Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) CEO Zhongjing Wang joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group Annual Meetings in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on 26-30 May. He met AfDB management and held bilateral meetings with Botswana’s Vice President and Finance Minister and the Finance Ministers of Madagascar and Rwanda, respectively. CEO Wang also met other senior government officials, further building MCDF collaboration with AfDB and its member countries to promote high-quality connectivity infrastructure investment.
CEO Wang, along with MCDF’s Program Team Head, Mr. Frederic Wiltmann, and Ms. Monde Nyambe, met AfDB Vice Presidents Mrs. Nnenna Nwabufo (Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery), Dr. Kevin Kariuki (Power, Energy, Climate Change, and Green Growth), Mr. Solomon Quaynor (Private Sector, Infrastructure, and Industrialization), and Prof. Kevin Chika Urama (Chief Economist and Economic Governance and Knowledge Management). CEO Wang and his team also met AfDB Resource Mobilization and Partnership Department Senior Director, Mr. Gauthier Bourlard.
CEO Wang congratulated the AfDB Vice Presidents and other senior staff on AfDB hosting the annual meetings at its headquarters and for the selection of its President-elect. They went on to discuss opportunities to deepen AfDB-MCDF partnership. This includes facilitating more high-quality connectivity growth in Africa, with a growing number of AfDB projects receiving MCDF grant support since AfDB became an MCDF Implementing Partner (IP) in 2022.
CEO Wang and AfDB management also expressed a shared desire to build on AfDB’s active participation in MCDF information and knowledge-sharing activities to promote the application of International Financial Institution (IFI) standards and good practices to ensure bankable and sustainable connectivity projects in AfDB member countries. These activities are shaped by AfDB’s strategic guidance as an MCDF Coordination Committee member and have included AfDB as a cohost of MCDF workshops on procurement for construction and building contractors and public-private partnership (PPP) “hot topics.”
Botswana Vice President and Finance Minister Mr. Ndaba Nkosinathi Gaolathe described his country’s focus on creating an ecosystem conducive to large, high-quality infrastructure projects to raise its competitiveness, particularly in cross-border rail, transboundary water resource management, telecommunications, and PPP project delivery. CEO Wang noted MCDF’s increasing project preparation, capacity building, and information sharing support across these areas and encouraged Botswana to engage closely with MCDF to address its connectivity needs.
Madagascar Minister of Finance and National Planning Ms. Rindra Hasimbelo Rabarinirinarison said that agriculture and energy transition, including interconnector and generation development, are infrastructure priorities in her country. CEO Wang explained that multiple MCDF IPs can help enable such connectivity projects in Madagascar and neighboring countries like Seychelles, which in 2024 received an MCDF project preparation (pre-concept paper support) grant that is now being implemented by AfDB.
Mr. Yusuf Murangwa, Rwanda Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, discussed his country’s need for MCDF’s capacity development and information and knowledge sharing to address the challenges of large cross-border connectivity investments. He also requested MCDF project preparation support to help Rwanda meet rising regional air connectivity demand as well as MCDF support to improve its PPP project structuring. CEO Wang was highly receptive and said that the MCDF Secretariat can guide Rwanda toward meeting the requirements for this support.
Mr. Felix Nkulukusa, Zambia’s Secretary to the Treasury, discussed his country’s focus on promoting regional integration via infrastructure projects developed with partners in Southern Africa, its newly initiated project with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), and need for greater capacity development to deliver more bankable projects. CEO Wang pointed out that IFAD, an MCDF IP since July 2024, is laying the groundwork for its initial MCDF grant-supported projects and urged Zambia to work with MCDF and its partners to identify support opportunities.
Among other AfDB member officials, the MCDF delegation met with South Africa’s Dr. Goodwill Dithlage, Senior Advisor to the Finance Minister, and Mr. Hendrik Oosthuizen, an advisor at its Finance Ministry; and Tanzania’s Commissioner of External Finance, Mr. Rished Bade. The MCDF delegation also met West African Development Bank (BOAD) President Serge Ekue, in anticipation of its accreditation as an MCDF IP, and Mr. Zwelibanzi Sapula, CEO of the Southern African Development Community’s Development Finance Resource Centre.
NOTE: News release photo above of (left to right) African Development Bank (AfDB) staff, Mr. Frederic Wiltmann, Program Team Head, Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF), AfDB staff, Mrs. Nnenna Nwabufo, Vice President of Regional Development, Integration, and Business Delivery, AfDB Group, Mr. Zhongjing Wang, CEO, MCDF, AfDB staff, Ms. Monde Nyambe, Senior Investment Specialist – Infrastructure, AfDB staff
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david.hendrickson@themcdf.org
