African Development Bank Approves $5.3 Million Grant to Boost Private Investment in Four African Nations

The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group  has approved a grant of $5.3 million to implement the Project to Strengthen the Public-Private Partnership Environment for the Promotion of Private Investment in The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar and Togo.

The project, approved in Abidjan on 27 June 2025, will be financed by the Bank’s Transition Support Facility (under Pillar III: support for critical capacity building and technical assistance interventions). Created in 2008, the Facility provides additional concessional resources to countries in fragile and conflict situations.

The project aims to strengthen the public–private partnership (PPP) environment in four countries, with the goal of catalysing private investment.

It is structured around three components:

• Strengthening the PPP environment – This component seeks to create a more coherent and attractive framework for the private sector, operationalise the institutional setup for PPPs, and build the capacity of stakeholders. The aim is to equip contracting authorities to structure and negotiate more balanced contracts.
• Enhancing private sector participation – Focusing particularly on local businesses, this component will provide a practical case study for PPP stakeholders. It will familiarise them with the different stages of a project cycle, using the tools developed under the first component.
• Establishing an effective project management unit – This will ensure a stable, well-managed implementation environment, enabling strategic and operational oversight by the authorities. It will also ensure the project’s achievements are capitalised upon and its results made visible.

“The project will enable the African Development Bank to build on its ongoing efforts to strengthen the business environment and promote the private sector in the four countries through previous operations. It aligns with the three pillars of the strategic framework for public–private partnerships, contributing to its operationalisation.”

– Solomon Quaynor, Vice President, African Development Bank Group (Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation)