Devdiscourse News Desk
Saturday August 31, 2019
Somalia’s deputy finance minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ali signed for his country and Nnenna Nwabufo, deputy director general, East Africa signed for the Bank Group. Image Credit: AfDB
The livelihood in Somalia is set to develop as the African Development Bank has recently signed two grants for USD 28.8 million for road and water supply projects.
The approval of two grants were already made by the African Development Bank (AfDB) on July 19 this year that ensured tackling fragility in the Horn of Africa. They comprise $11.99 million for the Kismayo Baidoa urban water project and $16.86 million to partly finance a $66.7 million road.
Somalia's deputy finance minister Abdullahi Sheikh Ali signed for his country and Nnenna Nwabufo, deputy director general, East Africa signed for the Bank Group. Present at the event were Somali ministers for public works, housing and reconstruction, and energy and water resources, representatives from South West and Jubbaland states and the International Organisation for Migration.
AfDB intends to launch the two projects during the mid of September this year, Nnenna Nwabufo said while recognising the contributions of the European Union, the Italian government, and critical commitments by the Somali government.
The road project said to be rehabilitating 355 kilometre of regional road networks will also provide assistance to develop the capacities of public agencies. It is expected to enhance productivity, improve living standards, augment inter-regional trade, cut the cost of doing business and create jobs, especially during implementation.
The Kismayo Baidoa urban water supply project will bolster quality of life, inclusiveness and resilience through increased access to safe water, as well as improved sanitation and water delivery services in Kismayo in Jubbaland state and Baidoa in South West state.
On the other hand, two projects will be implemented within the framework of the multi-partner Somalia infrastructure fund managed by the Bank. They are also consistent with the key objectives of Somalia's National Development Plan. AfDB's total approved and ongoing portfolio in Somalia is about USD 143.7 million, spanning governance, institutional support, capacity building, agriculture, transport, and social sectors.
Republished from Devdiscourse News Desk