The 2019 Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank Group (African Development Bank and African Development Fund) are being held in Malabo, Republic of Equatorial Guinea in the Sipopo Conference Centre.
An expected 3000 participants will include finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers, civil society organizations, leaders of international organizations and captains of industry from the Bank Group’s 80 Member States.
This year’s Annual Meetings focuses on ‘Regional Integration for Africa’s Economic Prosperity’, falling under one of the Bank’s five priority areas known as the ‘High 5s’ (Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa).
The Bank strongly believes that building links among the countries of Africa is key to the continent’s economic transformation. As the primary funder of the continent’s infrastructure development, it focuses on regional connectivity by investing in infrastructure — roads, power transmission lines, pipelines and communications networks — and by developing and applying consistent policies to open frontiers.
Africa’s population of one billion people and a combined GDP of over USD 3400 billion could create huge opportunities for its producers. To realize this potential, African governments and regional economic communities need to cooperate to facilitate the cross-border transfer of goods, services, people, money, energy and knowledge. According to the Bank’s Visa Openness Index, only 25% of African countries do not require a visa for Africans to travel (a rise from 22% in 2017 and 20% in 2016), while 51% of African countries continue to impose visas on African nationals (down from 54% in 2017 and 55% in 2016).
VENUE:
Malabo, Republic of Equatorial Guinea
11-14 June 2019
Original source: AfDB
Published on 22 April 2019