Abidjan: The African Development Fund, the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, has approved a grant of $4.23 million to implement the second phase of a project aimed at integrating natural capital into development financing across thirteen African countries. This initiative targets Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.According to African Press Organization, the project will receive in-kind contributions from partner institutions, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the German public agency for international cooperation on sustainable development (GIZ), the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development, the Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Environment Programme. The initiative seeks to create an environment that encourages better utilization and integration of natural capital into political and fi nancial decision-making processes. Participating countries will also contribute to the project.Scheduled for implementation between October 2026 and September 2029, the project aims to generate outputs in policy, statistics, institutions, and knowledge, contributing to the improved integration of natural capital into development planning. The strategy focuses on strengthening policy-making systems, statistical frameworks, institutional structures, and knowledge-generation mechanisms, aiding regional member countries and the African Development Bank Group in assessing and incorporating natural capital into public policies.The project will achieve its objectives through an integrated approach, including policy support, technical assistance, assessments of statistical readiness, biodiversity financing tools, pilot projects to evaluate green wealth, capacity building, and peer learning. It is designed to support development that is climate-resilient, nature-friendly, and inclusive by enabling countries to bet ter identify, measure, and manage natural wealth, while also enhancing the evidence base that informs development financing, discussions on sovereign policies, and the mobilization of green investments, according to Innocent Onah, Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank Group.Onah further stated that, in the long term, the project could lead to tangible improvements in the target countries' development, including GDP growth, increased foreign direct investment, economic development, poverty reduction, improved employment, economic competitiveness, and enhanced financial and economic risk ratings.

Abidjan: The African Development Fund, the concessional window of the African Development Bank Group, has approved a grant of $4.23 million to implement the second phase of a project aimed at integrating natural capital into development financing across thirteen African countries. This initiative targets Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.According to African Press Organization, the project will receive in-kind contributions from partner institutions, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the German public agency for international cooperation on sustainable development (GIZ), the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development, the Economic Commission for Africa, and the United Nations Environment Programme. The initiative seeks to create an environment that encourages better utilization and integration of natural capital into political and fi nancial decision-making processes. Participating countries will also contribute to the project.Scheduled for implementation between October 2026 and September 2029, the project aims to generate outputs in policy, statistics, institutions, and knowledge, contributing to the improved integration of natural capital into development planning. The strategy focuses on strengthening policy-making systems, statistical frameworks, institutional structures, and knowledge-generation mechanisms, aiding regional member countries and the African Development Bank Group in assessing and incorporating natural capital into public policies.The project will achieve its objectives through an integrated approach, including policy support, technical assistance, assessments of statistical readiness, biodiversity financing tools, pilot projects to evaluate green wealth, capacity building, and peer learning. It is designed to support development that is climate-resilient, nature-friendly, and inclusive by enabling countries to bet ter identify, measure, and manage natural wealth, while also enhancing the evidence base that informs development financing, discussions on sovereign policies, and the mobilization of green investments, according to Innocent Onah, Chief Natural Resources Officer at the African Development Bank Group.Onah further stated that, in the long term, the project could lead to tangible improvements in the target countries' development, including GDP growth, increased foreign direct investment, economic development, poverty reduction, improved employment, economic competitiveness, and enhanced financial and economic risk ratings.