Earlier last month, the board of directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group approved the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for Zambia for 2024-2029, which sets out two priority intervention areas, including boosting the development of the private sector through investments in infrastructure and developing the country’s agricultural value chain.

“The aim of this new CSP is to support Zambia’s vision of speeding up its socioeconomic transformation to improve livelihoods,” says AfDB Zambia country office head Raubil Durowoju.

He adds that the first area emphasises infrastructure development with the aim of increasing productivity, strengthening commercial competitiveness, diversifying the economy and improving people’s lives.

“The second supports value addition and job creation and is targeted at women and young people,” says Durowoju.

The AfDB’s interventions will be designed to help expand the road and rail network, to make access easier and to unblock the development opportunities envisaged in other sectors of the economy.

They will also support the creation of climate-resilient infrastructure and the development of transport resources to further strengthen regional trade, especially along the regional transport and trading corridors.

Further, the AfDB’s actions in the water and sanitation sector will help to improve access to high-quality water and the use of sanitation facilities. This, according to the AfDB, should translate into an improved quality of life for the Zambian population, and a reduction in the costs of medical care for waterborne diseases.

Moreover, the AfDB Group will provide assistance to the agricultural sector, concentrating primarily on the development of farm blocks and value chains, to improve the sector’s climate resilience and agricultural productivity.

The AfDB will also work with the Zambian government and the private sector to improve the value chains of agricultural products by drawing on synergies with support for technological and digital startups in the agricultural sector.

As of February 29, 2024, the AfDB’s active portfolio in Zambia comprised 23 projects, with a total commitment of almost $1-billion.