The African Development Bank Group has announced that it will host the Secretariat of the Africa Natural Capital Accounting Community of Practice (Africa NCA-CoP). This move strengthens the Bank’s leadership in integrating natural capital into climate-resilient development strategies across Africa. The Secretariat will be based at the Bank’s headquarters in Abidjan, where it will oversee the implementation of the NCA-CoP strategy and action plan, aligning with the Bank’s priorities for natural resource value addition.
In its new role, the Bank will collaborate with partners including the World Bank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, and the African Union to mobilize resources and scale up activities. The Africa NCA-CoP, created in 2020 and now counting over 500 members from 48 African countries, promotes technical capacity building, evidence-based policymaking, and knowledge sharing on natural capital accounting. The initiative was previously hosted by the World Bank.
The announcement was made during a side event at the Africa Climate Summit 2.0 in Addis Ababa, which brought together policymakers, development partners, and experts to discuss how to mainstream natural capital into national policies, economic planning, and investment strategies.
Fred Kabanda, Manager of the Bank Group’s African Natural Resources Management and Investment Centre, highlighted the institution’s commitment to advancing natural capital. He explained that this priority is embedded in the Bank’s Natural Resources Management and Investment Action Plan (2025–2029) and its broader Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033). Hosting the Secretariat, he noted, will help build capacity, foster collaboration, and ensure that natural capital is integrated into policies and investments that promote climate-resilient growth.
Natural resources remain central to Africa’s economies, livelihoods, and poverty reduction goals, but their value is often underrepresented in traditional economic measures. This undervaluation leaves ecosystems overlooked and climate challenges insufficiently addressed. By hosting the NCA-CoP Secretariat, the Bank is taking steps to ensure continuity, enhance African ownership, and drive policy engagement, ultimately advancing inclusive, green, and climate-resilient development across the continent.
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