congo. The African Development Bank will again play an essential role, since it is a stakeholder in numerous initiatives, including the new Mission 300, which our country welcomes,” said Ludovic Ngatsé, Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Integration.
“This financial support illustrates the Bank’s willingness to support Congo in modernising its energy infrastructure, which is essential for diversifying its economy,” Koné stated.
Advancing digital infrastructure
A visit to the Data Centre under construction as part of the Central African Backbone fibre optic project highlighted the country’s technological progress. This centre is expected to improve national and regional connectivity and support the development of a digital economy.
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Strategic discussions on development priorities
The Bank’s mission included high-level meetings with Prime Minister Anatole Collinet Makosso and Minister of the Economy, Planning and Regional Integration Ludovic Ngatsé. The discussions focused on structural reforms and the implementation of Congo’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2022-2026.
The Bank encouraged the government to continue implementing major reforms, particularly in debt management, to enable funding for planned projects from 2025, especially in the energy sector.
“You can be reassured by the fact that we are going to keep our commitments and will continue to count on the Bank’s valuable support,” said the Prime Minister.
The Bank’s representatives also met with ministers overseeing agriculture, livestock farming and fishing, technical and vocational education, finance, budget and public holdings, and energy and water. These discussions helped review ongoing projects, some of which are nearing completion, and assess future partnership opportunities.
A meeting with United Nations representatives explored potential synergies to maximise impact, particularly in energy. Discussions with the Central Africa Power Pool focused on regional integration to address energy security and access challenges.
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Future cooperation and funding prospects
The Bank’s mission explored new funding opportunities for key sectors, including energy, digital infrastructure, and roads. The Bank also plans to provide technical assistance to help Congo reassess its gross domestic product to incorporate natural capital, a step aimed at unlocking climate funding.
Congo has expressed interest in joining the second cohort of Energy Compacts under Mission 300, a joint initiative by the African Development Bank and the World Bank.
The mission also covered discussions on Congo’s hosting of the Bank’s 2026 Annual Meetings. The Prime Minister reaffirmed the country’s readiness for the event.
“The relationship between the African Development Bank and the Republic of the Congo is excellent. The Bank has always been at our side, providing various forms of support, both operationally and in terms of strategic advice. It exerts its influence to back initiatives to support Congo, and it has my sincere thanks for that,” said the Prime Minister.
Framework for cooperation
The partnership between the African Development Bank and Congo is based on the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) 2023-2028. This strategy focuses on two areas: developing sustainable infrastructure to strengthen value chains with high growth potential and improving human capital and economic governance to support social inclusion.
