African Development Bank signs €362,000 grant agreement with Hadejia Jama'are Komadugu Yobe Basin-Trust Fund to support water resources...

The African Development Bank has signed a €362,000 grant agreement with Hadejia Jama'are Komadugu Yobe Basin-Trust Fund to prepare additional studies under the second phase of developing a strategic plan for managing water resources in the Komadugu-Yobe Basin in northern Nigeria.

Mauritania: African Development Bank and BCI Group Sign US$ 485,000 AFAWA Technical Assistance Agreement to Promote Financial Inclusion of African...

The African Development Bank and the Bank for Trade and Industry (BCI) of Mauritania have signed a $485,000 technical assistance agreement for the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) program which aims at promoting women's access to finance in Africa.

South Africa: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2023 Article IV Mission

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Papa N’Diaye visited South Africa on March 1-17 to hold meetings with the economic authorities and other counterparts from the public and private sectors for the 2023 Article IV annual consultation. Discussions focused on policies to ensure macro-financial stability and the far-reaching reforms needed to durably lift potential growth, create jobs, reduce poverty and inequality, and facilitate the transition to a greener economy.

IMF Executive Board Concludes 2023 Article IV Consultation with Vanuatu

The reopening of borders and strong public infrastructure investment are paving the way for a faster recovery. GDP growth is expected to rise to 3.5 percent in 2023. Agricultural production, remittance inflows, and strong recovery in trading partners will support the economic activity. High energy and global commodity prices are pushing up headline inflation and widening the current account deficit, but core inflation remains subdued for now. Fiscal policy is expected to remain expansionary in the near term as the implementation of externally financed infrastructure projects accelerates. Monetary policy remains appropriately on hold amid weak private credit growth and negative output gap. The Economic Citizenship Program (ECP) is facing significant challenges, with important implications for revenue collection and governance. The financial and operational challenges of Air Vanuatu are worsening and affecting the economy in general, particularly the tourism sector. The banking sector weathered the pandemic well. However, elevated non-performing loans (NPLs), particularly for households, remain a concern.