Covid-19, conflict and climate change were identified as risk factors for the most vulnerable communities at the 4th edition of the Africa Resilience Forum.
Opened last Tuesday, the Africa Resilience Forum ends this Thursday. The flagship event of the African Development Bank (AfDB) brought together governments, civil society, the private sector and international partners via a video conference.
During the discussions, Amadou Hott, Senegal’s Minister of Economy, Planning and Cooperation, presented “several success stories of his country” in the path to development: “Senegal has adopted a legal framework for flexible and secure public-private partnerships. The (Covid-19) crisis reminds us of the need to rearrange our priorities, to strengthen the social protection of our people and to establish a more endogenous development.
AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina “highlighted the institution’s work on climate finance and major green projects, including the $20 billion Desert to Power solar energy program to provide clean energy to 250 million people in eleven Sahel countries.”
In his address, Nigerian-born Adesina noted that “across Africa, increasing spending on defense and security is increasingly taking the place of funding for the development of essential services, such as education, health, water, sanitation and affordable housing.”
According to him, this choice by governments “undermines the necessary long-term resilience to bounce back” as “the multifaceted challenges of this pandemic, insecurity and climate change continue to have a particularly strong impact on young men, women and children.”
He went on to say that the Bank would work closely with its regional member countries on security-linked bonds to address the root causes of insecurity and protect investments and livelihoods.
For his part, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, argued that “the continent’s rich natural resources and historical solidarity could lay the foundation for its resilience” provided that lessons are learned from the global health crisis that has exposed “the vulnerabilities” of Africa, which needs “a new vision” more than ever.
Through this year’s Forum, the African Development Bank aims to disseminate its new strategy for addressing fragility and building resilience in Africa for the period 2022-2026.
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