The World Bank Board of Directors has approved a new operation to expand access to quality health, education, and social assistance services in Salvador, a major municipality in Brazil’s northeastern State of Bahia. The Salvador Social III Program is expected to directly benefit 1.7 million residents relying on the public health system, 104,000 students in… [Read More]
Piauí Receives World Bank Backing for Fiscal Reform and Economic Development
The World Bank Board of Directors has approved a new operation to strengthen fiscal sustainability and promote economic development in the State of Piauí, Brazil. This Development Policy Financing (DPF) aims to support reforms that enhance the quality of public expenditure and expand private sector participation in water and land resources management, key sectors for… [Read More]
Syria’s Subsidized Bread Programme Scaled Up by WFP to Reach More Families
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), in collaboration with Syria’s Ministry of Economy and Industry, is expanding and extending its Subsidized Bread Programme through March 2026, supported by a generous contribution from the United States government. Starting in January 2026, the programme will operate through more than 300 bakeries nationwide, providing daily bread assistance… [Read More]
Afghanistan Faces Deepening Hunger Crisis as Winter Approaches, Latest Report Confirms
Over 17 million Afghans are facing acute food insecurity this winter, as hunger and malnutrition intensify across the country, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report. This represents an increase of three million people compared to last year, with nearly four million children projected to suffer from malnutrition in the coming… [Read More]
ADB Approves $16.7M Grant for Nature-Based Coastal Protection in Fiji
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $16.7 million grant to support Fiji’s efforts to protect coastal communities from storm surges, sea level rise, and coastal erosion. The grant will fund the Enhancing Climate Resilience of Coastal Communities Sector Project, which aims to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events while strengthening the resilience of… [Read More]
$11 Billion Mobilized by African Development Fund to Boost Ownership and Investment-Led Growth in Africa
The African Development Fund (ADF), the concessional financing arm of the African Development Bank Group, has secured a record $11 billion from 43 partners for its 17th Replenishment (ADF-17), the largest in the Fund’s history. This represents a 23% increase over the previous replenishment and underscores global confidence in Africa’s development prospects, the African Development… [Read More]
$9 Million African Development Fund Grant to Boost Climate Resilience in Tanzania’s Mkondoa Region
The African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a $9.38 million grant to Tanzania to enhance climate resilience in the Mkondoa Catchment, a critical water resource area vulnerable to floods and droughts exacerbated by climate change. The Enhancing Climate Resilience on Water Resources in Mkondoa Catchment project, approved on 12 December 2025, will be financed through… [Read More]
Tunisia Entrepreneurial Profile 2025 Published by AfDB and EBRD Backed by UK Embassy
The African Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have jointly published the Tunisia Entrepreneurial Profile 2025, a comprehensive study of the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Financed by the United Kingdom Embassy and developed in collaboration with the Tunisian government, the report examines the strengths and structural challenges of entrepreneurship in Tunisia… [Read More]
Serious Threats to Press Freedom: UNESCO Warns of Declining Safety for Journalists Worldwide
UNESCO’s flagship report on global trends in freedom of expression and journalism highlights a historic 10% decline in freedom of expression worldwide between 2012 and 2024. This deterioration is largely driven by rising self-censorship among journalists and increasing attacks against them, both offline and online. During the reporting period from 2022 to 2025, 186 journalists… [Read More]
Enhancing Inclusivity in Insider Mediation for Stronger Organizational Harmony
This guidance note emphasizes the vital role of women, young people, and other historically excluded groups in insider mediation (IM) across diverse contexts. Despite their active engagement, these actors often face intersecting structural, sociocultural, and institutional barriers, including violence, stigmatization, limited access to decision-making spaces, and the lack of long-term support tailored to their realities…. [Read More]
$23 Million Boost from African Development Fund to Enhance Clean Energy in Bosaso
The African Development Fund has approved a grants package of $23.36 million to bring clean and reliable electricity to Bosaso, Somalia. The project, named the Rehabilitation and Expansion of Bosaso Power Grid and Strengthening of Energy Sector Institutions, is funded through $9.62 million from the African Development Fund and $13.74 million from the Transition Support… [Read More]
African Development Bank Backs Liberia’s Landmark Mercury-Reduction Project in Gold Sector
