Abidjan: The African Development Fund, the concessional arm of the African Development Bank Group, has announced a grant of $4.23 million aimed at advancing the integration of natural capital into development financing for thirteen African countries. The initiative marks the second phase of a significant project designed to embed natural capital considerations into political and financial decision-making processes across the continent.According to African Press Organization, the project encompasses a diverse array of nations, including Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Partner institutions such as the World Wildlife Fund, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development, the Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Environment Programme are contributing in-kind support to t his initiative. These collaborations aim to create an environment that facilitates the utilization and integration of natural capital in development strategies.The implementation of the project is slated for October 2026 to September 2029 and is expected to yield significant outcomes in policy reform, statistical enhancement, institutional development, and knowledge creation. These outputs are anticipated to bolster the capacity of the participating countries and the African Development Bank Group to effectively incorporate natural capital assessments into public policy frameworks.The project's strategy is comprehensive, encompassing policy support, technical assistance, statistical readiness evaluations, biodiversity financing tools, pilot projects on green wealth assessment, capacity building, and peer learning initiatives. These measures are designed to foster resilience against climate change impacts, promote nature-friendly development, and ensure inclusivity in economic growth.Innocent Onah, Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank Group, emphasized the project's potential to enable African countries to better quantify and manage their natural resources. This effort is expected to strengthen the evidence base for development financing, enhance policy dialogue, and facilitate the mobilization of green investments. Onah highlighted that, in the long term, the initiative could lead to substantial improvements in GDP growth, foreign direct investment, economic development, poverty reduction, employment, competitiveness, and financial and economic risk assessments in the participating nations.

Abidjan: The African Development Fund, the concessional arm of the African Development Bank Group, has announced a grant of $4.23 million aimed at advancing the integration of natural capital into development financing for thirteen African countries. The initiative marks the second phase of a significant project designed to embed natural capital considerations into political and financial decision-making processes across the continent.According to African Press Organization, the project encompasses a diverse array of nations, including Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Partner institutions such as the World Wildlife Fund, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development, the Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Environment Programme are contributing in-kind support to t his initiative. These collaborations aim to create an environment that facilitates the utilization and integration of natural capital in development strategies.The implementation of the project is slated for October 2026 to September 2029 and is expected to yield significant outcomes in policy reform, statistical enhancement, institutional development, and knowledge creation. These outputs are anticipated to bolster the capacity of the participating countries and the African Development Bank Group to effectively incorporate natural capital assessments into public policy frameworks.The project's strategy is comprehensive, encompassing policy support, technical assistance, statistical readiness evaluations, biodiversity financing tools, pilot projects on green wealth assessment, capacity building, and peer learning initiatives. These measures are designed to foster resilience against climate change impacts, promote nature-friendly development, and ensure inclusivity in economic growth.Innocent Onah, Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank Group, emphasized the project's potential to enable African countries to better quantify and manage their natural resources. This effort is expected to strengthen the evidence base for development financing, enhance policy dialogue, and facilitate the mobilization of green investments. Onah highlighted that, in the long term, the initiative could lead to substantial improvements in GDP growth, foreign direct investment, economic development, poverty reduction, employment, competitiveness, and financial and economic risk assessments in the participating nations.