By Sunday Elijah,
The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) have approved a joint plan to enhance the performance of the Bank’s project portfolio in the country. The agreement follows the Country Portfolio Performance Review, conducted from 17 to 20 November in Kinshasa.
The plan aims to increase ownership of projects by sector ministries, strengthen support for ongoing operations, and improve coordination of investment programming. It also includes digitising implementation and reporting processes, building capacity for project teams, and introducing a system to assess the performance of project management units, alongside incentives to accelerate project delivery and optimise impact.
During the three-day review, technical teams from the DRC government, supervised by the Ministry of Finance’s Project and Programme Monitoring Unit, and AfDB project management units examined each operation, assessed progress, identified challenges, and proposed corrective measures and concrete actions for more effective implementation.
DRC Deputy Finance Minister Yamba Kazadi Gracia emphasised the importance of strong project performance, saying that “every dollar unused represents a school not built, a road not rehabilitated, a health centre not equipped. We have a moral and political duty to transform this funding into tangible results for the development of our country.”
AfDB Deputy Director General for Central Africa, Mohamed Chérif, praised the quality of the dialogue with Congolese authorities and reaffirmed the Bank Group’s commitment to supporting the country in achieving its national priorities. He noted that closer collaboration is key to improving the effectiveness and impact of projects on the well-being of the Congolese people.
Country portfolio reviews serve as milestones in the strategic and operational dialogue between AfDB and the countries it finances. The Bank’s active portfolio in the DRC totals more than $1.6 billion, covering sectors including agriculture, transport, energy, water and sanitation, governance, human capital, and digital infrastructure. It is one of AfDB’s largest portfolios in Central Africa.