Liberia has secured approval from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) for a transformative project designed to drastically reduce mercury pollution in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). Developed by Liberia’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and supported by the African Development Bank Group, the initiative combines $7.67 million in GEF financing with $24.57 million in indicative… [Read More]
Transforming Climate Action: 4 Key Innovations Driving Change
Countries implementing the next generation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) face the challenge of creating investible strategies that drive climate action, enhance resilience, and promote economic growth. Achieving these goals requires strong national commitment and increased multilateral cooperation to close the climate finance gap, which in Africa alone sees only $30 billion of the $300… [Read More]
$311 Million Kenya Power Lines Project Backed by Africa Fund and Indian Company
Kenya has signed a $311 million agreement to construct two high-voltage electricity transmission lines in partnership with Africa50, a Morocco-based pan-African infrastructure fund, and PowerGrid Corporation of India. The project will be executed through a public-private partnership, reflecting Kenya’s strategy to fund infrastructure amid high public debt and constrained fiscal space. The agreement involves Africa50… [Read More]
South Africa’s Shift to a Liberalised Electricity Market: Lessons from International Experience
South Africa has made significant progress in stabilising its electricity supply and addressing the long-standing issue of loadshedding, where controlled power cuts occur when electricity demand exceeds supply. To sustain this progress and secure energy for future economic growth, the country will need over $100 billion in new investment by 2035, marking one of the… [Read More]
UNDP, UNCDF, DBSA and African Bank Launch Township Spark to Drive Inclusive Growth in South Africa
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in South Africa, together with the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and partners including the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and African Bank, officially launched Township Spark on the sidelines of the G20 Social Summit. This innovative blended-finance initiative aims to unlock capital flows for township-based micro,… [Read More]
World Bank and GEF Launch Next Phase of Sustainable Cities Integrated Program
The World Bank and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) have launched the next phase of the Sustainable Cities Integrated Program, expanding support to 40 additional cities across 20 countries. Announced in Rio de Janeiro ahead of COP30, the new phase will provide $170 million in grant financing under the GEF-8 cycle, alongside structured pathways to… [Read More]
USAID Funding Freeze Pushes African Nations Toward Homegrown Health Financing
The funding freeze imposed by the United States government in February 2025 led to the cancellation of a large number of USAID grants across Africa, placing critical health, sexual and reproductive rights, and gender equality programmes at risk. While a subsequent agreement committed US$1.6 billion to Kenya over five years, the broader reduction in global… [Read More]
CardinalStone Targets $120 Million Fund to Boost West African SMEs
CardinalStone Capital Advisers is preparing to raise $120 million for its second small and medium-sized enterprise-focused private equity fund, aimed at expanding access to growth capital across West Africa. The new vehicle, CardinalStone Capital Advisers Growth Fund II, is designed to support high-growth SMEs in markets where private equity financing remains limited and fragmented. The… [Read More]
Mastercard Foundation Backs Female-Led African Enterprises to Boost Inclusive Growth
Five35 Ventures has secured an anchor commitment from the Mastercard Foundation Africa Growth Fund, a move that will strengthen support for women-led startups across Africa and expand the reach of gender-lens investing on the continent. The investment positions Five35 to scale its activities across East, West and Southern Africa while deepening engagement with early-stage women… [Read More]
AfDB Targets $25 Billion Funding Push to Maintain Affordable Lending Amid Reduced US Engagement
The African Development Bank has launched a donor-pledging conference to secure funding for the African Development Fund, which provides concessional loans and grants to low-income African countries, as it seeks to meet a $25 billion replenishment target amid reduced U.S. support. The move comes after the U.S. administration withheld a $197 million tranche pledged in… [Read More]
Bodossaki Foundation Announces 54th Annual Scholarships Supporting Academic Excellence
Alexandra is pursuing her passion for bio-entrepreneurship at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, Sophia is advancing her studies in microbiology within the multicultural academic environment of the University of Sorbonne, and Thodoris is focusing on socially impactful machine learning applications at MIT as part of his Master’s in Business Analytics. Their academic journeys were made… [Read More]
OPCW Syria Missions Receive €2 Million Contribution from Germany
The Government of Germany has contributed €2 million to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Trust Fund for Syria Missions, formalized on 15 December 2025 during a signing ceremony at the OPCW headquarters in The Hague. The agreement was signed by Germany’s Ambassador to the OPCW, H.E. Thomas Schieb, and OPCW Director-General… [Read More]
